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 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.

Do you have a student research project idea? Let us know by July 19, 2024





Total Results: 46

2021 | Student Client Project

Slow Your Roll! An Analysis of LADOT’s Slow Streets Program
Jan Yonan

Client: Los Angeles Department of Transportation (LADOT)

2021 | Student Comprehensive Project

Transit-Oriented Development Without Displacement: Strategies to Help Pacoima Businesses Thrive
Laura Daza García, Lauren Hiller, Bertha L. Calderón Chiñas, Talia Coutin, Charlotte Will, Samikchhya Bhusal

Client: Pacoima Beautiful

2021 | Student Client Project

Washington State Ferries Wait Time Analysis and Rider Experience Study
Alexandra Weber

Client: Washington State Ferries

2020 | Student Comprehensive Project

Flattening the Traffic Curve: Infrastructure-Light Solutions
Yidan Chen, Yu (Esther) Huang

Client: City of Culver City

2020 | Student Client Project

Off the Rails: Alternatives to Policing on Transit
Ma'ayan Dembo

Client: Alliance for Community Transit - Los Angeles

2020 | Student Client Project

The Effect of Bus Lane Management Techniques on Operator Experience, Safety, and On-Time Performance
Cassie Halls

Client: LA Metro

2019 | Student Client Project

A Time and a Place for Every Rider?: Geographic and Temporal Changes in Bay Area Transit Ridership
Jacob L. Wasserman

Client: Metropolitan Transportation Commission

2019 | Student Client Project

Advancing a Mobility as a Service: Lessons Learned from Leading-Edge Public Agencies
Tomoko Kanda

Client: King County Metro

2019 | Student Client Project

Class Act: An Assessment of Los Angeles Metro’s U-Pass Program
Ryan Yowell

Client: LA Metro

2019 | Student Client Project

Connecting the Dots… Ridership Changes, Underlying Causes, and Strategies for Pasadena Transit
Jesus Peraza

Client: Pasadena Transit

2019 | Student Client Project

Improving First/Last-Mile Conditions Near Highways: An Investigation of Access and Coordination Barriers
Adam Russell

Client: LA Metro

2018 | Student Client Project

A New Model for Transit: Transit/TNC Partnerships in Western Riverside County
Melissa Sather

Client: Riverside Transit Agency

2018 | Student Client Project

Maintenance in Transit: What Reliability-Centered Maintenance (RCM) Means for the Future of Transit Asset Management
Henry Phipps

Client: LA Metro

2018 | Student Client Project

Transit First: Culver City Washington Boulevard Transit Lane Feasibility Study
Jeffery Lu

Client: Culver CityBus

2017 | Student Client Project

Assessing Transit Need for the Los Angeles Arts District
Zachary Popp

Client: AECOM

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

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

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

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