Public Information

The Planning Accreditation Board requires this information be posted for the Master of Urban Planning and Development Program.

View the Master of Urban Planning and Development Strategic Plan, April 10, 2019 (Amended April 2020). »

Student Achievement: Alumni Leadership in the Region 

MUPD graduates work around the region and country at various levels in the public, nonprofit and private sectors. Listed below are featured alumni who have excelled in their careers, becoming true leaders in planning in the northeast Ohio region.

Christopher Alvarado (MUPD ’99)
Christopher Alvarado serves as Director of the Department of Regional Collaboration for Cuyahoga County. In this role, he works to strengthen partnerships across local governments and organizations, driving initiatives that make the region more connected and resilient.

Chris brings years of experience in urban planning and community development, including nine years leading Slavic Village Development, where he championed housing rehabilitation, neighborhood stabilization, and programs that empower residents. His passion for collaboration and equity continues to guide his work in building stronger communities across Northeast Ohio.

Nathen Causman (MUPD ’16)
Senior Planner, City of San Diego
Nathen is a seasoned urban planning professional with expertise in placemaking, GIS consulting, and urban development. In his current role, he develops and implements comprehensive plans, manages projects, and collaborates with stakeholders to create sustainable, community-driven environments. His career path includes roles at Cleveland Neighborhood Progress and The City of San Diego, reflecting a strong commitment to vibrant and inclusive cities.

Shannan Leonard (MUPD ’17)
Shannan Leonard, a U.S. Navy veteran and Levin College graduate, serves as Chief Zoning Administrator and Zoning & Technology Manager for the City of Cleveland. Since joining the Cleveland City Planning Commission in 2017, she has helped shape the city’s future by administering and revising the zoning code, drafting text and map amendments—including the Small Box Discount Retail Legislation—and leading citywide zoning initiatives.

Her passion for community engagement and equitable design drives her work to create sustainable neighborhoods and implement practical solutions to planning challenges. Shannan earned her Master’s in Urban Planning & Development with a GIS concentration from Levin College in 2017.

Joyce Pan Huang
Ms. Huang graduated from the MUPD in 2016. Her career has focused on building community assets in Cleveland. While a student, Ms. Huang was supported in part by a scholarship from the Cleveland chapter of the American Planning Association. In 2016 Huang joined the staff at MidTown, a community economic development nonprofit organization, rising from urban planner to director of planning and placemaking to Vice President of Community Development. In 2020 she was recognized by Crain’s Cleveland Business as one of the city's 40 under 40 leaders. In 2022 Huang was tapped by newly-elected Cleveland mayor Justin Bibb to become Planning Director for the City of Cleveland, the first woman and first Asian-American to hold that position. In January 2025, Ms. Huang joined the Cleveland Foundation as its first-ever Chief Impact Officer.

Chris Ronayne 
Mr. Ronayne graduated from the MUPD in 1997. He began his career in public service as a planner at the Cuyahoga County Planning Commission focusing on community reinvestment plans. In 2001 Ronayne managed the successful campaign for Jane Campbell, the first woman elected mayor in Cleveland's history. He was then appointed as Planning Director for the City of Cleveland, leading the Cleveland Lakefront Plan which engaged over 5,000 residents, secured tens of millions of dollars in state and federal funding which spurred more in private investment. In 2005, Ronayne became CEO of University Circle, Inc., a large nonprofit organization located in Cleveland's University Circle, leading redevelopment, advocating for land use planning for Cleveland's major hospitals and cultural organizations, and transforming this important cultural district into a complete community. During his tenure more than 2,500 new and renovated homes were completed, multiple programs for neighborhood students, and connected small businesses (primarily minority-owned) to the neighborhood's arts, education and health care institutions. Ronayne was elected Cuyahoga County Executive in November 2022. Ronayne remains dedicated to the Levin School and serves on the advisory committee for the Maxine Goodman Levin School of Urban Affairs. His success is applauded by current and former faculty.

Jason Russell
Mr. Russell graduated with his MUPD in 2009, with a deep interest in housing and community development and the built environment. He first worked as a Project Manager at Civic Commons, an on-line platform fostering civic engagement.  He then became a Planner for the City of Lakewood, Ohio, where among other projects he led development of the Solstice Steps overlooking Lake Erie at Lakewood City Park. Russell worked for the City of Shaker Heights, as General Manager of redevelopment of the Van Aken District from 2017 to 2021, a multi-million dollar reconfiguration of streets and development of retail and residential properties. The project received a national award in 2019 from the American Planning Association for implementation of the plan. As a resident of South Euclid, Russell served as Chair of the planning commission (2014 to 2015) and was elected to city council there for 3 years from 2016 to 2019. In 2022, Russell was hired by Bedrock Detroit as a Director and then Vice President of Operations and Leasing for the Tower City Complex in downtown Cleveland. Learn more about Mr. Russell’s educational and career journey.

More profiles are available on the student achievement archive page.

Planning Studio (Spring 2025): Bridging Bedford: A Historic Downtown Plan Linking Past and Future

In Spring 2025, the MUPD program’s UST 611 Planning Studio undertook a new community‑based project: Bridging Bedford: A Historic Downtown Plan Linking Past and Future. Developed by Studio 17, UST 611 graduate students under the supervision of faculty members Dr. Thomas Hilde and James Kastelic, the plan offers a comprehensive vision for revitalizing the historic downtown of Bedford, Ohio.  

The Studio 17 team grounded their work in robust community engagement, collecting over 80 survey responses from residents and visitors, conducting 13 stakeholder interviews with local business owners and civic leaders, performing a walk audit of the downtown environment, and meeting with residents at the local public library over multiple weekends.

Guided by a clear mission to align connectivity, economic development, and historic preservation, the project advances a vision of downtown Bedford as a vibrant destination for residents, businesses, and visitors, where heritage becomes a driver for sustainable growth.  

Key goals of the plan include attracting small‑business development to reduce storefront vacancies, launching a Main Street‑style program to catalyze revitalization, and enhancing downtown through creative placemaking and community volunteerism.  

The final plan offers detailed recommendations for zoning and design strategies, reuse of the former hospital site, and implementation strategies aimed at long‑term revitalization and heritage‑based economic development.  

View our prior planning studio projects.

MUPD Exit Survey & Student Perceptions of Their Knowledge and Skill Attainment

Exit surveys of graduating MUPD classes consistently show significant improvements for the students between entering the program and upon graduation in all of the Planning Accreditation Board's knowledge, skills, and values requirements for accredited urban planning programs. According to recent MUPD graduates, the best aspects of the MUPD program are connections to Northeast Ohio's professional planning community, engaged learning opportunities, knowledgeable and engaged faculty, focus on applied skills and projects, affordability, and location in downtown Cleveland.

A survey of graduating students on their perceptions of knowledge and skills acquired through program asks students to rate their knowledge and skills on a five-point scale. Upon completing the program, students note a high level of knowledge gained about the planning process and plan creation, purpose and meaning of planning, planning and urban history, social justice and equity in planning, zoning and public policy, and urban design. Students also identify skill-building in working with and managing data, GIS, research, and communication (verbal, written, and graphic). Finally, students gain knowledge in professional ethics, including the AICP Code of Ethics.

One student commented: "The faculty and staff are great and truly have the student’s best interest in mind. The program is comprehensive and prepares us with tools to use as planners. Specifically, the design class and regional theory and analysis class were very helpful in learning how to manage data and communicate ideas."

In a survey of recent graduates, alumni highlighted the following as strengths of the MUPD program: the capstone studio experience, the land use planning, regional theory and analysis, and civic engagement courses, the emphasis on placemaking and multimodal transportation, networking, real-world project opportunities, and developing skills in key software tools such as the Adobe Suite and GIS.

2024-2025 Tuition and Fees (For more information see the 2024/2025 Graduate Fee Schedule.)