Message from the director
Welcome to the School of Planning at Waterloo!
We think that this is such a great time to study and work in Planning. There is so much important work to be done. Our professors and student colleagues study, and carry out research about, many complex and interconnected challenges that are experienced in our communities: for example - affordable housing, the local impacts of climate change, environmental conservation and policy, active transportation, urban economic change, participatory planning processes, and equity and inclusion, among many other subjects. We work in a range of subfields of Planning that include social planning, environmental planning, community sustainability, urban design, transportation, housing, urban economics, heritage and more.
This is Canada’s largest and one of the longest-established Planning Schools. Our School is an interdisciplinary community, reflecting and building on the learning and research culture that was established in 1969. We maintain strong connections with the Planning profession, and we focus on combining conceptually rich education with applied experience.
Located in the Faculty of Environment's LEED Platinum certified Environment 3 building, we are the only Planning School in Canada to offer programs at the Bachelor's, Master's, and PhD levels. Our BES, MA, and MES (Planning) programs are accredited by the Canadian Planning Profession. Our students explore Planning practice and theory, and they gain practical experience through experiential learning opportunities that include co-op jobs or internships. The PhD program welcomes scholars with career aspirations in academia or the policy world.
We are proud to provide a high-quality, experience-based education that is the foundation for students’ future success, whether in Planning practice, related fields, or further studies.
Mark Seasons PhD, FCIP, RPP
Professor and Director
MA/MES Domestic application deadlines
Application deadline is January 15th. Please contact potential supervisors prior to applying to discuss your interest in this program and confirm that they are still accepting new students.
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News
School of Planning PhD Candidate Awarded Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship
The School of Planning's PhD Candidate, Cloé St-Hilaire, has been award the prestigious Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship for her research proposal into the effects of financialization and digital technologies on the Canadian rental housing market.
A two for one policy? Professor Moos and colleagues find those in subsidized housing having more sustainable commute patterns, benefiting affordability and climate change goals
Professor Moos from the School of Planning collaborated with Skye Collishaw and Professor Tara Vinodrai from the University of Toronto on new research that shows people living in subsidized housing having more sustainable commutes (defined as the shorter distance travelled and lower car use) than otherwise similar renters. The findings have important planning and policy implications for the role of subsidized housing in terms of meeting housing affordability and climate change goals. The findings provide support for policies that promote investment in subsidized and affordable housing near transit as a housing affordability and sustainability strategy, particularly benefiting lower-income earners.
The research relies on Statistics Canada census data and is published in Housing Policy Debate.
The Role of AI in Social Science Research - Contributions by the School of Planning's Prof. Dawn Parker
The prestigious journal Science has recently published an article which the School of Planning's Prof. Dawn Parker helped to co-author. The article contains discussion amongst researchers within the field of social science from University of Waterloo, University of Toronto, Yale University and University of Pennsylvania on the role that AI can play in the future of the research profession.