Discover Urban Studies and Planning

80% of Americans and 50% of people worldwide live in urban areas. Almost all population growth in the next 50 years will take place in cities—mostly in the developing world. Have you ever wondered how cities work, and what their impact is on the people who live in them and the surrounding landscape? In the Department of Urban Studies & Planning, we investigate the dynamics of cities in both the developed and developing world. Using technology and applied social science, we work to understand and design solutions to real-world urban problems, such as poverty and environmental degradation. Our goal is to train students to be creative, nimble problem-solvers who can work anywhere in the world on the problems facing cities in the 21st century.

The Program

This program provides a two-day, whirlwind tour of Boston, from the inside out. Our goal is to give students a sense of how one of America’s historicl cities has developed and is responding to the sustainability challenges of the 21st century. Faculty experts will introduce students to the ideas behind urban development; then student mentors wll take you on a tour of those ideas in action.

DUSP Specifics

• Dates: Thursday, August 27 through Friday, August 28
• Place: Freshmen will be housed in their assigned dormitory
• Available Spaces: 15
• Cost: No charge the Department of Urban Studies and Planning will cover all costs.

What Will We Do?

The two days will include a mix of classroom presentations, interactive activities, and tours of the City around us. Among the specific issues we’ll consider are:

• How do people get around in cities, and how do urban transit systems work?
  
• How is urban green space designed, and how does it affect life in cities?
• What are cities doing to become more environmentally sustainable?
  
• How can computers, modeling and simulation help us understand and respond to urban challenges?
  
• How vulnerable are coastal cities to climate change, and what are they doing to adapt to sea-level rise, storms, and other consequences?

Along the way, we will explore some key areas in Boston, such as::

• The Big Dig, Rose Kennedy Greenway, and Faneuil Hall.
• The Emerald Necklace, Boston’s world-famous greenway
• Chinatown, the North End, and other historic ethnic neighborhoods