School of Planning

The five School of Planning Capstones' common trend is exploring issues that impact—and will affect—Cincinnati, its region, its communities, economic and social development, and the natural and built environment.

This year, we have proudly experimented with a multidisciplinary undergraduate Capstone. Graduating students of the Bachelor of Urban Planning, the Bachelor of Science in Urban Studies, and some students of the Bachelor of Horticulture, under the leadership of Professors Danilo Palazzo and Hye Yeon Park, have explored the Future of Cincinnati. Students analyzed urban innovation case studies, considering their implications for the public good using Trend Reports for Planners developed by the American Planning Association (APA) and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The multidisciplinary Capstone’s students were asked to investigate some of the trends described in the APA documents—such as climate change, the housing crises, or environmentally responsible transportation—, associate them with one or more SDGs and develop a scenario-based course of action to address the intersection of the identified urban problems, applying skills and tools they have learned for the past five years. As such, students were encouraged to be as creative as possible. Each student has suggested how to engage, incorporate, or face future APA-recognized trends and sustainability goals, established by the United Nations, to be applied to the City of Cincinnati and its region. The multidisciplinary teams have demonstrated that collaborations among students of different disciplines is a key to unlock the future. 

Professor Leah Hollstein and Professor Barry Kew have jointly led the Master of Community Planning (MCP) and the Master of Landscape Architecture (MLA) Capstones. The collaborative MCP and MLA Capstones topic leans on three formative initiatives combined to form a consilience of perspective, leading to substantive positive impacts in planning and design futures. The Trend Reports for Planners, released annually by the American Planning Association (APA); The Climate Action Plan, released by the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA); and The Sustainable Development Goals, released by the United Nations (UN). Based on these documents, students focused on identifying project sites through research and case studies, created future scenarios for Cincinnati, formulating their specific shapes and spatial strategies/dynamics, and their broader influence throughout the metro region.

Professor Stevie Famulari led the Bachelor of Science in Horticulture Capstone. The ten students in the horticulture capstone each created their own project to reflect their knowledge, interest, and research in the extensive field of horticulture. This wide range of projects illustrates how wonderfully large and relatable horticulture is to other fields, areas of study, and the community beyond. 

The multidisciplinary Capstone focuses on developing innovative, future-oriented, and ‘out-of-the-box’ solutions to address emerging planning challenges, such as climate change, increasing demand for affordable housing, or access to public transit, while acknowledging the shift towards incorporating future technologies. In brief, the Capstone project theme is “planning (for) the future,” where the future obviously merges with the present.

—Danilo Palazzo

The Master of Landscape Architecture (MLA) will help prepare you for leadership and interdisciplinary teamwork that will sustain the urban, regional, and global landscape in a prosperous and dynamic equilibrium.

The Master of Community Planning (MCP) students are visionaries working for a better future through improvements in the quality of life in one or more of these areas.

Our MCP program has been accredited since 1968 with over 1,200 graduates working in local governments and communities over issues that affect the world. Our students and graduates contribute to concerns including land use, social policy, historic preservation, transportation, housing, economic development, policy planning, environmental protection, urban design, international development, and more.

The study of horticulture covers the growth, distribution and utilization of ornamental plants, fruits and vegetables. In courses offered by UC's College of Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning (DAAP), students learn the relationship between horticulture and ecological processes and develop a forward-looking approach toward the environment. The horticulture curriculum has been choreographed to support the traditional foundation in plant science, landscape design, and landscape management, with a commitment to advance contemporary and sustainable approaches to all facets of horticulture.

The Bachelor of Urban Planning is a five-year multidisciplinary professional program that combines five semesters of real-world co-op experience with eight semesters of classes to provide essential skills and knowledge for urban planning, development, and design. Students develop foundations to create livable, sustainable, and just communities by shaping the built and natural environment of cities, towns, and suburbs.

The Bachelor of Science in Urban Studies is a four-year multidisciplinary academic program that focusing on the past, present, and future of cities and the built environment. This program uses a broad range of electives, project-based coursework to give students hands-on, real-world experiences to prepare them to shape the future of urban life.

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