The School of Community and Regional Planning was established in 1951 by Dr. Peter Oberlander. The school is dedicated to teaching new planners the skills they need to flourish in a rapidly changing world. They ensure the viability of communities and regions by designing and planning the built environment. In addition to a few undergraduate courses, the school offers a Masters in Community and Regional Planning, a Research Masters, a Masters in Engineering Leadership (MEL) in Urban Systems and a Ph.D. program. The school is accredited by the American Planning Accreditation Board and the Canadian Professional Standards Board.

A significant unit within the school is the award-winning Centre for Human Settlements. CHS conducts policy-oriented research projects worldwide centred around community development and the factors that influence a community's growth and sustainability. This unit was initially tasked with preserving each participating nation's audio and video presentations of the UN's Habitat I (Vancouver, 1976). CHS was also founded (1977), headed, and influenced by Peter Oberlander for several decades. CHS initially reported to an interdisciplinary Board of Management chaired by the Dean of Graduate Studies but later joined SCARP. In the 1990s, the audio and video collection was turned over to the UBC Archives. For several years after Habitat I, CHS held bi-weekly conferences with visiting scholars and professionals in the field. Most of the speakers tied their talks directly to the goals promoted by Habitat I. Frequently; the Centre worked with the speakers to create publications of various types. CHS remains involved with the UN's Habitat events and initiatives. For example, after the 2006 World Urban Forum III (Vancouver), the Centre developed a highly praised digital archive of print and digital materials from all the Habitat events.