Town planning is the study of how landscapes, settlements and the built environment are developed to support efficient, healthy and sustainable human activity. Professionals in this field work to evaluate and regulate construction or land use.
Postgraduate students of town planning have a variety of study options open to them, ranging from cities to architecture, landscape and urbanism.
There are over 130 postgraduate programmes available in town planning at more than 40 universities in the UK, ranging from degree apprenticeships to master’s, PgDips and doctorates.
What to expect
In general, you will usually need a relevant undergraduate qualification or equivalent to be considered for a postgraduate place. This might be in geography, architecture or environmental studies. Sometimes universities will ask for relevant work experience instead.
The exact curriculum will vary from course to course but some common topics that are often covered include spatial planning, place shaping, environmental impact assessment, heritage, sustainability, planning policy frameworks, infrastructure development, and more.
Town planning graduates may work as planners for local, city or regional governments, conduct research in areas such as urbanism, or provide expertise to architectural and construction firms.