The Master of Advanced Architectural Research Studies, City Design and Housing emphasis is a 32-unit multi-disciplinary graduate degree program at the USC School of Architecture that prepares participants to study, analyze and design within complex urban systems. Focusing on the 21st-century city the program will address specific urban challenges through a combination of explorative design studio and advanced topical research. Working across disciplines and at multiple scales, this degree concentration moves between real-world issues and innovative architectural approaches to explore ideas for radically re-thinking the ways in which we can design, build and inhabit our cities in more inclusive and equitable ways.
The program will leverage Los Angeles as a laboratory to examine the forces that shape local and global cities. Addressing a diverse set of factors that are linked to city design and housing – such as urban development and housing policies, real estate and housing finance, history and theory, technology and infrastructure, and ecology and climate change – the program will introduce students to broad methodological tools for critically analyzing contemporary challenges of urban systems and housing and will strengthen their skills to employ research and design to create more equitable, sustainable and resilient urban environments and housing schemes.
The CD+H program's design studios and research efforts are guided by three thematic trajectories:
- Urban Housing
This theme explores the design and development of diverse housing solutions, including low-cost, collective, affordable and informal housing, as well as strategies for urban densification. Students investigate how innovative housing models can respond to the needs of growing urban populations.
- Urban Inequalities
Students critically examine issues related to racial segregation, economic disparities, gentrification, homelessness, migration and the digital divide. This trajectory highlights the role of design in addressing socio-economic challenges and fostering inclusive, equitable communities.
- Urban Infrastructures
This theme focuses on the design and reimagining of urban infrastructures, including street design, public transportation, walkability, public spaces and zoning issues. Students engage in projects that address the functional and programmatic aspects of cities, enhancing connectivity and accessibility.
Completion of the degree requires 32 units, including 8 units of Architecture Directed Design Research.
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