Welcome to the planning research database of UC-Berkeley’s Department of City & Regional Planning and Center for Community Innovation! This service links planning professionals with students searching for research topics for a term paper or a professional report (PR).

Most of the students in our master’s program prepare a professional report as the final requirement for the MCP degree. The PR, which is undertaken for an outside client under the supervision of a faculty member, provides an opportunity for students to diagnose a problem situation, select appropriate analytic methods, evaluate alternative approaches, and recommend an approach or solution. It is a report on a real-world planning task or analysis, carried out in a manner that demonstrates professional judgment and competence. Often the research project is part of an internship, paid or unpaid, at an organization or agency.

This listing includes both PR topics and term paper topics that students can use for their classes. If you have a project for an entire class (e.g., a studio project), or need to have DCRP faculty involved, please contact the Department of City & Regional Planning (dcrpchair [at] berkeley.edu) or the Center for Community Innovation (Karen Chapple, Faculty Director, cci [at] berkeley.edu).