Ardhi University (ARU) is one of its kind in Tanzania and Africa, offering integrated training, research, and public services in the fields of land management and the built environment under one roof. Located in the commercial hub of Tanzania, Dar es Salaam, Ardhi University has a long history dating back to 1956, when it was established as a Survey Training Centre. It later evolved into the Ardhi Institute, then became the University College of Lands and Architectural Studies (UCLAS), and eventually became Ardhi University.

ARU offers 23 undergraduate programs and 49 graduate programs across various fields of study. The practice-centered approach to teaching and learning, adopted across all programs, provides a unique learning experience that produces competent professionals for the labor market. The university has heavily invested in practical training, blending theory with practice. Over the years, it has built a strong reputation for excellence in training, interdisciplinary research, and public service, and is recognized as an international center of excellence that responds to the needs of society.

In the Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2023, ARU ranked fourth among universities in Sub-Saharan Africa and second in Tanzania in the area of practical training. In 2024, ARU was ranked the fifth university in Sub-Saharan Africa and the first in Tanzania in terms of practical training.

The SPRING program at ARU is hosted in the School of Spatial Planning and Social Sciences, within the Department of Urban and Regional Planning. The program focuses on urban planning and management, aiming to train practitioners in urban and regional development who will take on roles in managing and coordinating urban development issues.  

The training centers around a core studio project focused on managing urban development issues in the built environment, supported by theoretical courses in urban development and management, integrative land use and infrastructure planning, spatial data analysis and modeling, as well as inclusive planning. The SPRING curriculum emphasizes urban development issues in the global South, with a focus on informal urbanization and its challenges.

The program also provides students with strong theoretical and practical research skills in spatial planning, enabling them to formulate, conduct, and disseminate research findings throughout the one-year training period at ARU.