Hunter Urban Policy & Planning (UPP) offers three graduate degrees, an accredited Master in Urban Planning degree, a Master of Science in Urban Policy and Leadership degree, and a Master in Urban Planning online. All graduate programs combine theory and practice to give students an in-depth understanding and appreciation of urban planning and policy. Our department also offers an undergraduate urban studies major that prepares students for higher education and careers in public service.
The department’s faculty members represent a diverse range of disciplines, including urban planning, public policy, political science, architecture, sociology, and public health. They collectively bring a wealth of academic and professional expertise to their teaching. The program also benefits significantly from a distinguished part-time faculty who bring practical, cutting-edge experience and knowledge in both public and non-profit sectors into the classroom. Graduates from our programs go on to careers in the public, non-profit, and private sectors.
Whether you are interested in the undergraduate urban studies major, an MS degree, an MUP, or one of the concurrent degrees, Hunter Urban Policy & Planning offers prospective students an unmatched combination of coursework, research, critical and analytical thinking, community engagement, and professional development opportunities.
Departmental History
Since its creation by advocacy planner Paul Davidoff in 1965, Hunter Urban Policy & Planning has consistently upheld a vision that this multi-disciplinary field requires a holistic approach to planning and policy-making, which includes community stakeholder participation and technical expertise.
The department was originally envisioned by then-Dean Ruth Weintraub. She believed a metropolitan institution such as Hunter could contribute to the city’s well-being by training socially aware professionals. Weintraub turned to Paul Davidoff, then a professor of urban planning at the University of Pennsylvania, and gave him the mandate to create a state-of-the-art master’s program in urban planning.
Davidoff, a lawyer, had at that time established a national reputation with his call for transforming the profession to make it more responsive to the needs of all communities involved in the planning process. In a rousing keynote address, Paul Davidoff criticized the profession for overlooking the individuals most impacted by contemporary urban policies. His speech, “Advocacy and Pluralism in Planning,” resonated far beyond the national meeting of the American Institute of Planning. He called for the education of “advocate planners” who would represent the neglected communities. With the encouragement of Dean Weintraub, the Graduate Program in Urban Planning at Hunter became his training ground.
Paul Davidoff
With the graduation of its first class in 1967, the program became the focal point for urban studies and metropolitan research in the college; it would carry with it a tradition of fostering responsible professionalism and encouraging active participation in the planning arena among its students and faculty.
In 1970, the department received yet another acknowledgment of its mission when Dr. Robert C. Weaver joined the faculty as a Distinguished Professor. Dr. Weaver arrived at Hunter with a legacy of service. He served as the first United States Secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), created under President Lyndon B. Johnson. He was the first African American appointed to a cabinet-level position.
In keeping with this tradition, our 13 full-time faculty members and 15 adjunct professors represent a diverse range of disciplines, including architecture, economics, political science, public policy, social work, urban planning, and public health. They collectively bring a wealth of academic and professional expertise as well as practical experience and knowledge to their teaching.
Dr. Robert C. Weaver