Mission
Mission
The Boston University City Planning and Urban Affairs (CPUA) program trains students to become impactful city planners and urban policy/management professionals who lead, manage, support, and evaluate urban planning initiatives, programs, and policies.
Drawing on the expertise of both academic scholars and experienced practitioners, the program maintains strong connections to the planning and policy professions. Grounded in experiential learning, evidence-informed practice, and inclusive community engagement, CPUA students graduate as critically reflective and practice-ready professionals. The students are prepared to work across diverse urban and regional contexts in the Boston region, around the nation and the world with creativity, integrity and purpose.
The program’s faculty support this mission through engaged teaching, applied research, and active community and industry partnership.
Program Values
- Excellence and impact: We uphold the highest standards to achieve lasting influence in the field of city planning and urban affairs.
- Curiosity and Creativity: We foster a deep curiosity to understand cities and communities and encourage innovative approaches to shape them.
- Engagement: We value strong connections with both campus and local communities, working together to leverage our collective strengths and achieve shared goals.
- Applied Learning and Real-World Relevance: We prioritize hands-on, practice-based learning that connects theory to real urban challenges and prepares students to make an impact.
- Collegiality, Collaboration, and Interdisciplinarity: We value respectful collaboration across disciplines and roles, recognizing that meaningful change is co-created.
- Broad Representation and Inclusion: We are committed to cultivating an inclusive and diverse environment where all individuals can learn and work with respect.