IDG students examine the roles planners and researchers play at various levels, ranging from working in international institutions to the national, regional, city or local levels. The faculty cover issues that range from allocating resources regionally and sectorally to examining urban, regional, and national socioeconomic impacts of major public and/or private investments; from solving the problems of squatter housing to analyzing issues of un- and under-employment, and municipal finance, metropolitan sprawl, and social disparities at a variety of scales.

With the largest Planning faculty in the United States, MIT's Department of Urban Studies and Planning has unparalled breadth and depth of expertise. In particular, IDG faculty conduct research or work on projects in virtually every area of the world, including Africa, Asia, Europe, the Middle East, North America, Oceania, and Central and South America. They explore issues as diverse as our geographic scope: Development, Globalization, Governance, Health and the Environment, Human Rights, Industrialization, Policy and Law, Regional Economies, Technology, Transportation, Urban Issues, and Water and Sanitation.