USC Price School of Public Policy

Urban Planning

Urban planners are the drivers of sustainable growth and change. They aim to improve communities and better the lives of the people who live there.

Degree programs

Graduate certificates

Related faculty

Research centers and groups

  • Center for Sustainable Cities

    The USC Center for Sustainable Cities conducts multidisciplinary research, education and planning and policy outreach efforts on the environmental, social and economic sustainability challenges facing metropolitan regions, and contributes to the development of public policy and planning that improves the natural and human environment of cities.

  • Population Dynamics Research Group

    The Population Dynamics Research Group studies the structure and trends of the population of the Los Angeles region and California as a whole to bring a population-centered perspective to planning and policymaking. Specific research areas include immigration, changes in ethnic and racial composition, tobacco use and health, education, housing, transportation, census data and alternative planning forecasts.

  • Center for Economic Development

    The Center for Economic Development (CED) is a university research center with partial financial sponsorship from the U.S. Department of Commerce Economic Development Administration University Center Program. CED is a clinical forum and outreach arm for the school, engaging the energy, enthusiasm, and talent of students, faculty, and staff to provide a wide range of services to public, private, and nonprofit entities in the 12 counties of Southern California.

  • METRANS Transportation Center

    METRANS is a U.S. Department of Transportation University Transportation Center. It is a joint partnership of USC and California State University, Long Beach. Its mission is to solve transportation problems in large metropolitan regions through interdisciplinary research, education, and outreach. Its four areas of focus are goods movement and international trade; urban mobility; transportation infrastructure and finance; and safety, security, and vulnerability.

  • Lusk Center for Real Estate

    Affiliated with both USC Price and the USC Marshall School of Business, the USC Lusk Center conducts a broad array of research activities, conferences, forums, published reports, and educational programs. Established in the early 1980s, the center addresses issues and opportunities in real estate, development, planning, infrastructure, and finance in the new arena where public, private, and nonprofit interests converge. The Lusk Center also houses the Casden Real Estate Economics Forecast.

Research initiatives

  • Population Dynamics Research Group

    The Population Dynamics Research Group studies the structure and trends of the population of the Los Angeles region and California as a whole to bring a population-centered perspective to planning and policymaking. Specific research areas include immigration, changes in ethnic and racial composition, tobacco use and health, education, housing, transportation, census data and alternative planning forecasts.

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