Transportation Planning
Transportation is essential to the function of cities and the well-being of their residents. Transportation systems make the exchange of goods and services possible, and they help shape the form of the built urban environment. The ways we design and use the transportation system affect all other aspects of planning, from the environment to housing and community development to health and land use development. The effects of transportation--for good or for ill--are far reaching.
As planning is interdisciplinary, so is transportation. Transportation planners draw on insights and tools from a variety of academic disciplines, including planning, geography, economics, public administration, engineering, and the design disciplines. Students in the transportation specialization take courses that enable them to work as professionals in a variety of transportation contexts at all geographic scales, domestically and internationally. The transportation planning curriculum covers all surface transportation modes: highway/automobile, public transit, pedestrian, bicycling, and inter-city rail.
Public Transit and Transit Fellow Program
Public transit is a particular focus of the transportation specialization. The Department of Urban and Regional Planning offers a Transit Fellow Program in partnership with Florida Department of Transportation. You can visit our Transit Fellow webpage to learn more about this exciting internship program.
Coursework
The specialization consists of three required and one elective course. The required courses are:
- URP 5711: Transportation Planning Process
- URP 5716: Transportation and Land Use
- URP 5717: Transportation Demand Analysis
One elective course should be chosen from among the following:
- URP 5122 Planning Dispute Resolution*
- URP 5222 Planning Alternatives Evaluation*
- URP 5261 Forecasting for Plan Development*
- URP 5272 Urban and Regional Information Systems (GIS)
- URP 5312 Issues in Comprehensive Planning and Growth Management
- URP 5316 Land Use Planning
- URP 5350 Pedestrian Oriented Communities
- URP 5424 Sustainable Development
- URP 5504 Community Involvement and Citizen Participation*
- URP 5731 The Planning of Community Infrastructure
- URP 5881 Urban Design
- URP 5939 Sustainable Transportation
- GEO 5704 Transport Geography
- GEO 5934 Urban Analysis
- REE 5305 Real Estate Project Feasibility Analysis
- TTE 5205 Traffic Engineering
- TTE 5270 Intelligent Transportation Systems
- TTE 5526 Traffic Operations
- TTE 5805 Highway Geometric Design
* If not taken as a methods class.
Transportation Planning Research at Florida State University
Transportation planning faculty and students conduct research on a variety of transportation topics that fall under two general research themes: Alternative Transportation in the Modern City and Transportation and Accessibility. Our transportation research webpage describes recent projects by DURP faculty, PhD Students, and Master's Students.