Department of Urban and Regional Planning Joins the College of Science

I would like to welcome the  Department of Urban and Regional Planning (URP)  to the Charles E. Schmidt College of Science. The department comes to us from the former College for Design and Social Inquiry and is led by Dr. Steven Bourassa, who serves as the Chair and Henry D. Epstein Professor. The department offers undergraduate and graduate degrees in urban and regional planning and an undergraduate degree in urban design. These programs prepare students for a range of careers in fields such as land use, transportation, and environmental planning, as well as housing and community development, economic development, and urban design. The master’s degree is fully accredited by the Planning Accreditation Board. 

Urban and Regional Planning is the College of Science’s eighth academic department. Joining the college creates opportunities for deeper collaboration in several areas of research. Planning faculty and students are involved in a range of research efforts, including projects on environmental issues such as the sea-level rise and transportation issues such as road safety and options for university students traveling to campus. The department’s most recent faculty hire is affiliated with the university’s I-Health pillar and is an epidemiologist and planner who studies the relationships between the built environment and healthy aging. Several faculty focus on housing policy and the analysis of housing markets. 

The URP facilities are located on the Boca Raton campus in the Social Science Building and include two computer laboratories. The department houses two research centers, the Center for Urban and Environmental Solutions (CUES) and the Visual Planning Technology Laboratory. All URP facilities will remain at their current locations. 

The department also engages in outreach and service programs, such as regular continuing education workshops organized by CUES in collaboration with local professional organizations.

I am thrilled to have this dynamic department join the College of Science. And I hope you will join me in welcoming them to the college.

Teresa Wilcox, Ph.D.
Interim Dean and Professor, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science