About regional and urban planning
The study of regional and urban planning has a long tradition at LSE. We have a cross-disciplinary teaching team with a wide range of research expertise. LSE's programme is unique among graduate planning schools in being based upon the disciplines of social science, particularly economics, geography, politics and social policy.
Our emphasis is on 'understanding the causes of things', to quote the School's motto, rather than on a narrow professional practice of town planning. Teaching is based primarily on lectures, seminars and tutorials.
The MSc programme enjoys an international reputation and has attracted students from all over the world including Japan, the USA, Canada and Europe. LSE is a member of AESOP, the Association of European Schools of Planning and the US Urban Affairs Association.
The skills which our graduates have developed are suitable for many kinds of planning career in both the public and private sector. For example: regional or urban policy formulation, advising on development matters in private sector companies such as banks, advocacy or research work for community organisations, interest groups or think tanks and advice on project appraisal and economic evaluation. Many students obtain work in international organisations and consultancy companies.
Staff and their academic interests
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Professor Ian Gordon: Spatial labour markets and migration; urban and regional development, particularly in metropolitan regions; urban policy and spatial modelling.
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Dr Nancy Holman: Urban planning, governance, and sustainable development.
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Dr Gareth Jones: Access to land and market deregulation; housing finance and NGOs; conservation and identities, focus on Latin America and southern Africa.
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Dr Murray Low: Political geography, especially spatial aspects of democracy; urban policy; geography of political parties.
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Dr Diane Perrons: Economic geography, particularly cohesion in Europe, focusing on region and gender; flexible working.
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Dr Andres Rodriguez-Pose: Economic growth, regional and local development, and global restructuring in Europe and Latin America; regional devolution and regional disparities and policy in Europe.
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Dr Hyun Bang Shin: Contemporary urban (re-)development; urban governance; housing and social change; social welfare; transitional cities, especially in China; Korea; East Asia.
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Professor Michael Storper: Economic geography; globalisation, trade, location and specialisation; regional development in Europe, North America, Brazil.
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Professor Andrew Thornley: Urban planning; globalisation; world cities; city competition.
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Professor Christine Whitehead: Urban economics; housing and land markets; privatisation.
Opportunities for research
We invite applications for MPhil and PhD research in regional and urban planning studies on either a full-time or part-time basis. Because of our interdisciplinary team, we can provide supervision in more than one department at LSE. Applications are invited for research topics covering the interface between planning and the social sciences and in particular on regional policy, environmental issues, urban regeneration, globalisation and world cities, politics and planning, economic aspects of housing and urban change.
You should have a master's level qualification in a relevant subject. The programme particularly attracts candidates with planning qualifications or experience.
The programme includes research training. This involves seminars, discussions on current planning issues, and a range of methodological courses. You will also take relevant courses from the MSc in Regional and Urban Planning Studies if appropriate.
You will normally be registered initially for the MPhil. A progress review to consider transfer to PhD registration usually takes place after the first year.
The LSE Library has extensive holdings of planning literature from the turn of the century onwards. As well as keeping stocks of all contemporary literature, it holds several archival collections of interest to planners, including the papers of Charles Booth, WA Robson and Derek Senior. The professional libraries of the Royal Institute of British Architects, the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors and the Royal Town Planning Institute are close at hand.
Organisations within 15 minutes of LSE include the Town and Country Planning Association, the Regional Studies Association, the Bartlett School, the Development Planning Unit, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, the International Institute for Environment and Development, the Civic Trust and Friends of the Earth.
Taught programme