Berlin, Germany

Advisor: Jonathan Barnett

Penn's concentration in Physical Planning and Design equips graduates for work in city, county, regional, and state planning departments preparing area plans and reviewing development proposals; in non-governmental organizations affecting the use of land; and in private consulting firms preparing area and development plans.

The concentration includes courses in the history and theory of design, conservation, graphic communication, the public sector context of development incentives and controls and the private-sector context development economics and building typologies. These courses focus on understanding and shaping the built and natural environment at a range of scales.

Goals

-To provide knowledge about the basic form and structure of cities and regions and about alternative theories and methods for their improvement.
-To provide understanding of the links between the physical form and structure of cities and regions, and the economic, social, and political forces that shape them.
-To create familiarity with urban districts, streetscape environments, building typologies, and other components of the city and region.
-To create understanding of the tools and techniques needed to shape the physical environment, including geographic information systems, measures for preserving the natural and built environment, development regulations, and public decision-making.

Requirements

Students complete four foundation courses. They may also take additional elective courses.

Foundation Courses
CPLN 585 Land Use Planning: Principles and Practice
CPLN 634 Regional Economic Development
CPLN 661 Site Planning
CPLN 767 Theory and Principles of Urban Design

Elective Courses
CPLN 642 Real Estate Finance and Urban Planning
CPLN 651 Urban Infrastructure Systems
CPLN 666 Geographic Information Systems for Planners
CPLN 725 Innovations in Growth Management
CPLN 765 Environmental Law: Selected Issues
UDES 752 Case Studies in Urban Design