Overview
4-Semester program
2 Semesters courses; 2 Semesters Thesis Writing
Number of Courses (minimum): 8

The rapid transition in socio-economic structure in the world has been experienced in the recent two decades. These changes enforced new perspectives in spatial issues, new debates on spatial organization and new concepts related to space. Today the meanings of the concepts used for identification of spatial units such as urban, rural, metropolitan, metropolitan region, region, are evolving continuously. Region is one of the concept that has been affected particularly in this era of transition. The meaning of the region in the heydays of regional planning was quite different than the meaning used in the current debates. The second change took place is the concepts related to planning. The meaning of planning today, do not coincide with the term used in 1950s and 1960s.
Regional planning-, which is made of the two terms that experienced changes in their meanings, has obviously a content quite different than its definition in 1950s and 1960s. That is why beginning from the 1996, the discussions on the revision Regional Planning Program is in the agenda of METU Department of Urban and Regional Planning. New Program is expected to be initiated in the following academic year.
In the new Regional Planning Program the aims of the planning are defined as, to enable formation of a local/regional structure developed both in terms of social and economic conditions, with acceptable environmental quality and governed by democratic rules that lead development process. In order to achieve development of this structure, regulations should be defined consistent with four targets of planning. Viable economic structure with growth potential, learning capacity in order to adopt new circumstances and compete at international scale, livable and sustainable environment and a govcernance system that enables the formation of links with external world and initiates development potential at local scale.

In order to reach these targets at local/regional scale there is need for planners. However, the planners should cope with different roles in the new regulation and governance system, in addition to their earlier functions. Planners should undertake the role of technician when they make research and give decisions on interrelational aspects of development and space, and the role of mediator and negotiator during formulation of decisions on locality/ region by the different social groups. That is why the roles of planners change from decision making at spatial development, to provision of help members of locality in order to integrate to the world system according to their choices and make sure that their living conditions are compatible with their priorities collectively defined. The regional Planning Programme is designed for educating manpower to take the responsibility of all these functions.

Curriculum