School of Urban Planning Macdonald Harrington Building 815 Sherbrooke Street West Montreal, QC H3A 2K6 Canada

School of Urban Planning
Macdonald Harrington Building
815 Sherbrooke Street West
Montreal, QC H3A 2K6
Canada

Telephone: (514) 398-4075
Fax: (514) 398-8376
E-mail: admissions.planning@mcgill.ca
Website: www.mcgill.ca/urbanplanning

76.1 Staff

76.2 Programs Offered

The objective of the School is to produce qualified professional urban planners for the public and the private sectors. Training is provided at the post-graduate level; the degree offered is the Master of Urban Planning (M.U.P.).

Upon completion of the two-year program of studies, graduates are expected to have acquired basic planning skills, a broad understanding of urban issues, and specialized knowledge in a field of their own choice.

The program of study offered by the School is fully recognized by the Ordre des Urbanistes du Québec (O.U.Q.) and the Canadian Institute of Planners (C.I.P.). Graduates can become full members of these professional organizations after meeting the O.U.Q.'s internship and examination requirements.

Modern urban planning developed into a profession in the early decades of the twentieth century, largely as a response to the appalling sanitary, social and economic conditions of rapidly developing industrial cities. Initially the disciplines of architecture, civil engineering and public health provided the nucleus of concerned professionals; beautification schemes and infrastructure works marked the early stages of public intervention in the nineteenth century. Architects, engineers and public health specialists were joined by economists, sociologists, lawyers and geographers as the complexities of the city's problems came to be more fully understood and public pressure mounted for their solution. Contemporary urban and regional planning techniques for survey, analysis, design and implementation developed from an interdisciplinary synthesis of these various fields.

Today, urban planning can be described as the collective management of urban development. It is concerned with the welfare of communities, control of the use of land, design of the built environment, including transportation and communication networks, and protection and enhancement of the natural environment. It is at once a technical and a political process which brings together actors from the public, private and community spheres. Planners participate in that process in a variety of ways, as designers and analysts, advocates and mediators, facilitating the search for equitable and efficient solutions to urban development problems.

McGill University was the first institution in Canada to offer a full-time planning program. An inter-disciplinary program was established in 1947, in which students combined a master's degree in Urban Planning with one in a related field. An autonomous program was established in 1972. It became the School of Urban Planning in 1976, a unit within the Faculty of Engineering.

Students come to the School from diverse backgrounds, the physical sciences, the traditional professions, such as architecture and engineering, and the social sciences. Alumni of the School work as planners and designers at various levels of government, in non-profit organizations and with private consulting firms. Their expertise ranges from historic preservation to traffic management, from housing development to computer imaging. They devote their efforts in increasing numbers to environmental planning and sustainable development.

The School is a partner in the Montreal Interuniversity "Group Urbanization and Development", a consortium recognized by CIDA as a Centre of Excellence, which is devoted to the study of urban problems and the formulation of policies in developing regions. Faculty and students collaborate actively with members of other McGill departments, notably Architecture, Geography, Civil Engineering and Law, and with colleagues at other institutions in Canada and abroad.

76.3 Admission Requirements

The M.U.P. degree is open to students holding a bachelor's degree or equivalent in Anthropology, Architecture, Economics, Engineering, Environmental Studies, Geography, Law, Management, Political Science, Social Work, Sociology or Urban Studies. Students from other backgrounds are considered for admission on an individual basis.

In addition to the documents for admission required by the Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies Office, the following must be submitted:

2. For architects only, a portfolio containing at least five (5) examples of architectural work accomplished in school and in practice. (Portfolios are not to exceed 8½" x 11" in size.)

4. For international students only. The minimum TOEFL requirement is 600 (paper-based test) or 250 (computer-based test).

The deadline for submitting applications and supporting material is February 15.

For information regarding awards and financial assistance, please refer to the Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies Office Graduate Fellowships and Awards Calendar.

76.4 Program Requirements

The program in Urban Planning requires two years of study (69 credits). A three-month internship with a member of a recognized planning association is required.

Students are required to prepare a Supervised Research Project which may take the form of investigative research, an impact study, a development project or a plan. It may be undertaken jointly with another student.


PUB1 004*	(3)	Land Use Planning
URBP 604	(6)	Planning Projects 3
URBP 606	(3)	Supervised Research Seminar
URBP 609*	(3)	Planning Graphics
URBP 612	(3)	History and Theory of Planning
URBP 622	(6)	Planning Project 1
URBP 623	(3)	Planning Projects 2
URBP 628	(6)	Practical Experience
URBP 630	(3)	Supervised Research Project 1
URBP 631	(6)	Supervised Research Project 2
URBP 632	(6)	Supervised Research Project 3
URBP 633	(3)	Planning Methods

Students who have completed the material for courses marked with an * may request permission from the instructor to substitute another course.


at least 12 credits, a minimum of 4 courses, must be selected from the following list. It is highly recommended that students complete at least one course in each of the disciplines: housing, transportation, environment and design.
ARCH 378	(3)	Site Usage
ARCH 527	(3)	Civic Design
ARCH 528	(3)	History of Housing
ARCH 529	(3)	Housing Theory
ARCH 550	(3)	Urban Planning 1
ARCH 551	(3)	Urban Planning 2
CIVE 540	(3)	Urban Transportation Planning
GEOG 351	(3)	Quantitative Methods
URBP 501	(2)	Principles and Practice 1
URBP 505	(3)	Geographical Information Systems
URBP 605	(3)	Graduate Seminar
URBP 607	(3)	Reading Course: Urban Planning
URBP 614	(3)	Urban Environmental Planning
URBP 616	(3)	Selected Topics 1
URBP 617	(3)	Selected Topics 2
URBP 618	(3)	Selected Topics 3
URBP 619	(3)	Transportation and Land Development
URBP 620	(3)	Computer Applications in Planning
URBP 621	(3)	Theories of Urban Form
URBP 625	(2)	Principles and Practice 2
URBP 626	(2)	Principles and Practice 3

Students may select additional courses that would be helpful in developing an in-depth knowledge of one or more subject areas in the field of planning. These courses must be at the 500 or 600 levels. They may be taken in any academic unit at McGill or at another university. Frequent choices are classes in real-estate analysis, urban geography, sociology, anthropology, law, politics, and environmental science. Students must confirm that the elective course(s) they select will be counted towards the MUP degree prior to registration.

76.5 Courses

Students preparing to register should consult the Web at www.mcgill.ca/minerva (click Class Schedule) for the most up-to-date list of courses available; courses may have been added, rescheduled or cancelled after this Calendar went to press. Class Schedule lists courses by term and includes days, times, locations, and names of instructors.

(2) This six-week intensive course exposes students to issues and techniques that are applicable in diverse professional planning contexts. The subject matter, geographic area, scale of intervention and institutional location of planning varies from semester to semester. The course focuses on a specific case study and is taught by a visiting lecturer with professional experience in the selected subject matter.

(3) (Restriction: This course is open to students in U3 and above) Analytical and institutional approaches for understanding and addressing urban and other environmental problems at various scales; characteristics of environmental problems and implications; political-institutional context and policy instruments; risk perception and implications; cost-benefit analysis, risk assessment, multiple-objectives approaches, life-cycle analysis; policy implementation issues; case studies.

(3) (Corequisites: Enrolment in full "Barbados Field Study Semester"; AGRI 413, AGRI 519 or CIVE 519 or URBP 519, AGRI 452 or CIVE 452.) An exploration of the interrelationship between land-use planning and infrastructure provision, especially water and sewerage. An examination of their policy and regulatory frameworks and other methodology of plan making and evaluation.

(6) (Corequisites: Enrolment in full "Barbados Field Study Semester"; AGRI 413, AGRI 519 or CIVE 519 or URBP 519, AGRI 452 or CIVE 452, URBP 507) (Restrictions: Not open to students who have taken AGRI 519 or CIVE 519.) Geared for solving real-world environmental problems related to water at the local, regional and international scale in Barbados. Projects to be designed by instructors in consultation with university, government and NGO partners and to be conducted by teams of 2 to 4 students in collaboration with them.

(6) (Prerequisites: Planning Projects I and II.) The second-year studio is designed to permit the study of planning problems in depth. Problems are chosen depending on the experience and research interests of the participants, or for their topical nature.

(3) The supervised research seminar consists of group conferences between students and staff, both to introduce and discuss the topic of professional ethics, and to permit the formulation and development of the students' research project.

(3) Designed to familiarize the student with graphic techniques used in professional planning work, as well as to heighten environmental perception. Weekly lecture which reviews theory and practice followed by a weekly studio assignment involving the application of practical skills.

(3) Examination and evaluation of methodologies pertaining to the assessment of environmental impact in the urban context and the integration of diverse environmental elements directly within the urban planning process. Consideration is given to both theoretical and practical issues. The quality of recent professional reports is assessed.

(3) Urban land development projects: design procedures and standards for internal traffic distribution, auto, truck and pedestrian access, parking requirements, and the development of transportation-related land-use controls. Methods for assessing the impact of land development projects on external traffic. Transportation/land-use relationships at the broader regional scale, with a review of land-use forecasting and allocation models and procedures for the coordination of comprehensive transportation/land-use planning.

(3) An introduction to selected computer applications in planning including information systems, planning analysis and computer aided design. Students will acquire experience with software packages currently used in planning practice and research.

(3) This seminar explores the forces and ideas which have shaped cities since the industrial revolution, with the objective of understanding urban aesthetics. The urban environment as a source of stimulation for the senses is examined from the perspective of different fields of enquiry.

(6) (studio) This studio introduces practical problems based on real world cases. Material covered includes: problem definition; data sources, collection and analysis; goal setting; the creative process; problem solving; and policy implications. Students work in interdisciplinary groups. Each studio terminates with an oral and graphic presentation of work to which expert critics are invited. Progress is evaluated according to performance in class, in the oral presentation, and on written reports.

(3) This studio introduces practical problems based on real world cases. Material covered includes: problem definition; data sources, collection and analysis; goal setting; the creative process; problem solving; and policy implications. Students work in interdisciplinary groups. Each studio terminates with an oral and graphic presentation of work to which expert critics are invited. Progress is evaluated according to performance in class, in the oral presentation, and on written reports.

(2) This six-week intensive course exposes students to issues and techniques which are applicable in diverse professional planning contexts that vary in terms of their subject matter, location, scale and the role played by planners. The course focusses on a specific case study and is taught by a visiting lecturer with experience in the selected subject area. Course topics are systematically varied over a two-year cycle.

(6) An internship related to the practice of urban planning is required. The practical experience must be of at least 3 months duration and be supervised by a professional in the planning field. An evaluation of the student's performance by the supervisor, as well as a short report by the student, forms the basis for assessment.

(3) (3-0-6) (Prerequisite: URBP 622 or permission of instructor.) Cities and planning in comparative perspective; focus on the developing world. Topics covered include: global and local processes shaping cities worldwide, urban problems in developed and developing regions, and the impacts of planning and governance on urban form, economic growth, and equity.

(3) The Supervised Research Project is intended to focus a student's interests on a particular area of enquiry at the end of studies for a Master's Degree in Planning. It should ideally provide the transition into practice or more advanced studies. Joint research projects are allowed.

(3) (Priority given to Urban Planning Students) An introduction to quantitative methods that are commonly used in urban research and planning practice. Topics include municipal information systems, fieldwork techniques, survey design and analysis, analysis of spatial and temporal patterns, and the evaluation of policies and plans.

(4) (3-1-8) (Prerequisite: B.Sc.(Arch.) or permission of instructor) (Restriction: Not normally open to Urban Planning students) A survey of municipal, regional and provincial actions to guide urban development in Canada, with a particular emphasis on Montreal and Quebec. It also introduces students to concepts in real-estate development and highlights the relationship between developers and planners.

(3) (3-1-5) (Prerequisite: CIVE 319 or permission of instructor.) Process and techniques of urban transportation engineering and planning, including demand analysis framework, data collection procedures, travel demand modelling and forecasting, and cost-effectiveness framework for evaluation of project and system alternatives.

76 Urban Planning

76.1 Staff

76.2 Programs Offered

76.3 Admission Requirements

76.4 Program Requirements

76.5 Courses