UrbanPlan is offered at over 30 high schools in economics or government courses in the junior and senior years. In the 15 class hours of the curriculum, students form development teams to respond to a “request for proposals” for the redevelopment of a blighted site in a fictional community. Each team member assumes one of five roles: Finance Director, Marketing Director, City Liaison, Neighborhood Liaison, or Site Planner.

Through these roles, students develop a visceral understanding of how various market forces (supply and demand, availability of capital, risk vs reward, etc.) clash and collaborate with non-market forces (regulation, politics, advocacy groups, etc.) to create the built environment. They must reconcile the often-competing agendas to create a well-designed, market-responsive, financeable, and buildable project.

Create Engaged Citizens

The curriculum was developed for and is only supported in economics and selected government classes. The curriculum aligns with all state and national content standards for high school economics and provides a much-needed local government component to government classes.

UrbanPlan is offered at over 30 high schools in economics or government courses in the junior and senior years. In the 15 class hours of the curriculum, students form development teams to respond to a “request for proposals” for the redevelopment of a blighted site in a fictional community. Each team member assumes one of five roles: Finance Director, Marketing Director, City Liaison, Neighborhood Liaison, or Site Planner.

Through these roles, students develop a visceral understanding of how various market forces (supply and demand, availability of capital, risk vs reward, etc.) clash and collaborate with non-market forces (regulation, politics, advocacy groups, etc.) to create the built environment. They must reconcile the often-competing agendas to create a well-designed, market-responsive, financeable, and buildable project.

Teacher FAQ

How UrbanPlan Works in the Classroom

Teams address challenging financial, market, social, political, and design issues, develop a pro forma, and create a three-dimensional model of their plan. At strategic times during the project, land use professionals, who have attended a full day of UrbanPlan volunteer training, interact with the student teams. There are two facilitations where professionals visit the teams and challenge the students on their roles, their vision, and the decisions they have made using Socratic interaction. The module culminates when the teams present their proposal to a “City Council” of ULI members that awards the development contract to the winning team.

Facilitators
Through Socratic interaction, volunteers challenge the students to think more critically about the UrbanPlan issues and the specific responsibilities of their “role” (Financial Analyst, Marketing Director, Site Planner, City Liaison, Neighborhood Liaison).

Presenters
UrbanPlan volunteers engage in interactive discussions with students on the member’s own project work. Through thoughtful questioning, the presenter helps students relate these issues and decisions to struggles the students are experiencing in UrbanPlan.

City Council
UrbanPlan volunteers hear student presentations, challenge their proposals as would happen in an actual city council hearing, and award the development contract to the winning development team.

Impact (so far)

UrbanPlan has reached over 52,000 high school and university students in the United States & Canada since 2003:

• 21 ULI District Councils and 2 satellites ran UrbanPlan programs this 2017-18 academic year.
• UrbanPlan reached over 3,900 students in 165 classrooms at 67 high schools in the 2017-18 academic year.
• 15 universities ran UrbanPlan in graduate MBA, Real Estate, City & Regional Planning, and Architecture programs in the 2017-18 academic year
• More members (2,500+ per year)–including trustees, governors, and product council members–participated in UrbanPlan; more than in any other national or local ULI program.
• Now in its third year, 107 ULI members engaged 320 public sector decision makers representing 85 jurisdictions through UrbanPlan.
• 808 volunteers donated over 3,865 hours to the program in the 2017-18 academic year.

What does it take?

The generosity and commitment of ULIAtlanta’s members and sponsors enable us to sustain and grow UrbanPlan. Thanks to these contributions, we are able to provide all materials and training free of charge to our teachers, students, and volunteers