Within our department we integrate the strategic intellectual and problem-solving resources of five independent yet related academic program areas:  Bachelor of Science in Urban Studies and Planning, Master of Science in Transportation, Master of Science in Urban and Regional Planning, Master of Science in Urban Studies and the Ph.D. in Urban Studies.  We house the University of New Orleans Transportation Institute (UNOTI) and the Center for Hazards Assessment, Response & Technology (CHART) that work across our primary program areas to employ knowledge and experience in addressing important urban issues.  We envision a world where engaged citizens and government work together to improve their communities, where leaders adopt social innovations to look beyond conventional remedies to solve urban problems, where environmental sustainability is as valued as dynamic economic development, where diverse populations are consulted in decisions that affect them, and where nations work from a foundation of equity and opportunity to resolve global issues.  Our students, alumni and faculty possess enormous courage, dedication, and resolve to improve the quality of life for people in our community.

The department fulfills UNO's mission to improve the quality of life throughout the New Orleans region.  We work with federal, state and local governments, non-profits, business and industry.  We actively seek to balance historic and cultural preservation with growth and change.

Graduate Assistantships are available for 2023-2024.  Please contact Dr. Bethany Stich at bstich@uno.edu or Dr. Guang Tian at gtian@uno.edu.

Research Centers and Institutes

UNO Transportation Institute

University of New Orleans Transportation Institute

The University of New Orleans Transportation Institute (UNOTI) focuses on the role of transportation in creating a sustainable, livable and resilient future.

UNOTI combines applied research, outreach and education to impact positively the transportation field from the local to the international spheres. The work done at the Institute continues to be integral in the post-Katrina recovery of New Orleans, and vital to the overall sustainability and economic competitiveness of the nation.

Center for Hazards Assessment, Response and Technology (CHART)

Center for Hazard Assessment, Response and Technology (CHART)

The focus of the Center for Hazards Assessment, Response and Technology (UNO-CHART) is to support Louisiana community sustainability in light of natural, technological, environmental and terrorist risks to which the region is vulnerable.  The Center undertakes applied social science research to understand ways in which Louisiana communities and the coastal region respond to these risks, assist in the development of best practices for reducing risks and helps in implementing these practices to achieve comprehensive community sustainability.  The second focus of UNO-CHART is the reverse dynamic-the impacts of community activity-social/political/economic-on the ecosystems within the coastal and southeast region of the state.