The University of Cincinnati’s online Master of City Planning courses are crafted by world-class, expert faculty from the College of Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning (DAAP). Each instructor brings decades of real-world industry knowledge and hands-on experience to the program, ensuring students receive an education grounded in practical application and cutting-edge theory. Courses are led by highly experienced facilitators in both the practice and leadership of city planning, each personally selected by our tenured faculty members for their expertise and ability to guide students through their respective courses. This unique blend of academic rigor and real-world experience helps prepare students for success in the rapidly evolving field of urban development.
Danilo Palazzo is a Professor and Director of the School of Planning at the University of Cincinnati. Before moving to Cincinnati, he served on the faculty at the Polytechnic of Milan. Italy as a program coordinator for the Master of Architectural Engineering. He earned an M.Arch from the Polytechnic of Milan and a Ph.D. in Planning from IUAV Venezia. Dr. Palazzo has been a visiting scholar at the School of Planning and Landscape Architecture at Arizona State University (1995), the School of Planning at the University of Cincinnati (1997 and 1998), Polytechnic of Milan (2021), and a Visiting Professor at the School of Design, Jiangnan University, PRC (2019). His current research interests are urbanism, urban design, and pedagogy. Dr. Palazzo co-authored with Frederick Steiner, Urban Ecological Design: A Process for Regenerative Places (Island Press, 2011, also translated in Chinese—Yilin Press, Nanjing, 2018—and in Farsi—Ferdowsi University of Mashhad Press, 2023), and authored a chapter on “Pedagogical Tradition” to the Companion to Urban Design (Routledge, 2011). He’s the co-editor, with V. Mehta, of the Companion to Public Space (Routledge, 2020), with L. Hollstein and S. Diko (eds.) of the Routledge Companion to Professional Awareness and Diversity in Planning Education (Routledge, 2023), and with V. Mehta, C. Auffrey, C. Kickert, and T. Grundy of The Case for Cities (Routledge, 2024).
Carla Chifos, PhD, AICP, has interests that include sustainable development, urban environment, and international development. Her dissertation research was “Urban neighborhoods and the natural environment: examples from the city of Jakarta”. This work was the culmination of three years in Indonesia with funding from the United States Agency for International Development and close collaborations with the Ministry for National Planning. She has continued specializing in Southeast Asia and has carried out research on urban environmental and community development issues in Indonesia as well as in Thailand. In addition to this international focus, Dr. Chifos is also pursuing research in the area of sustainable development and how it applies to urban and community development in US cities. The results of her research are being applied to her courses, both seminar and workshop formats, to integrate the concepts of sustainable development, livable communities, smart growth, and eco-cities, into urban and community planning.
Shilpa Mehta is a city planner, urban designer, and architect with an interest in urban placemaking and civic engagement. Shilpa holds graduate degrees in City Planning, with a focus on City Design and Development, and Architecture. With over thirteen years of professional work and eight years of teaching experience, Shilpa brings depth of knowledge on a wide range of urban planning and design issues such as climate action, sustainability, and multimodal transportation. With an approach that integrates design thinking with data-driven analytical validation, Shilpa innovatively bridges urban design and planning practice to facilitate creative problem-solving that is community-oriented and place-based.
Christopher Auffrey is a professor in the School of Planning at the University of Cincinnati. He earned his PhD in Urban and Regional Planning from the University of Michigan, and his research focuses on sustainable urbanism, environmental planning, wayfinding, neighborhood health, and socio-spatial equity. He has led or co-led federally funded projects with agencies including the EPA, CDC, USDA, and NIEHS. His publications include The Case for Cities (Routledge, 2024), The Social Areas of Cincinnati, and edited volumes on urban sustainability in Southeast Asia. Auffrey’s contributions have been recognized with awards such as the DAAP Faculty Outstanding Service Award and the “Ten Who Cared” community service award, among other recognitions.
Rainer vom Hofe is a Professor of Economic Development in the School of Planning at the University of Cincinnati. He is also the School’s PhD Graduate Director. Rainer received his MS and PhD in Regional Science from Cornell University and completed his undergraduate studies at the Fachhochschule Weihenstephan, Germany. Rainer’s research interests lie in the area of urban and regional economics, economic development planning, environmental quality of life, and quantitative methods for urban and regional planning and policy analysis, including economic and fiscal impact analysis and spatial econometrics. He has published in several planning and regional science journals, including, among others: Urban Studies, Journal of Regional Science, Journal of Regional Analysis and Policy, Environment and Planning B, Annals of Regional Science.
No. your degree will be conferred by the University of Cincinnati, which will also be reflected on your transcripts and degree.
Yes. Although UC Online programs follow the same academic calendar, they have unique schedules depending on the course.
(There are a few exceptions to the asynchronous components, please view program FAQs for more information)
Yes. The vast majority of our students work throughout their time in their academic program. It is important to assess course load and financial aid to understand how to balance school and work.
If possible, students may cut down on their work hours during a clinical portion of a program.
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