Master's Degree in Sustainable Cities and Public Spaces
On-campus program. Duration: two years. Semester-based.
Maestría en Ciudad y Espacio Público Sustentable
Create urban spaces with a vision of sustainability and a social perspective
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Program director
Mónica Esperanza López Franco, Ph.D
She holds a PhD in Urban Planning Studies (Bartlett School of Planning, University College London), a Master's degree in Restoration of Sites and Monuments (University of Guanajuato), and a Bachelor's degree in Architecture (ITESO). She has professional experience in urban design and consulting in the private sector, and in the public sector, she was part of the technical team for the design and planning of bike lanes and pedestrianization of roads in Jalisco. She has participated in heritage cataloging projects and has also collaborated with the civil association Tu Techo de Occidente. She is a co-founder and member of the Socially Just Planning Doctoral Network (2017); a member of the ICOMOS Mexico network and the UGovern network within the Planning and Real Estate track.
Reasons to study
this master's degree
You develop a project that proposes solutions with a comprehensive approach and that covers urban and territorial aspects, as well as sustainability in all its dimensions.
You join a tradition of more than 40 years of interdisciplinary work with social organizations and national and international governmental bodies.
You work with an academic body with experience in sustainability, social management, public spaces, urban governance, urban design and participatory processes.
A program built for professionals like you
Admission profile
This master's program is open to professionals:
- From the fields of architecture, urban design, civil engineering, environmental engineering and related areas with an interest in studying the problems of the city and public space from an urban sustainability perspective.
- They seek to manage the development of projects that contribute to improving coexistence, social cohesion and equity at the neighborhood, district and metropolitan levels.
- They wish to be part of comprehensive habitat planning processes for the design, recovery and/or construction of collective urban spaces.
Graduate profile
Upon completion of the master's program you will be able to:
- Manage the development of projects that contribute to improving coexistence, social cohesion and equity at the neighborhood, district and metropolitan levels.
- Manage comprehensive habitat planning processes for the design, recovery and/or construction of collective urban spaces.
- Promote urban governance, negotiation and the identification of social actors in the decision-making processes and design of public spaces.
A Rich Graduate Experience
ITESO’s graduate programs are supported by a renowned academic faculty comprising leading experts in their fields, who are actively engaged in real-world projects that offer concrete solutions. The university boasts over 100 researchers, 79 of whom are affiliated with Mexico’s National System of Researchers (SNII). Some are also members of the Mexican Academy of Sciences.
Research at ITESO generates new, rigorous, and relevant knowledge focused on some of the region’s and country’s most pressing challenges. Areas of impact include human rights, access to justice, renewable energy, sustainable resource management, food security, mental health and well-being, quality education, data science, and public communication, among others. These programs aim to offer development alternatives, influence public policy, foster technological innovation, and promote socially impactful projects.
One of the key advantages of ITESO’s graduate programs is the opportunity for international academic exchange through alliances with the International Association of Jesuit Universities (IAJU), a global network of over 320 institutions. Additionally, programs supported by Conacyt offer research stays in Mexico and abroad for fieldwork, study, or the completion of research projects.
Sustainability is an institutional priority that drives research, education, and community engagement projects at ITESO. These initiatives aim to develop comprehensive, long-term strategies for ecosystem stewardship that are in harmony with local communities. ITESO’s campus is one of the most sustainable in the country, and among the few in the world with a protected forest on its grounds.
ITESO offers access to more than 100 specialized laboratories in areas such as nanotechnology, data science, food engineering, mechatronics, biotechnology, chemistry, systems, communication, multimedia, languages, nutrition, neuromarketing, arts, building technologies, and more. Facilities also include simulated courtrooms, exhibition spaces, mediation rooms, and audiovisual projection labs.
ITESO’s lectures foster dialogue, critical thinking, and the exchange of ideas across sectors. They provide spaces for collaboration between academia, industry, and civil society, aimed at generating knowledge with high social impact. These initiatives also strengthen academic networks and support faculty and student mobility.
With more than 80 active academic journals and a robust catalogue of books, ITESO leads private universities in the region in scholarly publishing. Publications cover diverse disciplines, promote interdisciplinary collaboration, and are widely accessible—many available for free download online.
ITESO holds the most significant number of industry collaboration agreements among private universities in western Mexico. The university also offers dual-degree programs with institutions such as the University of Koblenz (Germany), Boston College, and Central Michigan University (USA).
ITESO’s library houses more than 640,000 physical volumes and 200,000 digital resources, including books, journals, blueprints, films, and a collection of rare and antique books. Open to the public, the library features reading rooms, exhibition spaces, a cinema, an agora, a material library, and collaborative workspaces.
ITESO offers expert consulting and support for businesses at all stages of development through the Center for Innovation and Technology Management, the High-Impact Social Innovation Center, and the University-Business Center. Graduate students engage in projects focused on entrepreneurship, innovation, business acceleration, solidarity economies, and fair trade alternatives.
Distinguished faculty
Research programs
Academic mobility
Sustainability
Computer systems
Lectures
Publications
Partnerships
Library
Business & Entrepreneurship
ITESO’s graduate programs are supported by a renowned academic faculty comprising leading experts in their fields, who are actively engaged in real-world projects that offer concrete solutions. The university boasts over 100 researchers, 79 of whom are affiliated with Mexico’s National System of Researchers (SNII). Some are also members of the Mexican Academy of Sciences.
Research at ITESO generates new, rigorous, and relevant knowledge focused on some of the region’s and country’s most pressing challenges. Areas of impact include human rights, access to justice, renewable energy, sustainable resource management, food security, mental health and well-being, quality education, data science, and public communication, among others. These programs aim to offer development alternatives, influence public policy, foster technological innovation, and promote socially impactful projects.
One of the key advantages of ITESO’s graduate programs is the opportunity for international academic exchange through alliances with the International Association of Jesuit Universities (IAJU), a global network of over 320 institutions. Additionally, programs supported by Conacyt offer research stays in Mexico and abroad for fieldwork, study, or the completion of research projects.
Sustainability is an institutional priority that drives research, education, and community engagement projects at ITESO. These initiatives aim to develop comprehensive, long-term strategies for ecosystem stewardship that are in harmony with local communities. ITESO’s campus is one of the most sustainable in the country, and among the few in the world with a protected forest on its grounds.
ITESO offers access to more than 100 specialized laboratories in areas such as nanotechnology, data science, food engineering, mechatronics, biotechnology, chemistry, systems, communication, multimedia, languages, nutrition, neuromarketing, arts, building technologies, and more. Facilities also include simulated courtrooms, exhibition spaces, mediation rooms, and audiovisual projection labs.
ITESO’s lectures foster dialogue, critical thinking, and the exchange of ideas across sectors. They provide spaces for collaboration between academia, industry, and civil society, aimed at generating knowledge with high social impact. These initiatives also strengthen academic networks and support faculty and student mobility.
With more than 80 active academic journals and a robust catalogue of books, ITESO leads private universities in the region in scholarly publishing. Publications cover diverse disciplines, promote interdisciplinary collaboration, and are widely accessible—many available for free download online.
ITESO holds the most significant number of industry collaboration agreements among private universities in western Mexico. The university also offers dual-degree programs with institutions such as the University of Koblenz (Germany), Boston College, and Central Michigan University (USA).
ITESO’s library houses more than 640,000 physical volumes and 200,000 digital resources, including books, journals, blueprints, films, and a collection of rare and antique books. Open to the public, the library features reading rooms, exhibition spaces, a cinema, an agora, a material library, and collaborative workspaces.
ITESO offers expert consulting and support for businesses at all stages of development through the Center for Innovation and Technology Management, the High-Impact Social Innovation Center, and the University-Business Center. Graduate students engage in projects focused on entrepreneurship, innovation, business acceleration, solidarity economies, and fair trade alternatives.
Research at ITESO
“Universities are called to be places of possibilities — to open horizons through research and engagement”.
Arturo Sosa, SJ
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