Massachusetts Institute of Technology faculty recently voted to have its existing urban planning and computer science programs join forces and create a new undergraduate degree, the bachelor of science in urban science and planning with computer science.

"The rise of autonomous vehicles, sensor-enabled self-management of natural resources, cybersecurity for critical infrastructure, biometric identity, the sharing or gig economy, and continuous public engagement opportunities through social networks and data and visualization are a few of the elements that are converging to shape our places of living," explains the university's announcement.

Hashim Sarkis, dean of MIT's School of Architecture and Planning, said: “Every now and then, the world puts in front of us new problems that require new tools and forms of knowledge to address them. The growing challenges that cities are facing today has prompted us to develop this new major in urban science. We are combining the tools of AI and big data with those of urban planning, the social sciences, and policy. We are also mobilizing SA+P’s design capacities to unleash the creative potentials of quantitative intelligence through urban science and other collaborations with Engineering and the other schools at MIT.”

The new undergraduate program will be available beginning in fall 2018.