Urban and Environmental Planning
Chair: A. Bruce Dotson
Planning occurs in many forms: city planning, regional planning, environmental planning, community development planning, health planning or transportation planning. The link between each of these, and the trademark of our program, is an abiding concern for creating sustainable communities. The breadth of this view is signified by our inclusive urban AND environmental planning title. The Department values environments where countrysides are productive and appropriately protected, where cities have vital centers and efficient means of movement, and where neighborhoods offer opportunities for all to live affordably and safely. We are as much concerned with the economy and issues of equity as we are with the environment. We strive to inspire our students to have the same enthusiasm the faculty feel for addressing the planning needs of sustainable communities.
Students in the Planning program develop the understanding, sensitivity, and skills necessary to pursue professional careers in a variety of public, private, and nonprofit roles. The curriculum introduces students to the theories of planning, methods of analysis, effective means of communication, a range of planning processes, and creative strategies for implementation. U.S. News and World Report has rated planning as one of the top 30 best careers. Choosing a Career In Urban Planning provides additional information about the field and its opportunities.
One of the distinctive features of the program is a strong concern for community sustainability. While the topic is addressed in specific courses with that title, the concept of sustainability provides an underlying framework throughout the curriculum. Our goals are similar to those of the American Planning Association’s.
The Department is built on a distinguished faculty and excellent students. Many of the faculty are engaged in current professional and civic work in addition to pioneering research and publications. A number of part-time faculty who are active full-time professionals also contribute to the course offerings. The Institute for Environmental Negotiation works closely with the Department and frequently involves faculty and students in research projects.
Degrees Offered
The Department currently offers two degrees. In addition to a four-year Bachelor’s and a two-year Master’s of Urban and Environmental Planning, the Department offers a Minor for students throughout the University and a certificate in Historic Preservation. There are also a number of dual degree opportunities within the Master’s program.
A proposal to offer an interdisciplinary PhD is currently being developed.
Dual Degree Programs
These programs are available with the other departments in the School of Architecture and various departments throughout the University. Common dual degree arrangements are with law, business and engineering. These dual degree programs permit the joint use of credit to satisfy some of the requirements of each degree and shorten the time required for attaining both degrees. Interested students should consult the department chair and see Dual Degree Programs for more information.
Study Abroad
Planning students may, with approval, spend a semester in one of the programs abroad when offered. Please see the International page for further details.
Student Life
Planning students are very active in the UVA and Charlottesville communities. A number of organizations are composed primarily of planners, although students from a number of disciplines add to the dynamism of these groups. Planning organizations include: Student Planning Association, Green Grounds, Developers Anonymous, and the UVA–Community Garden.
Every year the Student Planning Association (SPA) hosts a Department–wide Thanksgiving dinner in November, where planning students, faculty, family, friends come together to celebrate the department as community. Since 2006, this annual dinner has been a “100–mile Thanksgiving dinner” at which all dishes were to be prepared from foods grown within a 100–mile radius of Charlottesville. The idea was first proposed by Professor Tim Beatley to generate awareness of the importance of local food systems.
The Department also sends a number of students to a variety of professional conferences, including the American Planning Association’s national convention and the Virginia Chapter of the American Planning Association’s (VAPA) annual conference. Recently approximately twenty students traveled to Philadelphia for APA’s convention to attend three days of seminars, lectures, and social gatherings of planners from around the nation.