This MSc will provide you with a broad education in international planning and a specialism in urban design, enabling you to acquire the knowledge and critical understanding to make a significant contribution to the management and design control processes of cities.

The extraordinary effects of urbanisation are now deeply interconnected with many of the greatest challenges facing humanity. Cities around the world recognise that they can no longer ignore the scale of the political, socioeconomic, and environmental problems which often define the urban experience. These impacts – such as the erosion of public spaces, community displacement, traffic congestion, pollution and environmental damage, outdated and failing infrastructure, sharpening inequalities in wealth, health and well-being – are pervasive. Our MSc in International Planning and Urban Design is designed to equip you with the skills needed to analyse, understand, and confront these challenges.

Today, the speed and scope of urbanisation is intertwined with the need for immediate and profound response to the environmental climate crises facing our planet. The work of critical planners and innovative urban designers is now imperative as we seek to overcome the most profound challenges facing humanity: how can we (re)create cities that are responsive to the needs of citizens today whilst ensuring the sustainability of our collective global future?

In response to these immense challenges, national governments, municipal authorities, and communities alike need the help of practitioners of planning and urban design in their quest for the revolutionary reimagining of the possibility of cities. This programme will support you in developing a powerful range of skills and aptitudes for research, design, and critical thinking - tools that are vital for practitioners seeking to engage with communities, developers, politicians, and institutions - to help create healthy, vibrant, and sustainable cities.

We place an emphasis on the theoretical, methodological, and empirical ways of understanding urban problems. You will gain a broad education in international planning and a specialism in urban design, incorporating practical analysis and design skills, techniques for communication and collaboration, and a wide range of essential professional tools. This knowledge and learning experience will empower you with the ambition and confidence to shape a career in urban design and planning as an agent of positive change for our collective future.

Careers and placements

After the completion of the programme, you will be able to work in a wide range of planning and urban design careers, including jobs in public, private and Third Sector organisations. It can involve policy-making (for instance, on urban and regional planning, urban design, sustainable urban development, housing, transport), consultancy on local and international development, project management, as well as further studies towards an academic career in planning and urban design studies.