What is urban planning?

Urban planning is a set of processes for managing the development and design of cities and their surrounding areas. Some of the issues that factor into urban planning include efficient land use, transportation, maintaining clean air and water, economic opportunities, and education. Urban planners have to balance forward-thinking with historic preservation, and they work with multiple municipal agencies to achieve their goals. They also consider the needs of multiple constituencies in their work. You'll see urban planning at work throughout the world, and cultures have practiced it in one form or another since ancient times.

Why study urban planning?

Urban planning is an important discipline because urban planners explore the issues that face our cities today and attempt to address them. If you have a passion for your city—large or small—you can make a difference by studying urban planning and putting it into practice. Your work is different from that of an architect, because you're not looking at the city as a whole rather than particular structures. Urban planning involves big picture thinking and looks at issues that will affect the city not just today but also in the future.

What are typical careers in the field of urban planning?

There are opportunities to use your urban planning knowledge in historic preservation and conservation jobs, and many municipalities have departments that handle planning and strategy for the future. Urban planning is a wide discipline, so you might consider looking at other industries that are similar to planning and preservation. Landscape architects, land developers, and transportation boards often have job openings for urban planners. Look for jobs with nonprofits that advocate for better urban planning or for particular environmental causes. If you're passionate about a particular neighborhood or historic estate, you may be able to turn that calling into a career as well.

How can online courses on Coursera help me learn urban planning?

Online courses on Coursera about urban planning provide you with the opportunity to learn about green cities, public health, sustainability, and geographic information system (GIS) mapping and spatial analysis. You might discover the principles of successfully managing smart urban infrastructures as well as connecting cities and nature through innovation. Learn about international urban planning concepts too, such as urban planning for cities in Africa, global environmental management, and mitigating climate change in developing countries through online courses on Coursera.

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Urban Planning

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Free
Lund University
Sustainable Cities and Communities
Skills you'll gain: Entrepreneurship, Leadership and Management, Communication, Marketing, Research and Design, Innovation, Planning, Supply Chain and Logistics, Collaboration, Business Psychology, Sales, Strategy, Strategy and Operations, Adaptability, Behavioral Economics, Business Analysis, Digital Marketing, Experiment, Probability & Statistics, User Experience Design
4.7
(2.8k reviews)
Beginner · Specialization · 3-6 Months
Free
École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne
Smart Cities – Management of Smart Urban Infrastructures
Skills you'll gain: Computer Architecture, Computer Graphics, Computer Networking, Human Computer Interaction, Interactive Design, Supply Chain and Logistics, Entrepreneurship, Business Analysis, Data Visualization, Data Visualization Software, Leadership and Management, Marketing, Operations Management, Packaging and Labeling, Store Management, Strategy and Operations, Transportation Operations Management
4.7
(1.6k reviews)
Beginner · Course · 1-3 Months
Free
Free
Free
Free
Free
University of Toronto
The City and You: Find Your Best Place
Skills you'll gain: Advertising, Brand Management, Business Analysis, Business Psychology, Business Research, Communication, Computer Graphics, Creativity, Critical Thinking, Culture, Entrepreneurship, Human Computer Interaction, Human Learning, Interactive Design, Leadership and Management, Marketing, Organizational Development, Research and Design, Software Architecture, Software Engineering, Strategy and Operations, Theoretical Computer Science, Writing
4.6
(142 reviews)
Beginner · Course · 1-3 Months
Free

Searches related to urban planning

african cities : an introduction to urban planning

In summary, here are 10 of our most popular urban planning courses

Sustainable Cities: Johns Hopkins University
Reclaiming the Street for Livable Urban Spaces: University of Amsterdam
Sustainable Regional Principles, Planning and Transportation: Johns Hopkins University
Roman Architecture: Yale University
Sustainable Cities and Communities: Lund University
Smart Cities – Management of Smart Urban Infrastructures: École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne
Climate Adaptation in Africa: University of Cape Town
Shaping Urban Futures: Indian Institute for Human Settlements
Cities are back in town : urban sociology for a globalizing urban world: Sciences Po
Global Environmental Management: Technical University of Denmark (DTU)

Frequently Asked Questions about Urban Planning

Urban planning is a set of processes for managing the development and design of cities and their surrounding areas. Some of the issues that factor into urban planning include efficient land use, transportation, maintaining clean air and water, economic opportunities, and education. Urban planners have to balance forward-thinking with historic preservation, and they work with multiple municipal agencies to achieve their goals. They also consider the needs of multiple constituencies in their work. You'll see urban planning at work throughout the world, and cultures have practiced it in one form or another since ancient times.‎
Urban planning is an important discipline because urban planners explore the issues that face our cities today and attempt to address them. If you have a passion for your city—large or small—you can make a difference by studying urban planning and putting it into practice. Your work is different from that of an architect, because you're not looking at the city as a whole rather than particular structures. Urban planning involves big picture thinking and looks at issues that will affect the city not just today but also in the future.‎
There are opportunities to use your urban planning knowledge in historic preservation and conservation jobs, and many municipalities have departments that handle planning and strategy for the future. Urban planning is a wide discipline, so you might consider looking at other industries that are similar to planning and preservation. Landscape architects, land developers, and transportation boards often have job openings for urban planners. Look for jobs with nonprofits that advocate for better urban planning or for particular environmental causes. If you're passionate about a particular neighborhood or historic estate, you may be able to turn that calling into a career as well.‎
Online courses on Coursera about urban planning provide you with the opportunity to learn about green cities, public health, sustainability, and geographic information system (GIS) mapping and spatial analysis. You might discover the principles of successfully managing smart urban infrastructures as well as connecting cities and nature through innovation. Learn about international urban planning concepts too, such as urban planning for cities in Africa, global environmental management, and mitigating climate change in developing countries through online courses on Coursera.‎

This FAQ content has been made available for informational purposes only. Learners are advised to conduct additional research to ensure that courses and other credentials pursued meet their personal, professional, and financial goals.

Filter by

123 results for "urban planning"

Sustainable Cities

Reclaiming the Street for Livable Urban Spaces

Sustainable Regional Principles, Planning and Transportation

Roman Architecture

Sustainable Cities and Communities

Smart Cities – Management of Smart Urban Infrastructures

Climate Adaptation in Africa

Shaping Urban Futures

Cities are back in town : urban sociology for a globalizing urban world

Global Environmental Management

The City and You: Find Your Best Place

Urban Air Mobility

Searches related to urban planning

In summary, here are 10 of our most popular urban planning courses

Frequently Asked Questions about Urban Planning

What is urban planning?‎

Why study urban planning?‎

What are typical careers in the field of urban planning?‎

How can online courses on Coursera help me learn urban planning?‎

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Filter by

123 results for "urban planning"

Searches related to urban planning

In summary, here are 10 of our most popular urban planning courses

Frequently Asked Questions about Urban Planning

What is urban planning?‎

Why study urban planning?‎

What are typical careers in the field of urban planning?‎

How can online courses on Coursera help me learn urban planning?‎

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Start or advance your career

Popular Courses and Certifications

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Earn a degree or certificate online

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