Master’s Degree in Urban Planning and Policy Design

The master's degree in Urban Planning and Policy Design, belonging to class LM-48, trains professionals in urban planning and territorial policy. The main themes are urban sustainability, social inclusion, innovation in planning processes, management of territorial resources, urban regeneration and multilevel governance. The programme connects the physical, social, economic and institutional dimensions of the city and the territory, and prepares students to design policies and strategies able to respond to contemporary challenges, from accessibility of services to the ecological transition, with constant attention to participation. Urban planning is understood as a process involving citizens, institutions and economic operators, and the programme teaches how to read territorial data and phenomena, formulate strategies, assess alternative scenarios and design public policies able to produce measurable effects on quality of life and on the fairness of urban spaces.

The programme lasts two years, is held full time in person at the Milano Leonardo campus and is delivered entirely in English. Teaching integrates theory and practice through labs, seminars and fieldwork, which make it possible to work on concrete cases and to engage with real actors and contexts. For admission, a degree in related disciplines, including urban planning, architecture, engineering and social sciences, a good command of English, an assessment of the curriculum and a possible motivational interview are required. The page does not state the credits, the total study hours, the class size or the detailed learning outcomes. The use of English as the language of instruction opens the programme to international students and makes it possible to compare models and cases from different cities, an important aspect because the challenges of urbanisation, climate change and social inequality take different forms in different contexts.

The aim is to train professionals with skills in the analysis, design and evaluation of urban policies. The degree gives access to regulated professions and to advanced research paths. The related professions number eleven and include the urban planning architect, the urban planner, the sustainable development project manager and the public policy designer. Job opportunities are in the public and private sectors, in Italy and abroad. The programme receives high ratings for prestige, and is aimed at those who wish to contribute professionally to the management and transformation of cities and territories. Labs and fieldwork make it possible to work on real areas, gather information, engage with local actors and present proposals, developing skills in analysis, synthesis and communication that are valued in public administrations as well as in consulting firms and design practices.