Over the years, questions have been asked about what a thesis or capstone may look like. As you have seen from the Program Handbook, the definition is intentionally vague to give as much latitude to the student as possible. However, within these loose guidelines is space for exploration within the boundaries of the profession, the academy, and Columbia University. I have prepared this as a resource for you to imagine what your outcomes may be, and I invite you to think about what artifacts you wish to use for your portfolio, to use as the culmination of your time at GSAPP, and to leave your mark on the discipline of urban planning.
Please note: The following is merely my obfuscations and reflections on works in the past and not policy in any way.
A note about these options and our workshop: Sometimes, people falsely think one option is “easier” or more advantageous for your career. I honestly think the best option is the one that engages your talents and interests. You may wish to continue your professional work, but expand the brief a bit, which the capstone best allows. Or, you wish to explore an idea from practice, which the client-facing thesis may be best. Maybe you want to try new skills or define your own practice, where the non-traditional formats may be best.
In my workshop, all groups follow a parallel path of research/brief design and analysis of prior work. For those doing a research-based project, you may assess the literature and prior work to frame your efforts. For project-based projects, you may be looking for precedents.
tl;dr: Don’t overthink it; pursue your passions and interests, and allow your creativity and curiosity to guide your work. This may be the last chance where you’re encouraged to explore your interests in your professional career!
💼 Capstone
The critical attribute of the capstone description in the Program Handbook is “It should focus on an applied, real-world project for an actual client; the only exception is a project conducted under close faculty supervision in a research setting (emphasis added).” In other words, the direction of your project is dictated by someone else. The positive is that you can apply your experience and time in addressing a problem you may have been working on through professional experience or can potentially impact your project. However, these opportunities also come with the baggage of having an agenda set by someone else and may come with the added hurdle of working with an outside voice or critic. Logistically, the client would serve as an unofficial “co-advisor” in a sense, in that they would offer feedback that you would need to address in the same way you would with your UP advisor.
If you wanted to address questions from a planning organization but wanted the space for greater exploration, consider a client-facing thesis.
🔎 Thesis – Research
The thesis is the traditional academic project where you define an urban-centered question, design the methodologies, collect data, and synthesize your results. The thesis requires you, according to the Program Handbook, “to structure an argument about an issue or problem significant or clearly relevant to planning practice, planning thought, and/or the planning profession.” While this breaks out various options for what the project outcomes or methods may look like, the core attribute of the thesis is the independent, methodological investigation of a question.
The traditional thesis outcome is a written report describing the question you are investigating, the methods for collecting and analyzing data (through either qualitative or quantitative approaches), and the synthetic discussion of your findings and their relevance to planning or planning practices. However, as described below, there are other ways to shape this independent project based on your interests.
If you’re thinking about a Ph.D. later on in your career, this option is great practice, and I highly recommend you consider publishing your work for a conference or journal!
💼 Thesis – Client-Facing
This option is similar to the Capstone but offers you the responsibility of greater independence to shape and execute the project. Like the Capstone, your thesis is informed and shaped by a real-world problem from a client. However, the problem definition and methods for addressing the client are within your responsibilities to define; you have greater independence to shape the project.
In my opinion, you would have your client as a “reader” who would offer critical feedback, which you should address, but you may have greater discretion than if they were an advisor. However, you would similarly have to manage the relationship between you and the client as you would with a Capstone.
👩🏽🎨 Thesis – Design
Broadly, theses that take on design approaches fall into two categories: either they use design as the mechanism for intervention (as an outcome) or design-thinking to consider the question (as a method).
A design thesis would resolve the issues addressed in the thesis through a series of design drawings and accompanying text that describes the problem and context and describes the intervention in narrative form.
Design-thinking theses should be reserved for those with substantial instruction in these methods from the design disciplines found in GSAPP, as they draw from different traditions than the social science base of urban planning. Your committee should be versed in such research methodologies. If you plan on using design-thinking methods for your thesis, you must also articulate how you critically evaluate your mapping and analytical drawings. A design research thesis would contain equal parts written text and analytical illustrations/representations.
👾 Thesis – Media/Artistic/Technological Interventions
Media interventions–documentaries, videos and podcasts, digital visualization, and computer and mobile phone applications—are increasingly ubiquitous in urban planning and urban studies, and are welcome in your thesis. This option allows you to investigate and implement various media and interventions to develop and answer your urban planning questions.
📈 Thesis – Venture-based
With many challenges facing cities and communities, you may wish to develop a solution that may be the basis of your professional experience. Drawing from entrepreneurship approaches, this type of thesis engages you in methodologies to evaluate and validate a venture. You will perform rigorous research in developing your solution–be it commercial, non-profit, or other modes of sustainability–assess needs, market validation, and other investigations leading to a robust plan for your venture. My personal measure of a complete venture-based thesis is one where you could meaningfully “pitch” your venture upon submission, while also describing the theoretical and practical traditions that shape your intervention.
