The Vision of the Department of Urban and Regional Planning:
To be a dynamic, modern, democratic, and ethically conscious department that produces and applies science through research at the global level; that resists political pressures with a commitment to the public good; that can generate and implement utopian visions; and that is a leading and preferred department.
The Mission of the Department of Urban and Regional Planning:
- To generate knowledge, interpret it within an ethical framework, disseminate it, and translate it into practice;
- To create a participatory academic environment where ideas are openly discussed and shared,
- To support researchers and adapt to the evolution and changes in the profession,
- To provide education that is responsive to global developments and changes as well as national realities,
- To teach how to learn,
- To train professionals with a broad perspective who uphold the principle of equity in the planning of urban spaces for sustainable living and development for the public.
Objectives of the Department of Urban and Regional Planning;
The Department of Urban and Regional Planning aims to train professionals who possess the following qualities:
- Analytical thinking: The ability to conduct quantitative and qualitative analyses in the field of urban and regional planning
- Critical thinking: The ability to develop creative thinking and conceptualize ideas
- Effective process management: The ability to make decisions, exercise initiative, and work collaboratively in analysis, synthesis, and planning processes
- Openness to alternatives: The ability to consider different theories and practices; to evaluate the views and demands of various segments of society; to remain flexible without compromising planning principles, to stay current with developments, and to devise planning alternatives
- Possessing the knowledge and skills required to practice the profession: Understanding the city, and being able to engage in planning and design
- Internalizing the principles of urbanism, the fundamentals of planning, and the concept of the public interest, and applying them in the professional field using concepts of natural, cultural, spatial, and socio-economic sustainability
- Being able to internalize all fundamental concepts—both historical and current—within the field of science (including the history and theory of planning, as well as the legal, institutional, and political context of planning)
- Ability to use technology: Ability to apply current technology in topics related to the professional field
- Respect for ethical values: Acting in accordance with the values required by the universal scientific community in research, and by professional ethical norms and standards in professional practice
- Understanding that education is a lifelong process and being able to maintain professional
collaboration with colleagues