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Graduate / Concentrations

Planning in Developing Countries

Many cities in Africa, Asia, the Middle East, Latin America, and the Caribbean face challenges of rapid population growth, resource scarcity, rural-urban migration, and severe poverty and socioeconomic inequality. Yet they also exhibit significant opportunities, including inventiveness borne out of necessities of survival (e.g. self-help housing, group micro-credit programs), and a highly effective use of resources. Development planners focus on understanding these issues and opportunities and formulating appropriate interventions, and on achieving social justice and redistribution of development benefits. They work in project management, administration, finance, and urban policy. This concentration prepares planners to work in the diverse and rapidly changing contexts of the developing world.

The curriculum in this concentration focuses on assisting students to develop the tools and ideas to understand issues confronting cities in diverse socioeconomic, political, and cultural circumstances; understand how globalization impacts the local space of cities and regions; work effectively in multicultural settings; and understand how the international development industry functions. Students may choose to focus on specific themes and substantive areas such as community development, transportation, environmental planning, land use and physical planning, or economic development. They may also choose to structure their coursework to focus on one of two distinct career trajectories within the field:

Project and Program Planning for Development: Students may take courses that prepare them to work with non-governmental organizations such as Oxfam, the Self-Employed Women’s Association (SEWA), and the Grameen Bank. Such organizations generally work at the community level to achieve social justice, empower marginalized populations, and facilitate collaborative practice at the local level. Coursework appropriate for this career trajectory may include development, program, and project administration; housing, infrastructure, and community development; economic development; environment and development; and theories of economic, social, and political development.

International Systems of Administration, Management and Finance: Students may also choose coursework that prepares them to work on issues of macro concern such as structures of governance and politics, legal systems, and matters of finance and administration. The objective is to practice in international agencies such as the World Bank and USAID, private consulting firms, and UN agencies. Here, the appropriate training may include coursework in development program and project administration; the international economy and financial policy; and theories of economic, social, and political development.

Students may also choose to pursue regional interests by taking courses listed by the National Resource Centers and Area Studies Programs in the International Institute which include regional seminars and courses in geographic areas of interest such as Latin America, Africa, China, Japan, and South and Southeast Asia.

Students in the concentration should take UP 658, Urban and Regional Planning in Developing Countries, one other foundational course, one techniques course, and one or two additional courses in their specific area of interest. Students should be aware that not all of the foundational courses are offered regularly, and should consult with the relevant faculty to find out when they are likely to be taught so they can plan accordingly. The list of courses below is not comprehensive—students are encouraged to seek additional coursework that might count towards the concentration subject to approval by the concentration coordinator.

* Indicates course is a cognate.

Summer Internship

Students are encouraged to seek summer internships abroad at the end of their first year. Financial assistance for travel and research support is available on a competitive basis at the International Institute, Rackham Graduate School, and at various area centers. Students are encouraged to expand on work initiated in a summer internship abroad through the thesis or professional project option for meeting the capstone requirement.

Faculty associated with the concentration:

• Gavin Shatkin (Concentration Coordinator)
• Scott Campbell
• Lan Deng
• Joe Grengs
• Will Glover (Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning, Architecture Program)