Planning and Development - New Study Program at the Faculty of Architecture, Czech Technical University
The Faculty of Architecture of the Czech Technical University in Prague will launch a new study program in Planning and Development in September 2026. This response addresses the situation where Czech cities and the private sector lack experts capable of managing complex development projects, preparing new neighborhoods, and seeking functional models of affordable housing. The program will also focus on how to incorporate climate change and long-term sustainability into planning. The faculty will present the program through a spring series of discussions called P+D Lunch Talks.
“The new study program in Planning and Development is a natural response from the faculty to the changing needs of the market and the profession itself. In practice, it has become clear that urban development, spatial planning, and dealing with land value require specialized knowledge that goes beyond the traditional framework of architecture,” says the Dean of the Faculty of Architecture at CTU, Dalibor Hlaváček. “In addition to the study programs in Architecture and Urbanism, Design, and Landscape Architecture, we are expanding our offerings with a field that responds to current challenges in urban development and planning.”
In Prague alone, there are 27 brownfields, former industrial sites where new neighborhoods could emerge. Their transformation is exceptionally challenging. It requires experts who understand architecture, urbanism, and the economics of land development. They must be able to coordinate complex processes, set up collaboration between the public and private sectors, and work with various interests in the area. The lack of such specialized experts is one of the reasons why these areas are transforming slowly in the Czech Republic.
The new study program responds to these needs. Its graduates will find employment in public administration as well as in the private sector. They may work as urban architects or urban planners, engage in spatial planning, prepare development strategies, or revitalize brownfields, for example, in institutions such as the Institute of Planning and Development of the Capital City of Prague (IPR Prague). They will also find opportunities in the real estate sector when preparing projects and managing property portfolios.
Students will choose a specialization in Spatial Planning or Real Estate Development from the beginning. However, teaching in key subjects and studios will be shared. The faculty responds to the reality of practice, where spatial planning, urbanism, architecture, and real estate development intersect. One of the main topics of study will be affordable housing – from housing policy through financing models to property management and development.
“We were inspired by similar study programs in Western Europe, particularly in the Netherlands and Switzerland. Colleagues from TU Delft, currently the highest-rated architecture school in the EU, introduced this program in the 1990s as a response to the need to educate not only architects who design buildings but also experts who can design and manage the processes of developing the built environment,” says the guarantor of the new study program, Prof. Michal Kohout.
Foreign educators and experts from practice will also participate in the teaching. One of them is Kees Christiaanse, a professor of urbanism from ETH Zurich, whose name is associated with the transformation of the former harbor in Hamburg into the HafenCity neighborhood. “The most important aspect of planning and implementing such complex projects is the integration of various fields of knowledge and collaboration with other professions. I call it a simultaneous chess game, as if you are playing on several chessboards with many opponents at the same time; sometimes you move forward on one, sometimes on another, but you must keep playing with all,” he describes the process of creating new urban neighborhoods.
The study will also include a professional internship during which students will engage in real projects. The Faculty of Architecture has signed cooperation agreements with cities and professional organizations, such as IPR Prague and the Association of Developers, for this purpose. The goal is to connect education with practice and allow students to gain experience and professional contacts during their studies.
The faculty will present the new program during the spring through three discussion sessions called P+D Lunch Talks. The first meeting, titled Housing Crisis – Where Will We Live?, will take place on March 5. This will be followed by discussions on March 12, focusing on high-speed rail and regional development, and on April 9, dedicated to questions of a carbon-free city. Lunch Talks are always held at 1:00 PM in the atrium of the Faculty of Architecture CTU (Thákurova 9, Prague – Dejvice).
Graduates of bachelor's programs focused on architecture, urbanism, landscape architecture, or spatial planning, as well as programs in the field of construction, can apply to the study program. More information can be found on the FA website.
“The new study program in Planning and Development is a natural response from the faculty to the changing needs of the market and the profession itself. In practice, it has become clear that urban development, spatial planning, and dealing with land value require specialized knowledge that goes beyond the traditional framework of architecture,” says the Dean of the Faculty of Architecture at CTU, Dalibor Hlaváček. “In addition to the study programs in Architecture and Urbanism, Design, and Landscape Architecture, we are expanding our offerings with a field that responds to current challenges in urban development and planning.”
In Prague alone, there are 27 brownfields, former industrial sites where new neighborhoods could emerge. Their transformation is exceptionally challenging. It requires experts who understand architecture, urbanism, and the economics of land development. They must be able to coordinate complex processes, set up collaboration between the public and private sectors, and work with various interests in the area. The lack of such specialized experts is one of the reasons why these areas are transforming slowly in the Czech Republic.
The new study program responds to these needs. Its graduates will find employment in public administration as well as in the private sector. They may work as urban architects or urban planners, engage in spatial planning, prepare development strategies, or revitalize brownfields, for example, in institutions such as the Institute of Planning and Development of the Capital City of Prague (IPR Prague). They will also find opportunities in the real estate sector when preparing projects and managing property portfolios.
Students will choose a specialization in Spatial Planning or Real Estate Development from the beginning. However, teaching in key subjects and studios will be shared. The faculty responds to the reality of practice, where spatial planning, urbanism, architecture, and real estate development intersect. One of the main topics of study will be affordable housing – from housing policy through financing models to property management and development.
“We were inspired by similar study programs in Western Europe, particularly in the Netherlands and Switzerland. Colleagues from TU Delft, currently the highest-rated architecture school in the EU, introduced this program in the 1990s as a response to the need to educate not only architects who design buildings but also experts who can design and manage the processes of developing the built environment,” says the guarantor of the new study program, Prof. Michal Kohout.
Foreign educators and experts from practice will also participate in the teaching. One of them is Kees Christiaanse, a professor of urbanism from ETH Zurich, whose name is associated with the transformation of the former harbor in Hamburg into the HafenCity neighborhood. “The most important aspect of planning and implementing such complex projects is the integration of various fields of knowledge and collaboration with other professions. I call it a simultaneous chess game, as if you are playing on several chessboards with many opponents at the same time; sometimes you move forward on one, sometimes on another, but you must keep playing with all,” he describes the process of creating new urban neighborhoods.
The study will also include a professional internship during which students will engage in real projects. The Faculty of Architecture has signed cooperation agreements with cities and professional organizations, such as IPR Prague and the Association of Developers, for this purpose. The goal is to connect education with practice and allow students to gain experience and professional contacts during their studies.
The faculty will present the new program during the spring through three discussion sessions called P+D Lunch Talks. The first meeting, titled Housing Crisis – Where Will We Live?, will take place on March 5. This will be followed by discussions on March 12, focusing on high-speed rail and regional development, and on April 9, dedicated to questions of a carbon-free city. Lunch Talks are always held at 1:00 PM in the atrium of the Faculty of Architecture CTU (Thákurova 9, Prague – Dejvice).
Graduates of bachelor's programs focused on architecture, urbanism, landscape architecture, or spatial planning, as well as programs in the field of construction, can apply to the study program. More information can be found on the FA website.
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