Bachelor of Urban and Regional Planning

The Urban and Regional Planning (BURPI) degree program is designed to prepare students with substantive knowledge about cities and regions, and with thinking and problem-solving skills for career flexibility and lifelong learning. Graduates become leaders who contribute to the community and the profession. The program is accredited by the Professional Standards Board, and recognized by the Canadian Institute of Planners and the Ontario Professional Planners Institute. The program curriculum features a strong grounding in the planning process as applied in cities and regions. It includes: identifying problems and successes, analyzing them, finding alternatives, estimating the feasibility of other approaches, and involving people who have interests in a specific urban or regional problem in the associated decision-making. Instruction is given in team work and clear communication. Students learn about other professions and disciplines which are closely related to planning such as architecture, landscape architecture, politics, economics, sociology, community development, geography, civil engineering, and business. They also learn how planning is done in other cities and regions through two field trips built into the program, and opportunities for study abroad at six universities in Europe and Australia. Planning experience is gained through project-based studios and through field placements in planning and organizations and community agencies. A planning education leads to varied employment. Some examples: Environmental/Ecological Planner - promoting environmental protection through planning and design at the site or landscape scale; Planning Case Worker - addressing planning disputes using alternative dispute resolution, working mainly in law firms and for the Ontario Municipal Board; Municipal Land-use Planner - reviewing applications for development or redevelopment, advising proponents, staff, and citizen groups; Site Planner - developing urban design concepts and ideas in 3-dimensional forms and executing the graphic representation of these forms; Development Planner - co-ordinating subdivision approvals, development permits, building inspections; working in real estate development or planning consulting firms; Community Planner - working with community groups to enhance their participation in development; Planning Analyst - initiating and integrating a wide variety of studies: Statistical, fiscal, and land use analyses; transportation studies; servicing and environmental information; demographic, housing, and commercial/industrial projection studies; International Development Planner - helping agencies in developing countries to produce plans and policies; Other positions include housing market analyst, commercial property assessor, transportation planner, real estate analyst, economic development planner, policy planner, and more.