What We Do

Housing and Community Development

The Master of City Planning (MCP) and Master of Urban Affairs (MUA) programs offer the opportunity to explore the interdisciplinary aspects of housing and community issues through a variety of courses. The courses Community Development (UA 503) and Housing and Community Development (UA 611) provide a historical perspective in their broad overview of housing and community issues, including urban renewal, affordable housing, the role of community development corporations, and community policing. In Real Estate Development (UA 508), students learn the technical and financial aspects of the real estate development process. A variety of other courses offer the opportunity to study housing and community development issues in more depth through independent research papers.

   
  Whether your interest lies in creating stable inner city communities or developing new real estate projects, the field of housing and community development is necessary to foster safe, healthy and sustainable living conditions for all residents of the city.
Students might seek the answers to some of the following questions: How can housing and community development mitigate negative environmental impact? How are housing development and transportation planning connected? What tools can a city or town government use to shape smart growth housing development in their community? How has Massachusetts encouraged affordable housing development? How can regional planning impact communities? The MCP and MUA programs help prepare students for careers in the fields of housing and community development in the private, nonprofit, and public sectors. Boston University also offers the opportunity for students to take courses in historical preservation.

Current course offerings that address housing and community development include: