Importance Of Urban Planning

Register to read the introduction… I have always been interested in people and what they do and think, and choosing social science just felt right to me. However, I have have seen very few undergraduate urban planning programs, and I like that the University of Maryland, University College fits in with my working-adult lifestyle, even though they do not offer a specific major for urban planning. The Princeton Review explains how "Urban Planning majors study the socio-economic factors and conditions behind housing projects in the city while also studying the effect of public transportation in suburban areas. It’s both an analytical and quantitative approach, one that combines policy, statistics, a sense of history, and a lot more" (The Princeton Review, 2013). In the description for the social science major at the University of Maryland, University College, it states " Graduates in social science may pursue a variety of careers in which understanding of social science issues is important, including business administration, elder care, government, health services, law enforcement, human resources, and community service " (UMUC, 2013). With that in mind, I believe the courses I will take to obtain my degree fall right in line with other with urban planning programs, especially if I am careful about which electives and tracks I take. So far I have my courses planned down to the last credit to make sure I am maximizing my time spent in school. Making a plan and following through will be good practice for the day-to day and long-term goals while working within my …show more content…
I will write countless papers, take endless exams, and spend plentiful hours researching, assessing and applying. And yet, I have always heard that anything truly worth having takes hard work and sacrifice. To me, being somebody who can positively affect my community and make long-lasting changes as an urban planner, is well worth it.

References

American Planning Association. (2013). What is urban planning? Retrieved September 18, 2013 from https://www.planning.org/aboutplanning/whatisplanning.htm
Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2012- 2013 Edition, urban and regional planners. Retrieved September 23, 2013 from http://www.bls.gov/ooh/Life-Physical-and-Social-Science/Urban-and-regional planners.htm
The Princeton Review. (2013). Major: urban planning. Retrieved September 25, 2013 from http://www.princetonreview.com/Majors.aspx?cip=040301
University of Maryland, University College. (2013). Major in social science. Retrieved September 25, 2013 from http://www.umuc.edu/academic-programs/bachelors-