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City Planning

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May 1, 2024 Updated May 9, 2025 19 minute read

City planning, also known as urban planning, is the process of designing and managing the development of land and the built environment. It encompasses a wide range of activities, from strategic thinking and analysis to urban design, public consultation, and policy implementation. The core objective of city planning is to create functional, sustainable, and livable communities by considering factors like public welfare, efficiency, sanitation, environmental protection, and social equity. Ultimately, city planners work to guide the orderly development of urban, suburban, and rural areas, addressing how people will live, work, and play within a given space.

Path to City Planning

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We've curated six courses to help you on your path to City Planning. Use these to develop your skills, build background knowledge, and put what you learn to practice.

Sorted from most relevant to least relevant:

The City and You: Find Your Best Place

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Urban Climate Governance: Towards 1.5° Celsius Alignment

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Greening the Economy: Lessons from Scandinavia

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What is International Development?

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Urban Transit for Livable Cities

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Urban Rewilding: Restore Your Local Ecosystem

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Reading list

We've selected eight books that we think will supplement your learning. Use these to develop background knowledge, enrich your coursework, and gain a deeper understanding of the topics covered in City Planning.

Territory, the State and Urban Politics

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A comprehensive and authoritative overview of the field of urban planning, covering a wide range of topics from theory to practice.

Territory, the State and Urban Politics: A Critical...

Kindle Edition

Urban Design

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A comprehensive guide to urban design methods, including case studies and examples from around the world.

In Defense of Housing

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A comparative analysis of the politics of urban planning in different countries, covering topics ranging from the role of the state to the participation of citizens.

In Defense of Housing: The Politics of Crisis

Paperback

In Defense of Housing: The Politics of Crisis

Kindle Edition

New Lines

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A comprehensive overview of the field of urban geography, covering topics ranging from the spatial structure of cities to the social and economic processes that shape cities.

New Lines: Critical GIS and the Trouble of the Map

Paperback

New Lines: Critical GIS and the Trouble of the Map

Kindle Edition

Smart Cities

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A comprehensive overview of the concept of the smart city, covering topics ranging from the use of technology to the role of citizens.

Smart Cities: The Internet of Things, People and...

Hardcover

$$$

Smart Cities: The Internet of Things, People and...

Kindle Edition

$$$$

Water Supply And Environmental Management

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A practical guide to infrastructure planning in developing countries, covering topics ranging from project identification to financing to implementation.

Water Supply And Environmental Management:...

Hardcover

$$$$

Water Supply And Environmental Management

Kindle Edition

$$$