Student Capstone Projects

UCLA Luskin master’s students are required to complete a capstone project to earn their degree. Master or Urban and Regional Planning (MURP) projects can take the form of an applied planning project (client project), a comprehensive group project or a thesis. Master of Public Policy students complete an applied policy project. 

  • The Client Project is applied planning research on a real-world problem conducted by MURP students. ITS-supported client projects have taken national honors in recent years, including 2024, 2023, 2022, and 2021.
  • The Comprehensive Projects are similar, in many respects, to the client project, but larger in scope and scale. These projects simulate real world planning practice in that they incorporate students from various areas of concentration working together to research a problem from multiple planning angles.
  • Master’s theses focus on posing and answering a research question in planning that has not previously been answered. Research is conducted by a MURP student in conjunction with a faculty committee.




Total Results: 177

2018 | Student Client Project

Vision Zero’s Enforcement Problem: Using Community Engagement to Craft Equitable Traffic Safety Strategies
Rabi Abonour

Client: Alta Planning + Design

2017 | Student Client Project

Assessing Transit Need for the Los Angeles Arts District
Zachary Popp

Client: AECOM

2017 | Student Client Project

Best Practices for Evaluating Vision Zero Projects
Colin Piethe

Client: Los Angeles Department of Transportation (LADOT)

2017 | Student Client Project

Culver CityBus Ridership Analysis: System and Line-By-Line Ridership and Productivity Analysis Before and After the Opening of the Expo Line Phase 2
Zi Jun (Nicole) He

Client: Culver CityBus

2017 | Student Client Project

Curbside EV Charging Study for the City of West Hollywood
Chenlin Ye

Client: City of West Hollywood

2017 | Student Client Project

Expanding the Public Supply of Parking Through the Conversion of Privately Owned Lots in Public-Private Facilities
Bryan Ochoa

Client: Los Angeles Department of Transportation (LADOT)

2017 | Student Client Project

Improving the LA County Metro Orange Line Bus Rapid Transit Service
Matthew Gertz

Client: LA Metro

2017 | Student Client Project

LA Metro Bike Share Program User & Non-User Perceptions: A Survey & Statistical Analysis
Jacqueline Su

Client: LA Metro

2017 | Student Client Project

Making Headways: An Analysis of Transit Demand on an Emerging Corridor in Vallejo, CA
Christopher Marks

Client: Opticos Design

2017 | Student Client Project

Making Headways: Strategies for Implementing Dedicated Bus Infrastructure in L.A.
Jordan Fraade

Client: Investing in Place

2017 | Student Client Project

Planes, Trains, and Storm Drains: The Effects of Transportation Infrastructure on Water Runoff in Los Angeles County
Aviv Kleinman

Client: Southern California Association of Governments

2017 | Student Client Project

Preparing for a Driverless Future: Strategies for the City of Los Angeles
Vivian Lee

Client: Los Angeles Department of Transportation (LADOT)

2017 | Student Client Project

Reclaiming the Road: Reshaping Transportation in Playa Vista
Cat Callaghan

Client: Santa Monica Big Blue Bus

2017 | Student Client Project

Toward Zero Baltimore: An Analyzing of Intersection Related Pedestrian Crashes in the City of Baltimore
Shikha Jain

Client: Baltimore Department of Transportation

2016 | Student Client Project

2016 Bicycle Commuting Survey Report: Examining Barriers to Biking to Campus
Lauren (Dani) Ward, Daniella Ward

Client: UCLA Transportation

2016 | Student Client Project

Assessing Elderly Mobility Needs in an Ethnic Enclave: A Case Study of Little Tokyo
Jewel Deguzman

Client: Little Tokyo Service Center

2016 | Student Client Project

Bicycle Parking in Residential Developments: A Dialogue Between Planners and Developers
Jenny Yu

Client: Alta Planning + Design

2016 | Student Client Project

Bike Share Means Business: A Case Study of the Santa Monica Breeze Bike Share System
Owen Gorman

Client: Cyclehop UCLA

2016 | Student Client Project

Closing the Gap Between the Valley and the Westside: Improving the Performance of L.A. Metro’s Valley-Westside Express
Lance MacNiven

Client: WSP | Parsons Brinckerhoff

2016 | Student Client Project

Commuter Rail Maintenance Contracting: Analyzing The Impacts on Quality & Costs
Zoe Unruh

Client: Southern California Regional Rail Authority