Sustainable Urban Planning Master of Professional Studies

Required Courses (33 credits, all courses are 3 credits)

PSUS 6201: Principles of Sustainable Urban and Regional Planning is an introductory planning history and theory course that examines the “triple bottom line” of economic, environmental, and social sustainability. It is a reading- and discussion-intensive seminar wherein students actively debate the concept of sustainability with the goal of forming their own ideas about its meaning and implications.
Instructor: Andrew Bernish, AICP.

PSUS 6202: Urban and Environmental Economics is concerned with the application of neoclassical economics to problems faced by practitioners of the field of sustainable urban and regional planning. It develops a set of analytical methods for understanding urban and environmental challenges and their solutions; urban growth; environmental quality; public policy; and more.
Instructor: Elizabeth Gearin, Ph.D.

PSUS 6203: Research Methods: Geospatial and Econometric Analysis is focused on developing proficiency in geographic information systems (GIS) and econometric analysis, a method of statistical analysis for measuring the relationships at work in socioeconomic phenomena. The course teaches how to build an analyze spatial datasets, specifically using ArcGIS and Stata.
Instructor: Mesbah Motamed, Ph.D.

PSUS 6204: Land Use Law is about understanding the legal context of land use planning as it applies to contemporary issues. The role of land use law in shaping the urban context and its implications for policy and practice. 
Instructor: Sandra Whitehead, Ph.D.

PSUS 6210: Transportation Planning in City Systems is about transportation planning with long-run goals, including reducing greenhouse gas emissions, in mind. It delineates the role of planning - at local and regional scales - within the broader frame of transportation engineering and provides a basis for engaging in this increasingly complex and interdisciplinary dimension of urbanization.
Instructor: John Thomas, Ph.D.

PSUS 6211: Regional Development and Agricultural Economics explores the economics of land use patterns and land development processes in the United States and elsewhere in the world. It also provides an introduction to the field of agricultural economics and examines food deserts and other food-related problems relevant to the field of sustainable urban planning.
Instructor: Mesbah Motamed, Ph.D.

PSUS 6212: Sustainable Communities I: Housing and Design addresses community development with special attention given to the policy arena and the various sectors of interest that impact contemporary urbanization. Along the way, a number of special topics - including water supply, food deserts, public health, urban resilience, and more - are introduced. Instructor: John Thomas, Ph.D.

PSUS 6220: Planning Resilient and Low-Carbon Cities is a course with an international perspective on urban planning for - and in - a warmer future, brought about by climate change induced by greenhouse gas emissions. It is taught with reference to the findings of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and considers how urbanization around the world must adapt to the reality of global warming and its consequences. Instructor: Rachael Jonassen, Ph.D.

PSUS 6221: The Scientific Basis of Climate Change introduces the science that underlies climate change policy and decision making. It is a course designed for non-scientists that provides a rigorous treatment of earth systems, climate change projections, the need for mitigation, and impact assessment. Instructor: Rachael Jonassen, Ph.D.

PSUS 6230: Studio in Sustainable Urban Planning is an applied course, trained on the nexus of urban design and neighborhood health impact assessment. It addresses both new and existing urban environments and is grounded in pragmatic approaches to real-world problem solving. Instructor: Sandra Whitehead, Ph.D

PSUS 6233: Capstone.  The Capstone forms a final project completed by each student taking the MPS in Sustainable Urban Planning. It is individualized in nature and is intended to demonstrate a rounded mastery of knowledge and skills gained in the program. The capstone is conducted under the supervision of a selected faculty mentor.

Elective Courses (choose 15 credits, all courses are 3 credits)

Frequency and schedule of elective offerings varies. Please consult with your advisor when planning your schedule.

PSUS 6205: Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion 
Current patterns of urban development, including segregation, concentrated poverty, suburban sprawl, and gentrification. Instructor: Sandra Whitehead, Ph.D.

PSUS 6213: Advanced Research Methods: Individual Mentoring enables students in to work one-on-one, with a faculty mentor of their choice, on a project of joint design. Individual work plans will vary from project-to-project because they are intended to be student-specific. Instructor: SUP Faculty

PSUS 6214: Food and Cities examines agricultural systems, food production, consumption, and trade, and their links to urbanization, city growth, and public health, through lenses of history, technology, economic theory, geography, and public policy. The course explores the roles that food plays in the lives of urban inhabitants, and in shaping the urban landscape, and the role of cities in determining the geography, sustainability, and business of agriculture. Instructor: Mesbah Motamed, Ph.D.

PSUS 6215: Urban Health Impact Assessment focuses on the connection between public health and place, with an eye toward planning history and current theories on the relationship between the built environment and quality of life. It addresses the key health issues in planning and related fields and how to incorporate them into the planning and design processes. Instructor: Sandra Whitehead, Ph.D.

PSUS 6216: Megacities in a Globalized World is concerned with the rise of megacities and their role in an increasingly globalized world. It is an advanced, research-oriented seminar requiring that students identify, analyze, and recommend ways of addressing region-specific vulnerabilities stemming from human ecology. Instructor: SUP Faculty

PSUS 6218: Urban Growth and Affordability addresses real estate economics, with a particular emphasis on land markets and affordable housing. It focuses specifically on the spatial outcome of economic development and the relationship between growth and sustainable urban planning. Instructor: Elizabeth Gearin, Ph.D.

PSUS 6222: Climate Change Economics is concerned with the application of neoclassical economics, primarily microeconomics, to the problem of anthropogenic climate change. Case studies are used to identify vulnerabilities to climate change and/or other stresses - plus prospective solutions - within a particular region. Instructor: SUP Faculty

PSUS 6223: Sustainable Communities II: Tools for Assessment and Transformation builds on PSUS 6212 by further detailing the theory and tools relevant to the assessment and transformation of neighborhood and communities. Emphasis is placed on understanding the context of  planning, including: the fundamental drivers of urban and regional form and the formation of placed-based policy. Instructor: Matthew Dalbey, Ph.D.

PSUS 6224: Sustainable Energy for Cities and the Environment addresses resource management, renewable energy technologies, and vulnerabilities of existing urban structures, particularly the energy grid. It presents the implications of - and solutions to - energy-related problems faced by cities in an era of anthropogenic climate change. Instructor: Scott Sklar

PSUS 6227: Critical Infrastructure for Cities and Regions focuses on the existing risk profile of energy, water, telecom/internet, and other critical infrastructure. It identifies strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats that these systems pose for urbanization in the United States and worldwide. Instructor: Scott Sklar

PSUS 6228: Parks and Public Facilities Planning teaches students relevant, applicable skills in urban park planning. The course consists of readings and analysis, guest lectures and case study evaluation with student presentations. In addition, students will produce a park assessment and concept plan for a local park and present findings to invited professionals.  Instructor: Eliza Voigt, AICP

PSUS 6231: Practicum is a vehicle for students to gain internship experience and is used, primarily under three circumstances: (i) when a student wants to receive course credit for an internship, especially if that internship is unpaid; (ii) when the host agency requires that the student be enrolled for course credit; and (iii) in cases where students (especially foreign students) can only work under the auspices of a practicum course. Instructor: SUP Faculty

PSUS 6235: Advanced Topics in Urban Sustainability

PSUS 6236: International Studio in Sustainable Urban Planning
International immersion designed to promote an international exchange of research and scholarship on sustainable urban development and provide instruction on operating in a foreign setting.

Negin Askarzadeh (M.P.S., George Washington University, AICP/LEED GA) is a Transportation Planner at Fairfax County Department of Transportation (FCDOT). As a team member of the Capital Projects Section at FCDOT, she is responsible for coordinating and managing complex multi-modal transportation projects. She is a George Washington University alumna and holds a master’s degree in Sustainable Urban Planning. Negin teaches PSUS 6235: Planning Technology. Email: negi@email.gwu.edu

Andrew Bernish (M.C.P., University of Maryland, AICP/GISP) is a Planner & GIS Analyst for the Maryland State Department of Transportation (MDOT). Prior to joining MDOT, he worked in the private sector as an Associate Planner at Ayers Saint Gross. He also worked on the Planning Secretary's Executive Response team at the Maryland Department of Planning during the O'Malley administration. He served in the US Peace Corps as a Community Resource and Education Volunteer in South Africa. Andrew teaches PSUS 6201, Principles of Sustainable Urban and Regional Planning and co-teaches PSUS 6236 - the International Planning Studio. He also represents the Sustainable Urban Planning program on the National Capital Chapter of the American Planning Association Executive Board as the faculty appointment. Email: bernish@gwu.edu

Ann Carroll (Dr.PH., The John Hopkins University), a former senior policy analyst and public health lead with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Office of Brownfields and Land Revitalization, retired in December of 2023. Ann is involved in national and international brownfields research and practice networks working on sustainability and brownfield climate resilience. She is internationally recognized for her work on brownfields revitalization focused on improving public health, equity, food access, climate adaptation and preventing lead poisoning. In collaboration with other women brownfield practice leaders, Ann recently initiated national dialogues on women in brownfields practice and needs for mentoring and expanding diversity in brownfields, STEM, land redevelopment and investment professions. She teaches PSUS 6235: Brownfields and Equity and PSUS 6235: Brownfields Field School. Email: acarroll72@email.gwu.edu

Matthew Dalbey (Ph.D., Columbia University) is senior advisor for sustainable communities at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). During his 19 years at EPA he has been recognized as a thought leader on sustainable, resilient and innovative approaches to the growth and development of communities. He teaches PSUS 6223, PSUS 6211 and PSUS 6230. Email: mdalbey65@gwu.edu

Elizabeth Gearin (Ph.D., University of Southern California, AICP) is a planning and public policy consultant and a member of the Arlington County Planning Commission. She has worked as housing and community development planner in the San Francisco Bay Area, and as a community organizer in Chicago. Elizabeth teaches PSUS 6235: Biophilia. Email: elizabethgearin@gwu.edu

Michelle Hawkins (Ph.D., Howard University) is a distinguished atmospheric scientist with an exceptional background in weather and climate science and policy. She currently serves  as NASA’s Program Manager for Climate Resilience and Community Action, where she advances the use of Earth observations to support community resilience to climate change and to address equity and environmental justice issues. Email: michelle.hawkins@gwu.edu

Rachael Jonassen (Ph.D., Pennsylvania State University) directs the Climate Change program in GWU's Environmental and Energy Management Institute. She advises on climate change – supporting national and international clients on multiple strategic challenges for over two decades. She has completed assignments in over 30 countries and helped governments and NGOs develop and implement policies related to climate change-related issues. Her many professional accomplishments have been recognized through her election as a Fellow of the Geological Society of America. Rachael teaches PSUS 6220: Planning Resilient and Low Carbon Cities and PSUS 6221, Climate Change Science in Urban Planning. She is the recipient of the CPS 2024 Faculty Excellence Award. Email: rachaelj@gwu.edu

Elizabeth Morton (Ph.D., Massachusetts Institute of Technology) is a planning consultant, with a long track record of community service and leadership. She has been appointed to the Arlington County Planning Commission, the Arlington Public Art Committee, the McLean Revitalization Corporation, and numerous other advisory bodies. She taught practice-based seminars and studios at Virginia Tech’s graduate planning program for 15 years, and specializes in urban design, historic preservation, commemoration and placemaking. She teaches PSUS 6230: Sustainable Urban Planning Studio. Email: elizabeth.morton@gwu.edu

Mesbah Motamed (Ph.D., Purdue University) is an economist at the Millennium Challenge Corporation. His work has focused on agricultural land use, risk management, trade and economic development. His previous work includes being a research economist at the U.S. Department of Agriculture and working on agricultural development projects in Central Asia and Latin America and as a trade analyst for the U.S. Department of Commerce. Mesbah teaches PSUS 6203: Research Methods: Geospatial and Econometric Analysis and PSUS 6214: Food and Cities. Email: mesbah@gwu.edu

Scott Sklar has been in the sustainable energy field for 50 years and has run a global renewable energy technology optimization owners-rep, The Stella Group, for the last 24 years. Prior, he ran the national Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) for 15 years, worked as an energy aide to US Senator Javits (NY) for 10 years and cofounded the bipartsan solar caucus that drove much of the sustainable energy legislation in the 1970's. Sklar sits on the Boards of Directors of several national clean energy organizations. He has had published three peer-reviewed papers, and written and co-authored a wide range of books and articles over his career. He conducts weekly tours of his entirely self-powered office building and home, both located in Arlington, Virginia. GW students may even tour them in class! He teaches PSUS 6224: Sustainable Energy for Cities and the Environment and PSUS 6235: Critical Infrastructure for Cities and Regions. Email: solarsklar@aol.com

John Thomas (Ph.D., UC Berkeley) is a Senior Advisor in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Community Revitalization, where he works to advance smart growth, sustainability, and resilience strategies in communities throughout the country. Prior to joining the EPA, John taught in the Department of Urban and Regional Planning at Florida State University. John currently teaches PSUS 6210, Transportation Planning in City Systems, and PSUS 6212, Sustainable Communities I: Housing and Design. Email: jvthomas@gwu.edu

Louis L. Thomas (Ph.D., Massachusetts Institute of Technology) is an adjunct faculty member in the program. His research focuses on equity and the all-age city, family-oriented high-density and incremental urbanism. He teaches PSUS 6235-UP3: Qualitative Methods for Planners and PSUS 6235-UP4: The Contemporary City on Foot and Film. Email: louthomas@email.gwu.edu

Eliza Voigt (MCRP, University of North Carolina, AICP) is the Planning and NEPA Branch Chief in the Office of Planning and Design Quality in the General Services Administration. Prior to this, Eliza worked with the National Park Service for over 12 years in planning and partnerships. In addition, Eliza worked for over 15 years as an urban planner and historic preservation planner for local governments in Montgomery County, Maryland; and for the Pennsylvania Avenue Development Corporation in Washington, D.C. She teaches PSUS 6228: Parks and Public Facilities Planning and elective applied studio classes. Email: evoigt@gwu.edu; eliza.voigt7@gmail.com

Sandra Whitehead (Ph.D., Florida State University) is the Program Director. She previously worked at the National Environmental Health Association, the National Association of County and City Health Officials and the Florida Department of Health. She is an internationally recognized expert on health, equity and social justice. Sandra is a member of the EPA's National Environmental Justice Advisory Committee and the Society of Practitioners of Health Impact Assessment. She teaches PSUS 6204: Land Use Law, PSUS 6230: Studio in Sustainable Urban Planning, PSUS 6215: Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion and PSUS 6215: Urban Health Impact Assessment. Email: swhitehead@gwu.edu  

GW tuition and fees are comparable to the national average for private universities. These costs are set by the GW Board of Trustees and generally increase year to year, variable by program and location. Please use this information as an estimate based on current tuition rates and fee structures. Total tuition and fees will vary according to the courses taken and the timeframe in which you complete your coursework.

Financial Aid Opportunities

Costs & Dean's Merit Scholarship

2024-25 Rates in Effect for Summer 2024, Fall 2024 and Spring 2025 Terms

Other Costs to Consider:

Students who enter the program with a 3.0 GPA and who are taking at least 5 credits hours will qualify for the scholarship. This scholarship will be in the form of tuition remission of approximately 25%. To maintain eligibility, students must be continuously enrolled, taking at least 5 credit hours per semester, and maintain a cumulative 3.0 GPA. Failure to enroll in a semester will result in a discontinuation of the scholarship. Students can petition the Program Director for consideration of reinstatement.

One facet of the American Planning Association Foundation's (APAF) mission is advancing social equity in the profession and in our communities. This scholarship is awarded annually to students intending to pursue careers as practicing planners who will diversify the profession and who are able to demonstrate a genuine financial need. 

Eligibility: Women, people of color and indigenous descent, veterans, disabled persons, and members of the LGBTQ community who are currently enrolled in undergraduate or graduate Planning Accreditation Board (PAB)-approved programs. Applicants must be APA members; membership for students is free. More information on application requirements and annual deadlines can be found through the APA's website. 

GW's Military & Veteran Services provides wide-ranging resources and support to the military community, including GW scholarships and assistance with benefits: 

• VA Chapter Benefits;
• Yellow Ribbon Program;
• GW scholarships.

Since Military and Veterans Services was created in 2008, GW has been an annual recipient of the Military Friendly Award and is also annually recognized as a Military Times “Best for Vets” higher education institution.