It is an exciting time to be a planner. Rising social tensions, a climate under crisis, persistent issues related to access and equity, and rapidly evolving technologies with their intended and unintended consequences call for planners’ involvement to transform communities and quality of lives. If we are to survive these challenges, we need to create cities and regions that are economically viable, environmentally sound, and socially just.
That’s where the planners come in.
We understand different themes and how they work together, from mobility to economy, from health to social justice, environmental sustainability and resilience. We project the intended and unintended consequences of various policies, technology disruptions and planning innovations. Planning is key for developing sustainable and resilient cities and regions.
At Georgia Tech we train planners that are dedicated to creating sustainable cities and regions with their savvy use of problem-solving skills that engage people and cutting-edge technologies. We have been training planners since 1952. We have an enthusiastic and involved network of graduates all over the world. Our graduates are highly 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 87-100 percent each year for the past five years.
Our School has 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. Our students get involved with and take classes from other Schools and programs on campus.
While our students are exposed to cutting edge research and most recent ideas in the planning field, they learn to apply their skills to real-world problems at hand. We use our home, Atlanta metropolitan region, as a living and teaching lab. Through our collaborations and programs abroad, our students also have been able to work on planning issues in China, Japan, India, and Mexico.
Two College of Design research centers are 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 Eco-Urban Lab, Healthy Places Lab, Planning Local Economic Development Lab, Urban Climate Lab, and projects from School faculty have generated research funding of about $4 to $5 million each year during the last 5 years.
We have much more information about our programs, student life, financial aid, research, personnel, and admissions procedures on our web pages. We look forward to having you as part of our team.
Gulsah Akar
Professor and Chair, School of City and Regional Planning
