PLAN 405 - MTHEL 398 - ENVS 474: Now open to Math and Computer Science students!
Bringing Planning and Math and Computer Science students together to tackle real city challenges, this shared capstone connects students from PLAN 405 and MTHEL 398 - ENVS 474 in interdisciplinary teams that bridge analytical and spatial thinking. Students work closely with municipal and industry partners on projects grounded in real-world urban issues, from housing systems and infrastructure planning to mobility networks and urban data design. Guided by faculty supervisors, teams apply technical, design and policy methods to develop professional-quality deliverables that partners can use to inform decisions and shape implementation.
For Math and Computer Science students - it's the same course, but you choose what course code you want to show up on your transcript - MTHEL 398 or ENVS 474.
Why this capstone
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Interdisciplinary by design - Planning and Math and Computer Science students collaborate, apply research in practice and learn from each other’s methods.
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Partner connected - Work with public and private partners who co-define problems and validate outputs.
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Impact-oriented - Tackle real municipal challenges in housing, mobility, infrastructure and urban data.
Who can join
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PLAN 405 students - You are automatically enrolled.
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Math and Computer Science students - To enrol, contact your academic advisor to confirm eligibility and next steps.
What you will do
Small, mixed teams work on local case studies and produce a professional-quality deliverable. You will integrate design, analytic and theoretical elements, then present your results to partners and faculty in a professional setting. Projects align with FCI’s mission to place cities and communities at the heart of collaborative solutions through cross-sector partnerships and applied research.
How it works
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Project marketplace - Browse project briefs sourced with FCI partners below. You choose what project you want to work on!
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Team formation - In the first week of class, you’ll form teams across programs form around your project.
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Methods and milestones - Faculty supervisors guide scoping, analysis and iteration.
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Partner checkpoints - Regular reviews keep work grounded in real-world needs.
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Showcase - Present your results to partners and faculty with a clear path to adoption.
What you will learn
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Scoping complex city problems and defining decision-ready questions.
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Data analysis, modelling and visualization for urban systems.
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Policy and design options with trade-off analysis.
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Partner engagement, project management and professional presentation.
