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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Lund University
Sustainable Cities and Communities
Skills you'll gain: Adaptability, Behavioral Economics, Business Analysis, Business Psychology, Collaboration, Communication, Digital Marketing, Economy, Energy, Entrepreneurship, Experiment, Innovation, Leadership and Management, Marketing, Planning, Probability & Statistics, Research and Design, Sales, Strategy, Strategy and Operations, Supply Chain and Logistics, Sustainability, User Experience Design
4.7
(2.7k reviews)
Beginner · Specialization · 3-6 Months
Free
Columbia University
The Age of Sustainable Development
Skills you'll gain: Data Visualization, Economics, Computer Architecture, Interactive Design, Human Computer Interaction, Data Analysis, Entrepreneurship, Leadership and Management, Human Resources, Computer Networking, Problem Solving, Strategy and Operations, Statistical Analysis, People Development, Network Architecture, Research and Design, Probability & Statistics, General Statistics, Business Psychology, Climate Change, Computer Graphics, Energy, Sustainability, Critical Thinking, Business Analysis
4.8
(2.7k reviews)
Mixed · Course · 3-6 Months
Free
Free
United Cities and Local Governments of Africa
Planning for Climate Change in African Cities
Skills you'll gain: Strategy, Marketing, Entrepreneurship, Finance, Data Management, Critical Thinking, Leadership and Management, Machine Learning, Risk Management, Research and Design, Planning, Strategy and Operations, Sales, Supply Chain and Logistics, Resilience, Big Data, BlockChain, Education, Business Analysis, Climate Change, Business Psychology
4.8
(109 reviews)
Intermediate · Course · 1-3 Months
Free
Free
University of Toronto
The City and You: Find Your Best Place
Skills you'll gain: Writing, Theoretical Computer Science, Marketing, Culture, Entrepreneurship, Human Computer Interaction, Computer Graphics, Human Learning, Leadership and Management, Interactive Design, Software Engineering, Software Architecture, Organizational Development, Strategy and Operations, Research and Design, Brand Management, Business Psychology, Critical Thinking, Creativity, Advertising, Communication, Business Research, Business Analysis
4.6
(127 reviews)
Beginner · Course · 1-3 Months
Free
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 and Communities: Lund University
Reclaiming the Street for Livable Urban Spaces: University of Amsterdam
The Age of Sustainable Development: Columbia University
Greening the Economy: Sustainable Cities: Lund University
African cities : An Introduction to Urban Planning: École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne
Planning for Climate Change in African Cities: United Cities and Local Governments of Africa
Cities are back in town : urban sociology for a globalizing urban world: Sciences Po
The City and You: Find Your Best Place: University of Toronto
Geographical Information Systems - Part 1: École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne
Being Smart about Cycling Futures: University of Amsterdam

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

99 results for "urban planning"

Sustainable Cities and Communities

Reclaiming the Street for Livable Urban Spaces

The Age of Sustainable Development

Greening the Economy: Sustainable Cities

African cities : An Introduction to Urban Planning

Planning for Climate Change in African Cities

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

The City and You: Find Your Best Place

Geographical Information Systems - Part 1

Being Smart about Cycling Futures

Planning & Design of Sanitation Systems and Technologies

Ethics, Culture, and Global Perspectives

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

99 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

Browse popular topics

Popular courses and articles

Earn a degree or certificate online

Coursera

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