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Harnessing the space between oversized architectures and undersized territories in increasingly more densely populated 21st-century cities, you will cultivate an understanding of urban design’s central role in addressing climate change and social inequity. Urban fabric registers, and in many cases contributes to the simultaneous increase of human population, temperatures, carbon and flooding. The MS Urban Design sequence asks the urban surface to demonstrate new formats, media and strategies for urban resilience.
Image of a collection of multicolored topographic models created using plaster.
Studio Jonas Coersmeier
Type
Graduate, MS
Start Term
Fall Only
Credits
33
Duration
1 Year
Courses
Plan of Study
A render of waterfront protection effort using green wetlands and concreted structures.

Urban Design at Pratt

Focused on the multifaceted architectural approach that includes landscape and architectural strategies, you’ll learn to design for denser 21st-century cities while preserving cultural, economic, and ecological resources. Seminars explore urban history and theory, 3D fabrication, data modeling and digital twin cities. New York City and Brooklyn-based urban design-directed research and interactive design critiques with students, faculty, and industry professionals will hone your theoretical and technical skills.

Student Work

Work by recent Urban Design graduates envisions near future cities able to harbor urban biodiversity and cultural diversity:

The Experience

White mannequin models stand in front of a morphological structure with large projections of people wearing augmented reality headsets

This program is an intense 3-term springboard into the practice of urban design with a culminating project and graduate thesis that offers a unique scaffolding for your vision of the future city. Class sizes of just 8-12 foster close collaboration with faculty and community partners, while the curriculum helps you frame and develop an individuated position for the resilient city. The Urban Design culminating projects are featured in an annual Fall Exhibition highlighting large scale physical models, immersive AR/VR models and thesis books and bringing your work into dialogue with a broad audience. Research opportunities include Climate Science workshops with Guerilla Science on Governors Island, presenting projects at Design Biennale (London, Barcelona, Venice) and contributing to the UN’s Designing Water and Policy.

Directed Research

Engaging at a scale larger than a building yet smaller than a city, your directed research addresses the most challenging questions facing the profession and discipline as we address the need for climate resilient strategies, equitable living conditions, and ecological building material at urban scales. Using Brooklyn and New York City as its laboratory, studio projects address questions of how we design and inhabit the urban realm as it continues to densify in the 21st century. Large-scale prototypes of urban blocks make use of GAUD’s fabrication labs LINK, while directed research is presented with faculty work at Pratt’s Research Yard in dialogue with the Center for Climate Adaptation.

Seminars, Lectures & Events

You’ll be exposed to relevant issues through urban theory and architectural media seminars, history-theory and architecture electives, and a dense array of lectures and events featuring prominent scholars. Complementing your studio experience, you’ll address topics of urban interiority, biodiverse cities, composite building typologies, and climate resilience, all with an emphasis on challenging conventional notions of adaptive reuse, infill development, and architectural and urban conservation.

Field Studies

A group of students stands in front of a wall covered with architectural design posters that they created.

The MS Urban Design is an intensely local program in its focus: field studies include close dialogues with New York community partners, office visits, and workshops in New York’s museums and archives. We work on sites in New York and Brooklyn with experts that range from forensic hydrologists to resiliency engineers; we have office visits with leading urban design firms in New York; and we meet with local community partners invested in our area of study.

Learning Resources

We develop disciplinary fluency in our program of study and we celebrate the interdisciplinary nature of design critical to address the plurality and complexity of the environments in which we operate. Learn about resources.

Our Faculty

All full-time and part-time faculty are practitioners and deeply engaged in building equity through their own  work in the public, private and non-profit sectors and bring the commitment, and their experience, into the classroom. See all Graduate Architecture and Urban Design faculty and administrators.

Ariane Harrison

Academic Coordinator of MS Urban Design Program; Adjunct Associate Professor

Person

Valeria Cedillos

Visiting Assistant Professor

Person

Cynthia Davidson

Visiting Professor

Person

Signe Nielsen

Adjunct Professor

Person

Oliver Schaper

Visiting Assistant Professor

Person

Mor Segal

Visiting Assistant Professor

Person

Erich Schoenenberger

Acting Assistant Chairperson; Adjunct Associate Professor – CCE

Person

Our Alumni

Pratt’s distinguished alumni are leading diverse and thriving careers, addressing critical challenges and creating innovative work that reimagines our world in leading urban design firms such as AECOM, GENSLER, and KPF, in leading urban research programs such as the Institute for Public Architecture and as faculty in prestigious national and international programs.

Where They Work

  • Urban Designer, AECOM
  • Fellow, Institute for Public Architecture (IPA)
  • Urban Designer, Gensler
  • Professor, Temple University
  • Lecturer, Wietzman School of Design, University of Pennsylvania
  • Lecturer, National University of Sciences and Technology, Pakistan

Success Stories

Ready for More?

HERE’S HOW TO APPLYOUR CAMPUS & BEYOND
Join us at Pratt. Learn more about admissions requirements, plan your visit, talk to a counselor, and start your application. Take the next step.You’ll find yourself at home at Pratt. Learn more about our residence halls, student organizations, athletics, gallery exhibitions, events, the amazing City of New York and our Brooklyn neighborhood communities. Check us out.
@prattmsurbandesign
Pratt MS Urban Design

@prattmsurbandesign

  • Thank you Oliver Schaper @oliver.schaper @genslernyc @gensler_design ! We very much appreciated Friday's office visit and the project review of Pratt MS Urban Design studio work with Pratt faculty @valecedillos Valeria Cedillos and  @artaslabour Xenia Adjoubei
  • Pratt MS Urban Design studio visit to Center for Climate Adaptation at Pratt Yards @bklynnavyyard with MSUD Urban faculty @david_erdman_hk David Erdman, exploring archipelagic approaches for our Red Hook site. @prattgaud @prattsoa
  • LIDAR scanning with Pratt MS Urban Design studio for MSUD Urban Data Design with @prattcmfmrep faculty Lennart Andersson. Next step is developing a Red Hook digital twin with reality modeling.
  • Thank you @aecom @nyclandscapestudio for the office visit and inspired talk by AECOM Design Principal @gonzalocruz for Pratt MS Urban Design studio led by Aecom and Pratt faculty @valecedillos Valeria Cedillos and  @artaslabour Xenia Adjoubei. And huge thank you to Valeria for providing a new platform for the students to present their ideas!
  • Design Intervention by using AI as tool to develop the program and ideology for the coast of Red Hook along the Gowanus canal by @_samikshachavan_ and @bhavikagadiya as a part of their proposal for Fall semester in studio led by @arianelourieharrison @harrisonatelier and Valeria @valecedillos at @prattgaud @prattsoa
  • Species panels for coast of Red Hook, Brooklyn for Urban Design Fall 2023 led by Valeria Cedillos @valecedillos and Ariane Harrison @harrisonatelier at @prattgaud and @prattsoa 

Work by Archana Bhatia @archana_.b6 and Harshita Kalathiya @kalathiyaharshita .
  • Pratt MS Urban Design AI sketches for Red Hook, Brooklyn. 

Work by Vincent Liu, Meet Mistry @meetmistry19, Harshita @kalathiyaharshita and Archana @archana_.b6 in the Fall studio taught by Valeria Cedillos @valecedillos and Ariane Harrison @harrisonatelier at @prattgaud @prattsoa
  • From the Archives

MS Urban Design 2023 graduates: work by Param Patel @param.patel___ for studio with Valeria Cedillos @valecedillos , Ariane Harrison @harrisonatelier , Oliver Schaper @genslernyc , and Eric Schoenenberger @schoenenberger_su11 at @prattgaud @prattsoa
  • Pratt MS Urban Design Fall 2023 Species panels for coast of Red Hook, by Vincent Liu @vincenliu___ and Meet Mistry @meetmistry19 taught by Valeria Cedillos @valecedillos and Ariane Harrison @harrisonatelier at @prattgaud @prattsoa
Thank you Oliver Schaper @oliver.schaper @genslernyc @gensler_design ! We very much appreciated Friday's office visit and the project review of Pratt MS Urban Design studio work with Pratt faculty @valecedillos Valeria Cedillos and  @artaslabour Xenia Adjoubei
Thank you Oliver Schaper @oliver.schaper @genslernyc @gensler_design ! We very much appreciated Friday's office visit and the project review of Pratt MS Urban Design studio work with Pratt faculty @valecedillos Valeria Cedillos and  @artaslabour Xenia Adjoubei
Thank you Oliver Schaper @oliver.schaper @genslernyc @gensler_design ! We very much appreciated Friday's office visit and the project review of Pratt MS Urban Design studio work with Pratt faculty @valecedillos Valeria Cedillos and  @artaslabour Xenia Adjoubei
Thank you Oliver Schaper @oliver.schaper @genslernyc @gensler_design ! We very much appreciated Friday's office visit and the project review of Pratt MS Urban Design studio work with Pratt faculty @valecedillos Valeria Cedillos and  @artaslabour Xenia Adjoubei
Thank you Oliver Schaper @oliver.schaper @genslernyc @gensler_design ! We very much appreciated Friday's office visit and the project review of Pratt MS Urban Design studio work with Pratt faculty @valecedillos Valeria Cedillos and  @artaslabour Xenia Adjoubei
Thank you Oliver Schaper @oliver.schaper @genslernyc @gensler_design ! We very much appreciated Friday's office visit and the project review of Pratt MS Urban Design studio work with Pratt faculty @valecedillos Valeria Cedillos and  @artaslabour Xenia Adjoubei
2 days ago
View on Instagram |
1/9
Pratt MS Urban Design studio visit to Center for Climate Adaptation at Pratt Yards @bklynnavyyard with MSUD Urban faculty @david_erdman_hk David Erdman, exploring archipelagic approaches for our Red Hook site. @prattgaud @prattsoa
Pratt MS Urban Design studio visit to Center for Climate Adaptation at Pratt Yards @bklynnavyyard with MSUD Urban faculty @david_erdman_hk David Erdman, exploring archipelagic approaches for our Red Hook site. @prattgaud @prattsoa
Pratt MS Urban Design studio visit to Center for Climate Adaptation at Pratt Yards @bklynnavyyard with MSUD Urban faculty @david_erdman_hk David Erdman, exploring archipelagic approaches for our Red Hook site. @prattgaud @prattsoa
Pratt MS Urban Design studio visit to Center for Climate Adaptation at Pratt Yards @bklynnavyyard with MSUD Urban faculty @david_erdman_hk David Erdman, exploring archipelagic approaches for our Red Hook site. @prattgaud @prattsoa
Pratt MS Urban Design studio visit to Center for Climate Adaptation at Pratt Yards @bklynnavyyard with MSUD Urban faculty @david_erdman_hk David Erdman, exploring archipelagic approaches for our Red Hook site. @prattgaud @prattsoa
Pratt MS Urban Design studio visit to Center for Climate Adaptation at Pratt Yards @bklynnavyyard with MSUD Urban faculty @david_erdman_hk David Erdman, exploring archipelagic approaches for our Red Hook site. @prattgaud @prattsoa
3 weeks ago
View on Instagram |
2/9
LIDAR scanning with Pratt MS Urban Design studio for MSUD Urban Data Design with @prattcmfmrep faculty Lennart Andersson. Next step is developing a Red Hook digital twin with reality modeling.
LIDAR scanning with Pratt MS Urban Design studio for MSUD Urban Data Design with @prattcmfmrep faculty Lennart Andersson. Next step is developing a Red Hook digital twin with reality modeling.
LIDAR scanning with Pratt MS Urban Design studio for MSUD Urban Data Design with @prattcmfmrep faculty Lennart Andersson. Next step is developing a Red Hook digital twin with reality modeling.
LIDAR scanning with Pratt MS Urban Design studio for MSUD Urban Data Design with @prattcmfmrep faculty Lennart Andersson. Next step is developing a Red Hook digital twin with reality modeling.
4 weeks ago
View on Instagram |
3/9
Thank you @aecom @nyclandscapestudio for the office visit and inspired talk by AECOM Design Principal @gonzalocruz for Pratt MS Urban Design studio led by Aecom and Pratt faculty @valecedillos Valeria Cedillos and  @artaslabour Xenia Adjoubei. And huge thank you to Valeria for providing a new platform for the students to present their ideas!
Thank you @aecom @nyclandscapestudio for the office visit and inspired talk by AECOM Design Principal @gonzalocruz for Pratt MS Urban Design studio led by Aecom and Pratt faculty @valecedillos Valeria Cedillos and  @artaslabour Xenia Adjoubei. And huge thank you to Valeria for providing a new platform for the students to present their ideas!
Thank you @aecom @nyclandscapestudio for the office visit and inspired talk by AECOM Design Principal @gonzalocruz for Pratt MS Urban Design studio led by Aecom and Pratt faculty @valecedillos Valeria Cedillos and  @artaslabour Xenia Adjoubei. And huge thank you to Valeria for providing a new platform for the students to present their ideas!
Thank you @aecom @nyclandscapestudio for the office visit and inspired talk by AECOM Design Principal @gonzalocruz for Pratt MS Urban Design studio led by Aecom and Pratt faculty @valecedillos Valeria Cedillos and  @artaslabour Xenia Adjoubei. And huge thank you to Valeria for providing a new platform for the students to present their ideas!
Thank you @aecom @nyclandscapestudio for the office visit and inspired talk by AECOM Design Principal @gonzalocruz for Pratt MS Urban Design studio led by Aecom and Pratt faculty @valecedillos Valeria Cedillos and  @artaslabour Xenia Adjoubei. And huge thank you to Valeria for providing a new platform for the students to present their ideas!
4 weeks ago
View on Instagram |
4/9
Design Intervention by using AI as tool to develop the program and ideology for the coast of Red Hook along the Gowanus canal by @_samikshachavan_ and @bhavikagadiya as a part of their proposal for Fall semester in studio led by @arianelourieharrison @harrisonatelier and Valeria @valecedillos at @prattgaud @prattsoa
Design Intervention by using AI as tool to develop the program and ideology for the coast of Red Hook along the Gowanus canal by @_samikshachavan_ and @bhavikagadiya as a part of their proposal for Fall semester in studio led by @arianelourieharrison @harrisonatelier and Valeria @valecedillos at @prattgaud @prattsoa
Design Intervention by using AI as tool to develop the program and ideology for the coast of Red Hook along the Gowanus canal by @_samikshachavan_ and @bhavikagadiya as a part of their proposal for Fall semester in studio led by @arianelourieharrison @harrisonatelier and Valeria @valecedillos at @prattgaud @prattsoa
Design Intervention by using AI as tool to develop the program and ideology for the coast of Red Hook along the Gowanus canal by @_samikshachavan_ and @bhavikagadiya as a part of their proposal for Fall semester in studio led by @arianelourieharrison @harrisonatelier and Valeria @valecedillos at @prattgaud @prattsoa
Design Intervention by using AI as tool to develop the program and ideology for the coast of Red Hook along the Gowanus canal by @_samikshachavan_ and @bhavikagadiya as a part of their proposal for Fall semester in studio led by @arianelourieharrison @harrisonatelier and Valeria @valecedillos at @prattgaud @prattsoa
Design Intervention by using AI as tool to develop the program and ideology for the coast of Red Hook along the Gowanus canal by @_samikshachavan_ and @bhavikagadiya as a part of their proposal for Fall semester in studio led by @arianelourieharrison @harrisonatelier and Valeria @valecedillos at @prattgaud @prattsoa
4 weeks ago
View on Instagram |
5/9
Species panels for coast of Red Hook, Brooklyn for Urban Design Fall 2023 led by Valeria Cedillos @valecedillos and Ariane Harrison @harrisonatelier at @prattgaud and @prattsoa 

Work by Archana Bhatia @archana_.b6 and Harshita Kalathiya @kalathiyaharshita .
Species panels for coast of Red Hook, Brooklyn for Urban Design Fall 2023 led by Valeria Cedillos @valecedillos and Ariane Harrison @harrisonatelier at @prattgaud and @prattsoa 

Work by Archana Bhatia @archana_.b6 and Harshita Kalathiya @kalathiyaharshita .
Species panels for coast of Red Hook, Brooklyn for Urban Design Fall 2023 led by Valeria Cedillos @valecedillos and Ariane Harrison @harrisonatelier at @prattgaud and @prattsoa 

Work by Archana Bhatia @archana_.b6 and Harshita Kalathiya @kalathiyaharshita .
Species panels for coast of Red Hook, Brooklyn for Urban Design Fall 2023 led by Valeria Cedillos @valecedillos and Ariane Harrison @harrisonatelier at @prattgaud and @prattsoa Work by Archana Bhatia @archana_.b6 and Harshita Kalathiya @kalathiyaharshita .
1 month ago
View on Instagram |
6/9
Pratt MS Urban Design AI sketches for Red Hook, Brooklyn. 

Work by Vincent Liu, Meet Mistry @meetmistry19, Harshita @kalathiyaharshita and Archana @archana_.b6 in the Fall studio taught by Valeria Cedillos @valecedillos and Ariane Harrison @harrisonatelier at @prattgaud @prattsoa
Pratt MS Urban Design AI sketches for Red Hook, Brooklyn. 

Work by Vincent Liu, Meet Mistry @meetmistry19, Harshita @kalathiyaharshita and Archana @archana_.b6 in the Fall studio taught by Valeria Cedillos @valecedillos and Ariane Harrison @harrisonatelier at @prattgaud @prattsoa
Pratt MS Urban Design AI sketches for Red Hook, Brooklyn. 

Work by Vincent Liu, Meet Mistry @meetmistry19, Harshita @kalathiyaharshita and Archana @archana_.b6 in the Fall studio taught by Valeria Cedillos @valecedillos and Ariane Harrison @harrisonatelier at @prattgaud @prattsoa
Pratt MS Urban Design AI sketches for Red Hook, Brooklyn. Work by Vincent Liu, Meet Mistry @meetmistry19, Harshita @kalathiyaharshita and Archana @archana_.b6 in the Fall studio taught by Valeria Cedillos @valecedillos and Ariane Harrison @harrisonatelier at @prattgaud @prattsoa
1 month ago
View on Instagram |
7/9
From the Archives

MS Urban Design 2023 graduates: work by Param Patel @param.patel___ for studio with Valeria Cedillos @valecedillos , Ariane Harrison @harrisonatelier , Oliver Schaper @genslernyc , and Eric Schoenenberger @schoenenberger_su11 at @prattgaud @prattsoa
From the Archives

MS Urban Design 2023 graduates: work by Param Patel @param.patel___ for studio with Valeria Cedillos @valecedillos , Ariane Harrison @harrisonatelier , Oliver Schaper @genslernyc , and Eric Schoenenberger @schoenenberger_su11 at @prattgaud @prattsoa
From the Archives

MS Urban Design 2023 graduates: work by Param Patel @param.patel___ for studio with Valeria Cedillos @valecedillos , Ariane Harrison @harrisonatelier , Oliver Schaper @genslernyc , and Eric Schoenenberger @schoenenberger_su11 at @prattgaud @prattsoa
From the Archives

MS Urban Design 2023 graduates: work by Param Patel @param.patel___ for studio with Valeria Cedillos @valecedillos , Ariane Harrison @harrisonatelier , Oliver Schaper @genslernyc , and Eric Schoenenberger @schoenenberger_su11 at @prattgaud @prattsoa
From the Archives MS Urban Design 2023 graduates: work by Param Patel @param.patel___ for studio with Valeria Cedillos @valecedillos , Ariane Harrison @harrisonatelier , Oliver Schaper @genslernyc , and Eric Schoenenberger @schoenenberger_su11 at @prattgaud @prattsoa
2 months ago
View on Instagram |
8/9
Pratt MS Urban Design Fall 2023 Species panels for coast of Red Hook, by Vincent Liu @vincenliu___ and Meet Mistry @meetmistry19 taught by Valeria Cedillos @valecedillos and Ariane Harrison @harrisonatelier at @prattgaud @prattsoa
Pratt MS Urban Design Fall 2023 Species panels for coast of Red Hook, by Vincent Liu @vincenliu___ and Meet Mistry @meetmistry19 taught by Valeria Cedillos @valecedillos and Ariane Harrison @harrisonatelier at @prattgaud @prattsoa
Pratt MS Urban Design Fall 2023 Species panels for coast of Red Hook, by Vincent Liu @vincenliu___ and Meet Mistry @meetmistry19 taught by Valeria Cedillos @valecedillos and Ariane Harrison @harrisonatelier at @prattgaud @prattsoa
Pratt MS Urban Design Fall 2023 Species panels for coast of Red Hook, by Vincent Liu @vincenliu___ and Meet Mistry @meetmistry19 taught by Valeria Cedillos @valecedillos and Ariane Harrison @harrisonatelier at @prattgaud @prattsoa
2 months ago
View on Instagram |
9/9

From the Catalog

David Erdman

Associate Professor

Person

Alexandra Barker

Interim Chairperson of GAUD; Adjunct Associate Professor - CCE

Person

Erin Murphy

Associate Manager of Admissions

Person

Jessica Pineda-Henriquez

Assistant to the Chairperson

Person