Facilities

The School of Urban and Regional Planning is part of the Department of Geography and Planning. Located in Mackintosh-Corry Hall, the School of Urban and Regional Planning is close to the Stauffer Library, the John Deutsch University Centre, and the recreation facilities of the Athletics and Recreation Centre. Adjacent departments include Policy Studies, Industrial Relations, Economics, Sociology, Global Development Studies and Political Studies, as well as the Faculties of Business and Law.

Staff offices, seminar rooms, student study rooms, and project rooms are situated together, thereby fostering interaction among all members of the School. Usually, full-time students are provided with individual study spaces with direct connections to the internet for laptop and desktop computers. The School has a network printer, a scanner, and a wide variety of software for wordprocessing, Internet browsing, presentation graphics, spreadsheets, database management, advanced statistical analysis, computer aided design, and geographic information systems. For more complex projects students can access the Department's GIS laboratory and a number of other campus computing centres. Every student office is directly connected to the Internet by the University's fibre-optic network and the University’s wireless network. The University also provides students with electronic mail accounts and personal web pages.

Stauffer Library has a substantial collection of government (including municipal) documents, maps and aerial photographs, atlases and economic and business texts and materials. Several digital databases and a digital map library are maintained at the Social Science Data Centre. The adjacent Engineering Library and the Law Library also contain planning texts and journals and are available for use by the School.

Financial Assistance

Students in the School of Urban and Regional Planning are eligible, in competition with students in other schools and departments, for many scholarships, awards and bursaries available at Queen's. Specific information on these and other awards is available upon request. A successful internship program has been placing students in paid, professionally-related positions during the summer term. Students may also apply for Teaching Assistantships.  In addition, Research Assistantships and Research Fellowships may be available on a part-time basis on various research projects.

Fields of Interest

The School offers a program of professional studies in the planning and development of cities and regions. It attempts to relate its academic activities to current public policy concerns and professional planning as well as management issues. Presently the research interests being pursued in the School include land use planning, real estate and land information management, environmental and infrastructure services, sustainable development, housing studies, urban redevelopment, neighbourhood planning, planning implementation, management and programming of human services, municipal finance,  metropolitan spatial structure, urban transportation, planning history, social planning, healthy communities, planning ethics, equity, cultural diversity, and studies of planning practice. Research and professional practice constitute significant elements of the School's academic program and students are fully involved in them.

Program of Study

The program of study for the master's degree in Urban and Regional Planning (M.PL.) extends over two years. An internship in the spring/summer term between the two years is possible.

Also currently offered are combined degrees (BA/MPL; BSc/MPL) with other Queen's University programs including Civil Engineering, Geography, Environmental Studies, and Kinesiology and Health Studies. The current procedure is that first-class students are invited to apply to the accelerated pathway in their third year or in the first term of fourth year. These applications are reviewed by the admissions committee of SURP and qualified students are formally permitted to take MPL graduate courses as part of their undergraduate program. Please contact the School for further information.

M.PL. Internship Program

The M.PL. Internship Program provides students with the opportunity to combine academic studies with on-the-job experience. Students participating in the M.PL. Internship Program will normally complete a paid four-month placement with a government department or other organization, following the completion of at least two terms of study in the M.PL. Program. Students taking an internship position must register in SURP 893 Internship. Although the School cannot guarantee every student an internship placement, the School is committed to working with public sector and other employers to place students in appropriate learning environments.

Faculty

Director
Agarwal, A. (Fall) Meligrana, J.F. (Winter)

Professor
Gordon, D.L.A.

Associate Professor
Agarwal, A.², Collins, P., Hartt, M.¹, Meligrana, J.F., Whitelaw, G.S.

Professor Emeritus 
Leung, H-L., Qadeer, M.A, Skaburskis, A.

Continuing Adjunct Professor
Agarwal, S.

Adjunct Faculty
Barberstock, R., Barberstock S., Bray, C., Cumming, S., Trendota, M.

¹

on leave July 1, 2025 to June 30 ,2026

²

on leave January 1, 2026 to June 30, 2026

 

 

Programs

Courses

Course credit units are as shown in the course descriptions.
Core courses are indicated by a (†) in the list below.

Please confirm with the School for availability of courses for the current year. 

SURP 800-SURP 810, 830, 831 Planning Methods: Techniques commonly used in planning practice will be presented in four-week modules, each worth 1.0 credit units. Students are required to take three modules, of which one must be SURP 800 if the student takes the report or thesis option, and the sum of the three is the equivalent of a half-course (3.0 credit units). Students may take six modules, using an extra three as credit for one of their electives. At least three modules are offered each year. Special topics may be covered depending on student and faculty interest. The modules are:

SURP 800 Master's Research Proposal     
Students work with thesis/project supervisors to prepare a detailed Master's thesis/report proposal. The proposal should include a well-defined research question, appropriate method(s), and a tentative project schedule. The proposal should be grounded in relevant literature and must include an annotated bibliography in support of the topic. Course evaluation is Pass/Fail. 1.0 credit units. Fall. All Core Faculty.
PREREQUISITE: Completion of first year of Master's studies and permission of the instructor.
COREQUISITE: SURP 898 or SURP 899 

SURP 801 Survey Research Methods     
1.0 credit units.  Fall.
PREREQUISITE: Permission of Instructor.

SURP 802 Indigenous Peoples and Planning 
This course module offers an introduction to approaches to planning with Indigenous Peoples in Canada. Skills-based activities critically examine historical and contemporary planning and policy practices within the context of settler colonialism. 1.0 credit unit.  Winter.
PREREQUISITE: Permission of Instructor.

SURP 803 Employment Analysis  
1.0 credit units.  Not offered 2025-26.
PREREQUISITE: Permission of Instructor.

SURP 804 Implementation     
1.0 credit units.  Not offered 2025-26.
PREREQUISITE: Permission of Instructor.

SURP 805 Negotiation   
An introduction to negotiation and alternative dispute resolution mainly within the context of public sector disputes. Learning materials approx. $30. 1.0 credit units.  Winter.
PREREQUISITE: Permission of Instructor.
EXCLUSION: GPHY 332 

SURP 806 Population Forecasting     
1.0 credit units.  Not offered 2025-26. 
PREREQUISITE: Permission of Instructor.

SURP 807 Special Topic     
1.0 credit units. Not offered 2025-26. 
PREREQUISITE: Permission of Instructor.

SURP 808 Special Topic     
1.0 credit units.  Not offered 2025-26. 
PREREQUISITE: Permission of Instructor.

SURP 809 Special Topic
1.0 credit units. Not offered 2025-26. 
PREREQUISITE: Permission of Instructor.

SURP 810 Special Topic     
1.0 credit units. Not offered 2025-26. 
PREREQUISITE: Permission of Instructor.

†SURP 812 Qualitative Methods in Planning     
This course is an introduction to various qualitative research methods used in planning. Theoretical and ethical issues regarding qualitative research methods are also discussed. Students will have opportunities to critically explore the development of a planning project from posing a research question through to the presentation of findings. 3.0 credit units. Winter. 
PREREQUISITE:  Permission of Instructor.

†SURP 814 Foundations of Current Planning
This course combines an examination of historical ideas that provide foundations for Canadian planning with an overview of current best practices in contemporary community planning as explored within the three areas of concentration in the MPL degree. The course may include a field trip to observe how these concepts are applied through urban and regional planning. Learning materials for field trip expenses up to $300.00. 3.0 credit units. Fall.  
PREREQUISITE: Permission of Instructor. 

†SURP 815 Legal and Governmental Processes     
This course examines the relationships among planning processes and their legal, governmental and administrative contexts. Matters considered include the meaning and sources of law, the Canadian constitution, division of powers, the organization of government into legislative, executive and judicial branches, judicial review and governmental action, and the role of municipal government. From this context arise issues of power, the roles of the planner, the relationships between and among planners, citizens, elected officials and bureaucracy, and the processes and institutions of policy-making. 3.0 credit units. Winter. 
PREREQUISITE: Permission of Instructor.

SURP 816 Land Use Law     
An intensive study of the Planning Act of Ontario including a close examination of the evolution of the Act, its purposes and its interpretation by the courts. The Act is considered for its effectiveness in providing a legal basis for controlling the use of land as a means of achieving community planning goals. Comparative approaches are also considered as a means of identifying inadequacies in Ontario law. A central issue in the course is the matter of insuring a high degree of justice and fairness among the interested parties in the resolution of land use control conflicts.  3.0 credit units.  Not offered 2025-26. 
PREREQUISITE: Permission of Instructor.

†SURP 817 Planning Theory and Practice
This course explores the theory and practice of planning together with professional planning ethics to provide insight into planning policies, programs, and projects. Equity and diversity are particularly emphasized as they relate to the theories and practice of urban and regional planning. 3.0 credit units. Requirements: Year 1 SURP students

†SURP 818 Physical Planning     
An introduction to physical planning approaches, methods and techniques. The course examines how physical design relates to urban and regional planning. Students will be introduced to topics which include site and building survey and analysis, built and natural environment survey and analysis, design interpretation of planning and other regulations, visual analysis, costing, choice of design alternatives, urban and regional plans, etc. Development of graphic skills in analysis and presentation will be emphasized. Learning materials approx. $50.
3.0 credit units.  Fall.  
PREREQUISITE: Permission of Instructor.

†SURP 819 Quantitative Methods     
This course introduces students to basic methods of quantitative analysis used by urban and regional planners. It introduces methods for exploring and presenting data, analyzing relationships between variables and testing hypotheses. Students will also become familiar with statistical software. Learning materials approx. $80. 3.0 credit units.  Winter.  
PREREQUISITE:  Permission of Instructor. 

†SURP 823- 827 Planning Projects     
Groups of planning students work on projects, often connected with clients from the public or private sectors.  Projects vary from year to year but all require a rigorous application of skills of problem and goal definition, generation of solutions, evaluation of alternative means of achieving goals, and presentation of results.  An emphasis on processes of group work, communication skills, and project organization supplements the substantive, issue-oriented work particular to a given project.  One of these courses must be taken by every student. (6.0 credit units).  PREREQUISITE: Permission of Instructor.  

†SURP 823 Health & Social Project     
Project Course (Health- and social-oriented). Learning materials: $100-$200, depending upon funding, for transportation and course materials. 6.0 credit units. Not offered 2025-26. 
PREREQUISITE: Permission of Instructor. 

†SURP 824 Land Use & Real Estate Project     
Project Course (Physical-oriented).  Learning Materials:  $100-$200, depending upon funding, for transportation and course materials. 6.0 credit units. Fall. 
PREREQUISITE: Permission of Instructor. 

†SURP 825 Environmental Services Project    
Project Course (Environmental-oriented).  Learning Materials:  $100-$200, depending upon funding, for transportation and course materials. 6.0 credit units. Fall. 
PREREQUISITE: Permission of Instructor. 

†SURP 826 Special Field Project     
Learning Materials:  $100-$200, depending upon funding for transportation and course materials. 6.0 credit units. Fall.
PREREQUISITE: Permission of Instructor. 

†SURP 827 International Planning Project     
Learning Materials and fees approximately $500-$1,000, plus transportation and living expenses. 6.0 credit units. Fall. 
PREREQUISITE: Permission of Instructor. 

SURP 830 Affordable Housing     
This module provides an overview of programs and policies for affordable housing in Canada. It discusses current approaches to affordable housing and homelessness in a local planning context as well as the redevelopment of existing social housing. 1.0 credit units; (four-week course module). Not offered 2025-26. 
PREREQUISITE: Permission of Instructor.

SURP 831 International Urban Planning     
This course will introduce students to the urban issues and planning processes/methods in non-Western countries, with special emphasis on their cultural contexts. Each module will focus on a particular country. These may include, but are not limited to China, India, Indonesia, and other Asia-Pacific countries. 1.0 credit units (four-week course module). Not offered 2025-26. 
PREREQUISITE: Permission of Instructor. 

SURP 840 Land Use Planning     
Survey of theories and concepts in land-use planning at both urban and regional scale; examination of institutional framework and practice; formats and contents of plans; land-use principles and standards; and instruments for implementation.  Learning materials plus lab fees:  approx. $140.00 3.0 credit units. Not offered 2025-26.  
PREREQUISITE: Permission of Instructor. 

SURP 841 Real Estate Decision Making     
This course is an introduction to the concepts, planning principles and analytical methods involved in making key decisions regarding commercial real estate. Designed to complement SURP 844, the emphasis is on evaluating the investment merits of large, existing income-generating properties spanning key asset classes. Teaching methods include case studies, group exercises, guest speakers from industry and student analysis of real properties.  Learning materials approx. $30. 3.0 credit units.  Winter. 
PREREQUISITE: Permission of Instructor. 

SURP 842 Economics of Land Development and Planning     
This course examines the forces that shape cities. It examines the factors that determine land value and land uses. It presents models of urban spatial structure and discusses issues in land development, planning and taxation. 3.0 credit units. Not offered 2025-26. 
PREREQUISITE:  Permission of Instructor. 

SURP 844 Real Estate Planning and Development     
This course examines real estate market research, project planning finance and development techniques. Residential, retail and office market analysis and development are studied through lectures and case study discussions. Learning materials approx. $30. 3.0 credit units. Not offered 2025-26. 
PREREQUISITE:  Permission of Instructor. 

SURP 848 Community Design     
This course examines analytic techniques and design approaches used in physical planning (topography, activity, circulation, etc.). The application of these techniques and methods will be demonstrated through specific community design projects such as subdivision design, re-zoning and visual images. 3.0 credit units.  Fall. 
PREREQUISITE: Permission of Instructor.   

SURP 849 Public-Private Partnerships for Urban Redevelopment     
This course examines how the public and non-profit sectors can implement projects in an era of abruptly reduced funding from taxpayers.  It considers redevelopment of public lands by requests for proposals by private developers.  Case studies and group projects are set in waterfronts, downtowns and suburbs of North American and European cities. 3.0 credit units. Not offered 2025-26. 
PREREQUISITE:  Permission of Instructor. 

SURP 851 Environmental Policy     
This course will examine environmental policies in urban and regional contexts. Tools used by policy makers (e.g. risk assessment and management, quality indices, evaluation, impact assessment, mitigation and compensation) and the constraints they encounter (e.g. uncertainty, legal and administrative constraints and financial costs) will be reviewed. Substantive areas to be examined will be focused on the relationship between the built environment and the quality of air and water as well as the use of land resources. Specific cases will vary from year to year. The scope of policies and readings will range from local to global; integration will be stressed. 3.0 credit units. Not offered 2025-26.  
PREREQUISITE:  Permission of Instructor. 

SURP 853 Environmental Services     
This course will focus on the relationships between environmental services and quality of life in cities and regions. It includes a critical examination of the development, delivery and evaluation of environmental technologies and services. There is an emphasis on water, open space, and solid waste. Case studies and field trips will supplement a lecture/seminar format. 3.0 credit units. Winter.
PREREQUISITE:  Permission of Instructor. 

SURP 855 Environmental Planning and Management     
This course examines planning and management issues and tools in environmental services, such as inventory management, needs assessment, demand management, and investment decisions. The emphasis is on planning, management and financing options and their relationship to land use and urban form.  3.0 credit units.  Fall.
PREREQUISITE:  Permission of Instructor. 

SURP 856 Environmental Assessment     
This course will explore the theoretical and practical aspects of environmental assessment processes. The focus will be on project level environmental assessment including biophysical, social and cumulative effects assessment along with public consultation. 3.0 credit units.  Fall.
PREREQUISITE: Permission of instructor. 

SURP 858 Heritage Conservation     
Concepts and issues of heritage conservation, together with policies and strategies for achieving a balanced heritage conservation program are discussed. Methods for identification of heritage buildings and techniques for preservation and restoration will be explored. 3.0 credit units.  Not offered 2025-26. 
PREREQUISITE:  Permission of Instructor.

SURP 861 Healthy Community Planning     
This course will introduce students to links between urban planning and public health, with a focus on the North American context. Various dimensions of communities and cities, such as urban form and sprawl, transportation, community design, and housing, will be interrogated for their health-promoting and impeding qualities, while students will gain important skills in planning for healthy communities. 3.0 credit units. Fall.
PREREQUISITE: Permission of Instructor.

SURP 865 Urban Transportation and Health     
This course provides an understanding of the association between urban transportation, environment, and public health. Emphasis will be placed on the role of the built environment in shaping travel behaviour and its subsequent impact on environment and health outcomes. The course also examines planning and policy interventions to address the key issues. 3.0 credit units.  Not offered 2025-26.
PREREQUISITE:  Permission of Instructor. 

SURP 866 Urban Transportation Policy     
This course is an introduction to key planning and policy issues in urban transportation. Urban transportation is examined in the context of general economic, social and spatial trends. The course provides some understanding of the nature of the urban transportation problem, and why transportation problems are so difficult to solve. 3.0 credit units.  Fall.
PREREQUISITE: Permission of Instructor. 

SURP 870 Human Services Planning
This course is an introduction to the theory and practice of planning for human services with an emphasis on needs assessments, asset-based community development and program evaluation skills. Client and service provider perspectives and current debates are included. 3.0 credit units.  Not offered 2025-26. 
PREREQUISITE:  Permission of Instructor.

SURP 871 Social Planning 
This course focuses on planning practices for community social and economic development. Approaches to the design and delivery of social programs and plans at the organizational or neighbourhood scale are developed and implemented with and/or for specific populations. 3.0 credit units.  Winter.  
PREREQUISITE: Permission of Instructor. 

SURP 874 Housing Policy     
This course assesses housing policy options and the contributions planners can make to the supply of affordable, adequate and appropriate housing. It presents the many factors influencing the housing market and analyzes public and private initiatives affecting the provision of housing. It shows the interdependence between housing and social service planning and analyzes issues regarding the choices among housing and other social policies. Current policies targeted at specific groups in need of assistance will be reviewed. 3.0 credit units.  Winter. 
PREREQUISITE:  Permission of Instructor. 

SURP 875 Community Practicum in Service Delivery     
This course is meant to develop an understanding of policy and program delivery mechanisms for community services. The focus of the course is on how individuals and communities as clients of these programs experience their effects. The course will be structured around individualized field placements in public and non-profit agencies. The observations and experiences of the field assignment in concert with faculty supervision will be the primary mode of learning in this course. 3.0 credit units. (Offered contingent upon finding an appropriate supervisor).
PREREQUISITE: at least two related graduate courses or equivalent and permission of Instructor. 

SURP 881 GIS in Urban Planning     
This course is provided for students with little or no prior knowledge of GIS software. It will explore the basic concepts and techniques of GIS software required to create effective maps for urban planning purposes. Specific components include: how to interpret graphic and tabular data, geocoding, using queries and browsing, displaying maps, creating thematic maps and editing attribute and graphical data. Learning Materials: approx. $140 3.0 credit units.  Winter.
PREREQUISITE:  Permission of Instructor.

SURP 882 Land Development and Planning Using Computer Aided Design Software     
This course will explore the principles of land development and planning by using computer aided design software. The application of computer aided design software for graphic presentation and analysis of regional plans, subdivisions and a variety of other planning exercises is the primary goal of this course. Learning materials plus lab fees approx. $130. 3.0 credit units.  Not offered 2025-26. 
PREREQUISITE: Permission of Instructor. 

SURP 883 Planning Practices in the Third World: Lessons for North America 
A critical examination of urban and regional development efforts in selected developing countries through case studies. The course will have a comparative perspective and it will attempt to identify transferable experience from various developing to developed countries, particularly bearing on problems of economically poor and ethnically distinct regions. The emphasis will be on exploring assumptions, contents and implementation of various planning strategies with the objective of finding out the conditions necessary for successful planning. Special attention will be given to the planning approaches employed in dealing with problems of urban growth, infrastructure developments, housing, land markets, and regional inequalities. 3.0 credit units.  Not offered 2025-26. 
PREREQUISITE:  Permission of Instructor. 

SURP 885 Planning for Population Change
This course examines the demographic changes that shape the economic, social, political, cultural, and physical nature of cities, and the role of planning and policymaking in guiding, managing, and responding to population change.  3.0 credit units.  Not offered 2025-26. 
PREREQUISITE: Permission of Instructor

SURP 890 Topics in Research Methods     
Critical review of research methods and strategies applicable to specific topics in planning and policy making. The choice of fields or topics will be determined by the student's interests. Case studies of research strategies in similar projects will be carried out. Students will prepare a research design related to their master's thesis or report. 3.0 credit units.  Not offered 2025-26. 
PREREQUISITE: Permission of Instructor.

SURP 891/892 Directed Study in Advanced Aspects of Urban and Regional Planning     
3.0 credit units. (Offered contingent upon finding an appropriate supervisor.)
PREREQUISITE: Permission of Instructor. 

SURP 893 Internship     
This non-credit course allows students to combine their formal academic studies with on-the-job experience, normally through a four-month placement with a government department or other organization. The internship is scheduled following a student's completion of at least two terms of academic study and is open only to students registered in the M.PL. full-time program. 0.0 credit units.
PREREQUISITE:  Permission of Instructor.

SURP 898 Master's Report    
6.0 credit units.
PREREQUISITE: Permission of instructor.
COREQUISITE: SURP 800 Master's Research Proposal. 

SURP 899 Master's Thesis     
12.0 credit units.
PREREQUISITE: Permission of instructor.
COREQUISITE: SURP 800 Master's Research Proposal. 

OTHER ELECTIVES
The School offers instruction in the following courses on the basis of student interest. Students are encouraged to approach the Director or another faculty member if they wish any of these courses to be made available. Instruction may be in the form of individual tutorials or seminars, depending on the number of interested students. 

SURP 884 Functional Planning     
3.0 credit units.
PREREQUISITE: Permission of Instructor. 

SURP 886 Functional Planning     
3.0 credit units.  
PREREQUISITE:  Permission of Instructor. 

SURP 887 Functional Planning     
3.0 credit units.
PREREQUISITE: Permission of Instructor. 

SURP 888 Advanced Social Planning and Programming     
3.0 credit units.
PREREQUISITE:  Permission of Instructor. 

SURP 889 Advanced Seminar in Regional Policy Analysis      
3.0 credit units.
PREREQUISITE:  Permission of Instructor.