Established in 1965, the Department of Urban and Regional Planning (DURP) at Florida State University has a rich history of academic excellence and community impact. Under the leadership of Edward McClure, Ph.D., who served as the department’s first chairperson from 1965 to 1974, the Department welcomed its first student in 1965 and its first graduate in 1966. Under Dr. McClure’s tenure in 1970, the department was moved from the College of Arts and Sciences to the newly created College of Social Sciences. During the 2023-2024 academic year, the department was chaired by Chris Coutts, Ph.D., who succeeded Jeffrey Brown, Ph.D., in the role. Going into the 2024-2025 academic year, Michael Duncan, Ph.D., will assume the role of chair. Dr. Duncan has a doctorate in city and regional planning from the University of California, Berkeley.
DURP hosts Florida’s oldest and largest planning program. Recognized as the top-ranked master’s program in Florida and consistently ranked among the top 20 nationally, DURP has earned a reputation for excellence in teaching, research, and service. According to the latest rankings by Planetizen, DURP is ranked 11th among public university programs nationwide.
DURP’s academic offerings have distinctive features. Strong professional development initiatives, including networking and job preparation opportunities, are key contributors to the Department’s 95 percent job placement rate within six months of graduation. DURP is also committed to fostering global connections through tailored international exchange programs in Denmark, the Netherlands, and Botswana, which enrich the experiences of our 1,500+ alumni across more than 30 countries.
The Department of Urban and Regional Planning provides students with a personalized education through our 8:1 faculty-student ratio and comprehensive faculty advising. DURP’s vision and mission embrace values of community engagement, inclusivity, social justice, and sustainability.
Undergraduate Minor and Combined Pathway Program
The Department of Urban and Regional Planning offers a minor for undergraduates interested in planning and urban affairs. The minor is designed for students who wish to apply their major field to urban and environmental issues. Students may earn a minor in Urban and Regional Planning by completing a four-course sequence.
The department also offers a combined pathways program, allowing advanced, high-performing undergraduate students to take courses for graduate credit while pursuing their bachelor’s degree. Students accepted into the Combined Bachelor’s/Master’s Pathway may take up to 12 credit hours of graduate courses in urban and regional planning. These credits will count toward completing their bachelor’s degree and the Master of Science in Planning (MSP) upon admission to the MSP program.
Master’s Programs
The department grants a Master of Science in Planning (MSP), as well as several joint degrees. Since 1968, DURP has offered the MSP with the principal aim of training students for professional careers in planning, allowing them to function in both generalist and specialist roles. The current director of the MSP program is Kelly Kinahan, Ph.D.
In addition, the department offers Joint Master’s Degree Pathways with Law, Public Administration, Public Health, Demography, Geography, and International Affairs. In each case, students must complete the coursework towards the MSP and complete the remaining curriculum with classes taken in the other degree program.
Doctoral Program
In 1971, the department initiated the second Ph.D. program in planning in the Southeastern United States. The doctoral program in Urban and Regional Planning seeks to educate highly qualified students who wish to conduct research, teach, and carry out services related to urban and regional systems and planned change. The current director of the doctoral program is Michael Duncan, Ph.D.
Approximately three to five Ph.D. students are admitted each academic year. Alums of the DURP doctoral program include deans, department chairs, program directors, distinguished scholars, and a fellow of the American Institute of Certified Planners’ College of Fellows.
Research and Affiliated Centers
As members of the academic community, faculty and students at the Department of Urban and Regional Planning actively engage in applied professional projects and scholarly research in Florida, nationally, and internationally. The department’s research contributes to understanding and shaping resilient communities and ecosystems that promote human capabilities, social justice, sustainable livelihoods, and community health and safety.
The department offers specializations in environment planning, neighborhood planning and community development, planning for developing areas, and transportation planning. Other major areas of research include land planning and policy; planning for an aging population; planning for healthy and resilient communities; transportation; land use, and accessibility, community and neighborhood change; sustainable communities; collaborative and participatory governance; human settlements and institutions in the context of global change; environmental ethics; and housing affordability.
Moreover, the department is home to the Mark & Marianne Barnebey Planning and Development Lab (BPDL), a nationally recognized, award-winning laboratory. Once known as the Florida Planning and Development Lab, the Barnebey Lab serves as an important outreach vehicle through which faculty and students connect with public and private partners. This aims to provide innovative planning for the sustainable growth and long-term viability of Florida communities. The Barnebey Lab is directed by Dennis J. Smith, AICP, who has also served as the department’s planner-in-residence since 2017.
The Center for Demography and Population Health (CDPH), established in 1967, supports evidence-based public policy through interdisciplinary research on demographic processes and population health, trains master’s students seeking careers as applied demographers, and mentors doctoral students in social demography, population economics, social epidemiology, and environment and health. The center brings together researchers from the Departments of Sociology, Economics, Geography, Urban and Regional Planning, History, and Statistics, and the College of Medicine.
Distinguished Faculty
The Department of Urban and Regional Planning has had many dedicated and notable faculty who have contributed to the prestige of the department. Several retired faculty members have been honored as professor emeriti, including COSSPP Dean Emerita Marie Cowart, Ph.D.; Robert Deyle, Ph.D.; Petra Doan, Ph.D.; Rebecca Miles, Ph.D.; Richard Rubino, Ph.D.; Gregory Thompson, Ph.D.; and Charles E. Connerly, Ph.D., formerly named the William G. and Budd Bell Professor of Urban and Regional Planning in 2002.
Moreover, faculty members at DURP have also served in leadership roles within the College of Social Sciences and Public Policy at FSU. Tim Chapin, Ph.D., has served as COSSPP’s dean since 2016, while Jeff Brown, Ph.D., has served as associate dean for Strategic Initiatives since 2020 and also serves as interim associate dean for research.
For more information about the department’s current programs and activities, visit coss.fsu.edu/durp. For more information about our college’s history as we celebrate our 50th Anniversary, visit coss.fsu.edu/50th.