The Urban Design and City Planning MSc will equip you with theoretical and practical skills, emphasising critical, creative and analytical thinking across a range of urban scales. The course focuses on urban design as a creative planning tool, exploring its relationship with city planning and its capacity to shape more equitable and sustainable cities.
You will engage with an integrated curriculum that brings together urban design, city planning, place-making, real estate, community engagement, and sustainability. Through this interdisciplinary approach, the course highlights planning as a positive force and urban design’s role in promoting economic, social and environmental wellbeing.
Teaching combines theoretical debates, analytical tools, and applied learning. You will develop a strong grounding in city planning, urban form, urban design governance, place-making, and urban design delivery processes. Particular attention is given to sustainability and climate change and community-engaged approaches, equipping you to work sensitively with diverse stakeholders. Project-based learning, case studies and design-led research allow you to test ideas in different contexts and understand the complexity of urban design and planning projects.
The course prepares graduates for a wide range of professional pathways in urban design and city planning, across the public, private and third sector. By developing transferable skills in critical thinking, collaboration, communication, and problem-solving, the course supports careers in public authorities, consultancy, urban design practice, and international organisations, while also providing a strong foundation for further academic research.
Graduate attributes include:
93.6% of our graduates are in work or further study within 15 months of graduation.
Our graduates work in public authorities, urban design practices, international organisations, and carry out further research. Destinations include the Greater London Authority, the London Borough Camden, the London Borough of Islington, the London Borough of Lambeth, as well as other public authorities. We have several graduates that work in urban design and planning firms, such as Arup, Buro Happold, Boyer, Publica, JTP, as well as think tanks such as Dark Matter Labs, or developers such as TOWN*.
Working with dedicated specialists in UCL’s Careers Service and our careers specialist in The Bartlett School of Planning you will be supported in exploring your options, gaining valuable skills and experience, demonstrating your hands-on experience and guiding you through the job application process.