Georgia Institute of Technology School of City and Regional Planning | Georgia Institute of Technology | Atlanta, GA

Welcome to the Georgia Tech School of
City & Regional Planning!

We are living in a mostly urbanized world where urban planners are playing increasingly critical roles. Given the exploding growth of urban populations, especially in regions with limited resources, the specter of climate change and its impacts, and the increasing inequities across many social and economic spheres, the need for innovative planning have never been greater.

In addition, communities across the globe are strengthening their connections to the global flows of capital, goods, ideas, technologies, and values while at the same time facing a host of growing challenges that threaten the basic fabric of society and the environment.

At Georgia Tech we have designed programs to train a new generation of planners who are equipped to address complex urban problems at the confluence of multiple social and global trends.

Since 1952, the Georgia Tech brand of planners have distinguished themselves not just in their commitment to a just and sustainable world but also in their savvy use of problem solving skills that engage people and cutting-edge technologies.

Our graduates are sought after and many alumni are leaders of various government, non-profit and for-profit organizations. Indeed, our placement rates for planning graduates in planning or planning related jobs has ranged 97-100 percent each year for the past five years. 

How do we do it?

We approach planning and GIS education as applied disciplines at the confluence of multiple domains of knowledge.

Our programs have strong relationships with other schools within the College of Design and across campus in Engineering, Computing, and Public Policy. Many of our faculty hold joint or adjunct appointments in these other units.

While our students are exposed to the most recent knowledge and ideas impacting planning practice, we also focus on the “craft” of planning as an applied field. Students hone their planning and GIS skills by applying them to real life problems with real clients starting near home in an excellent laboratory, which is the Atlanta metropolitan region, but also abroad in China, Japan, India, and Mexico.

We are one of select few planning schools with Cooperative Work-Study (Co-Op) arrangements with several employers who offer students the ability to work 15 hours per week while maintaining 12 credits of coursework. Such arrangements not only help students receive professional experience while pursuing the degree program, but also provide a modest stipend and tuition assistance. 

The world-class research programs directed by our faculty are also key components of student learning. The two College of Design research centers led by our faculty, the Center for Spatial Planning Analytics and Visualization (CSPAV) and the Center for Quality Growth and Regional Development (CQGRD), together with the Urban Climate Lab, Eco-Urban Lab and projects from School faculty have generated research funding of about $4 to $5 million each year during the last 5 years.

A significant part of the research funds supports students who serve as Graduate Research Assistants (GRAs). Typically, about half of our student body have some form of graduate research assistantships, which usually include stipend and tuition assistance. Other than the resources directly available through the School, many students find research opportunities in other schools and colleges after arriving on campus.

Most of the research is conducted in interdisciplinary teams that include faculty and students from different academic programs at Georgia Tech and elsewhere. The diversity of talents and intellectual breadth fostered in these research teams provide an exceptional learning environment within which students mature quickly to become confident professionals or academics.

Here’s how you can join us

We have much more information about our programs, student life, financial aid, research, personnel, and admissions procedures on our web pages. If you are interested in a program that is designed to transform communities and people’s quality of lives across the globe, you should consider us for the first step in that journey.

We appreciate your interest and look forward to teaching, learning, and working with you.

Subhro Guhathakurta
Professor and Chair, School of City and Regional Planning