The Urban and Regional Research and Planning Institute, also known as IPPUR, of Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ) was created in 1971 by the Post-Graduation Program in Urban and Regional Planning (PPG-PUR). At first, PPG-PUR was linked to the Coordination of Post-Graduation Programs in Engineering (COPPE); it was one of the Post-Graduation courses in this field, in the country. In 1987, it created IPPUR and in 1993 it opened the first vacancies for the Doctorate course, which has consolidated the expertise and maturity of the program, as well as responded to the growing demand for the training and qualification of Urban and Regional Planning professors and researchers.
IPPUR is proud to have crossed the democratic transition without compromising the planning apparatus of the military regime, although it was deeply involved with the Brazilian society and with knowledge progress in its action field. Thus, IPPUR solidified its image as institution committed to build a fair and environmentally responsible society that respects diversity in its multiple profiles, during the democratization period.
Based on the aforementioned experience, IPPUR was included in the composition of courses that would further encompass the Graduation Course in Public Management for Economic and Social Development (GPDES) along with other UFRJ units. This course focused on the formation of higher education professionals qualified to conceive, elaborate, implement, manage, monitor and evaluate policies, plans, programs and projects by governmental and non-governmental agencies, among others.
In 2015, IPPUR was academically and institutionally ready to fully host the graduation course in Public Management. Given the specificities of these two fields of Applied Social Sciences, Urban and regional Planning, and Public Administration/Management, there are several common matters, issues and aims; several theoretical-conceptual matters have converging points; and many professional, political and ethical challenges are similar.
Besides the Graduation in Public Management for Economic and Social Development (GPDES) and the Post-Graduation Program in Urban and Regional Planning (PPG-PUR), IPPUR stands out for offering the following Specialization courses:
- Specialization in Urban Policy and Planning;
- Specialization in Public Management;
- Specialization in Energy and Society in Contemporary Capitalism; and
- Specialization in Cities, Urban Policies and Social Movements.
The action of IPPUR in the production of MINTER and DINTER courses is outstanding, as well as in the proposition of several academic programs and cooperation at PROCAD (Programa Nacional de Cooperação Acadêmica – National Program of Academic Cooperation) scope.
It stands out for its several laboratories, centers and research groups for embodying its commitment to the Teaching/Research/Extension entanglement, as well as for Extension Projects and works to assist civil-society organizations and governmental bureaus linked to Urban and Regional Planning and to Public Management.
IPPUR comprises important institutions in its action field, such as Associação Nacional de Planejamento Urbano e Regional (ANPUR) – National Urban and Regional Planning Association -, Associação Nacional de Ensino, Pesquisa e Extensão do Campo de Públicas (ANEPECP) – National Association on Teaching, Research and Extension of the Public Field – and Conselho Latino-Americano de Ciências Sociais – Latin-American Council of Social Sciences.
It comprises a group of professors graduated in Public Administration, Anthropology, Architecture and Urbanism, Political Sciences, Communication, Law, Economy, Geosciences, History and Sociology throughout its almost 50 years of existence. IPPUR qualified hundreds of Masters and Doctors in Urban and Regional Planning, and in Public Management, who act in several regions countrywide and abroad.
