Urban Affairs & Planning Concentration

The concentration in Urban Affairs and Planning gives students a city-focused perspective on international development. More than half of the world population now resides in urban areas, raising important questions about how governments should meet public needs for transportation, health and sanitation, education, and other essential services within complex and massive urban contexts. In the developing world, as urbanization continues to grow at a rapid pace, booming cities like Shanghai, Mumbai, Buenos Aires, and Johannesburg face particularly critical challenges including poverty, homelessness, and pollution. Students confront such problems on an international scale, while developing valuable skills in Geographic Information Systems (GIS), regional economic planning, and sustainable development management.  

Through this concentration, International Development students take courses on topics such as planning and analysis for sustainability, challenges of cities and regions, reparations policy, natural resources management, and gender and development.

Download Plan of Study beginning Fall '26 »