Economic Development Planning

Economic development planners work to increase employment opportunities, relieve poverty, build international economic competitiveness, promote human development, enhance ecological practices, and facilitate sustainable growth.

Relevant to communities of all types, from the small village to a large region in domestic and international settings, this specialization trains students in concepts, tools, and techniques of planning to improve local economies. A distinctive feature of our program is that the principles of economic development in global markets are understood to apply in both domestic and international settings. Topics include technology-based development, real estate development, financial analysis, tourism and recreation, gender and development and environmentally sustainable development.  Students pursuing this topic may find employment opportunities in thousands of state and local economic development agencies, quasi-public authorities involved in economic development, business associations, real estate development firms, transportation authorities, public utilities, and international natural resource development agencies.

• Introductory: URP 522, Economic Development and Industrial Change, 3 crd
• Advanced: URP 513. Quantitative Methods in Planning, or URP 525 Development Finance I
• URP 581 or URP 582, Planning Practicum, related to specialization, 6 credits
• Specialization paper, consisting of one of the following, as approved by the specialization director:
  • Masters Project relevant to the specialization
  • Thesis relevant to the specialization
  • Independent study relevant to the specialization