INCITY

Immerse yourself in urban design and city planning this summer! The INCITY cohort of the Summer Institutes is an introductory city planning summer course designed to provide you with a theoretical foundation and practical, hands-on experience in sustainable urban design and city planning.

The intensive, six-week INCITY program teaches on a graduate-level through projects addressing natural systems, infrastructure, land use, demographics, and policy in the San Francisco Bay Area. Under the guidance of faculty mentors, you’ll develop in-depth recommendations, analyses, and proposals that address major themes of planning practice: housing, transportation, and environmental justice.

This program is specifically for individuals who hold a bachelor’s degree and are considering a career in urban design or city planning.

INCITY provides you with a comprehensive foundation in planning theory and design practice. By attending the urban design summer workshop on a daily basis, and fully engaging in group work and discussions, you’ll acquire essential skills through:

The core of the INCITY curriculum is the planning and design studio, where you’ll advance through the steps of a single planning project. You’ll begin by analyzing your project site, evaluating factors such as natural formations, infrastructure systems, circulation networks, land use, urban form, demographics, history, economics, and topical issues. You’ll explore key policy trends and challenges and develop tangible design and planning strategies. 

Studio sessions provide hands-on, methods-based instruction. Instructors will work with you collectively and individually to ensure comprehension and progress in developing the skills and capacities you like to develop the most.

Your daily schedule is designed for maximum benefit of your summer education and practice:

Throughout the INCITY urban design summer program, discussions and field visits connect theory to practice.

INCITY summer projects engage with contemporary urban problems and innovate sustainable planning strategies that potential clients could put into practice. 

Your assignments are based on real projects that represent a diverse group of stakeholders in the San Francisco Bay Area, from nonprofit organizations to municipal governments. Past projects have included sites owned by the cities of Berkeley, Oakland, and San Francisco; Kala Institute; and the Metropolitan Transportation Commission, among others. 

You’ll develop in-depth recommendations and proposals that engage with the full scope of planning and design practice, including issues such as:

Throughout the city planning summer program, you will learn communication skills essential for the planning profession. Planners and designers need to be able to communicate their ideas to clients and stakeholders, as well as other design professionals. INCITY will introduce you to best practices in a range of media and settings, including writing, drawing, graphics, and both formal and informal verbal presentations. 

Upon successful completion of UC Berkeley’s established urban design and city planning summer program, you will have developed a high-quality design portfolio that will position you well for admission to Master of City Planning (MCP) or Master of Urban Planning (MUP) and similar programs. You can also expect to have much more clarity about your future career and your next steps of your career journey. In addition, you will possess essential technical and conceptual skills that are useful for professional practice.

Check out the other Summer Institute cohorts:

Still have questions? Read more about Applications & Admissions, Program Cost & Financial Support, Course Credit, How to Prepare, Housing & Transportation, Cancellation & Withdrawal, After the Program on the Summer Programs FAQ page.