Urban Planning

Urban planning is the discipline concerned with how cities, towns, and rural areas develop and change over time. It asks how land use, transport, housing, public space, and infrastructure can be organised to create places that are functional, equitable, sustainable, and liveable. Urban planners work at the intersection of the physical environment and the social, economic, and political processes that shape it, collaborating with a wide range of stakeholders including politicians, communities, property developers, renewable energy companies, environmentalists, and public health professionals.

The discipline has never been more important than in an era of rapid urbanisation, climate change, and growing inequality.

At the University of Dundee, this four-year full-time programme includes a year abroad and prepares you to engage with the full complexity of planning practice. You will study the history and theory of urban planning alongside its technical and regulatory dimensions, developing skills in spatial analysis, policy evaluation, design, and professional practice. The programme develops your understanding of how planning decisions are made, how different interests are balanced, and how planners use their tools and judgement to promote positive outcomes in both urban and rural environments.

The year abroad gives you the opportunity to engage with planning systems in different national contexts, developing the comparative understanding that is increasingly valuable in a planning profession that faces global challenges.

Urban planning graduates work in local authorities, development consultancies, central government, housing organisations, and environmental agencies. The discipline is regulated by the Royal Town Planning Institute, and the Dundee programme provides a foundation for membership. Roles include planning officer, development management planner, policy planner, transport planner, and heritage planner.

As cities adapt to climate change and new patterns of living and working, planners with expertise in sustainability, housing, and regeneration are in particular demand. Postgraduate study in urban design, transport planning, environmental planning, or real estate is a natural route for those who wish to specialise.