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100 Essential Books of Planning: Decade One

1909-1919
The first decade of planning literature set the foundation for how the field of planning would define itself and how the emerging professional planners would stake their claim. While these first publications addressed planning broadly, others emboldened newly emerging professionals to think of themselves as modern managers of city building and renewal following scientific management principles. In Chicago, planners reached out for the first time to constituents of elementary school students. Other pioneer practitioners recognized the need to build the legal framework that would allow communities to be planned.

Town Planning in Practice

An Introduction to the Art of Designing Cities and Suburbs (Sir) Richard Unwin 1909 A masterful exposition on the fine points of site planning such as the arrangement of buildings and streets, squares and other public places this book is one of the foundations of the field. Lushly illustrated with town plans and photos, Unwin's book demonstrated how to plan cities at the human scale. This is an excellent book to share with local civil engineers.

An Introduction to City Planning

Democracy's Challenge to the American City Benjamin Marsh 1909 Marsh was one of the first and most vociferous leaders of the movement to use coordinated governmental action to address public health crises. "A city without a Plan," he wrote, "is like a ship without a rudder." Marsh became one of the major early advocates for zoning and planning in New York.

The Principles of Scientific Management

Frederick Winslow Taylor 1911 Taylor's highly influential argument was that both business and government should "functionalize work." It gave support to the idea of separating politics from the administration of work, giving credence to rise of a professional class of planners, city engineers, city finance officers, and the like.

Wacker's Manual of the Plan of Chicago

Walter D. Moody 1912 The first publication geared to elementary school children on the subject of planning, this manual taught children about Daniel Burnham's The Plan of Chicago of 1909.

Carrying Out the City Plan

Flavel Shurtleff, Frederick L. Olmsted 1914 Instigated by Olmsted, this was the first study of state planning law. Undertaken by landscape architect Flavel Shurtleff, the work became an indispensable tool for planners, planning commissioners, and attorneys as they developed the legal foundations and the practice of planning.

Cities in Evolution
An Introduction to the Town Planning Movement and to the Study of Physics Patrick Geddes 1915 Linking social reform and the urban environment, Geddes looked at cities comprehensively. All planning should preserve the unique historic character of the city and involve citizens in the planning of its development, he reasoned, sounding two themes that would reemerge in the 1950s and 1960s.

The Planning of the Modern City

A Review of the Principles Governing City Planning Nelson P. Lewis 1916 Focused on the physical city, Lewis viewed the problems of city planning as engineering problems. From transportation systems to parks and recreation, this book took a systems approach and inspired engineers to consider planning their concern and planners to consider physical problems.

City Planning
With Special Reference to the Planning of Streets and Lots Charles Mulford Robinson 1916 Charles Mulford Robinson was among first writers to meld a knowledge of 18th and 19th century design with the growing effects of motorized travel and "modern" American living. This book springs from a period of great creative ferment and experimentation in city planning, particularly in the areas of street design and platting. Many of his observations remain relevant today.

100 Essential Books of Planning: Decade Two

1920-1929
Planning's complexity began to reveal itself throughout this decade as architects, landscape architects, economists, and sociologists contributed to the practice and definition of the profession. This decade also announced the arrival of international modernist aesthetic and philosophy that confidently proclaimed the era of the modern, rebuilt, and machine-influenced city.

The City
Robert E. Park, Ernest W. Burgess, Roderick D. McKenzie, Louis Wirth 1925 Burgess introduced the concept of human ecology by investigating the spatial patterns of urban development. His concentric zone theory connected the distance one commutes from the central business district to a socioeconomic zone of the city; hence residents are sorted by economic and social class into zones.

The Suburban Trend

Harlan Paul Douglass 1925 Douglas's survey of suburban communities was written just as suburbs were first developing in large numbers and at a time when many believed that the suburbs would somehow fuse the best of the city and the countryside in harmony. His work exemplifies the ongoing tug between urban and suburban in planning.

New Towns for Old

Achievements in Civic Improvement in Some American Small Towns and Neighborhoods John Nolen 1927 A pioneer in the profession of city and regional planning, Nolen was a landscape architect responsible for the design of many innovative town plans, such as Venice, California. His book comprehensively examined the economic, social, and physical aspects of planning and argued for the place of natural beauty in urban design. Like his contemporaries, he was a city reformer. The book highlights several of his planned communities, including Mariemont, Ohio.

Major Economic Factors in Metropolitan Growth and Arrangement

A Study of Trends and Tendencies in the Economic Activities within the Region of New York and its Environs Robert Murray Haig, Roswell C. McCrea

1927 An economic view of cities, Haig's book introduced the concept of economic base analysis. He viewed land use as a function of accessibility and wrote extensively on the taxation and the urban economics.

Toward a New Architecture

Le Corbusier French 1923; English 1927 Le Corbusier's books offered a vision of a rational, man-made city in which large housing blocks of high-rise dwellings faced or were set in parks. Residential areas were separated from other activities and organized in rigorous grids of new development. His work and belief in the functional city is often invoked as the source idea for multi-story housing blocks in America.

The New Exploration

A Philosophy of Regional Planning Benton MacKaye 1928 Co-founder of the Wilderness Society, Benton MacKaye advocated in this work for land preservation for recreation and conservation. MacKaye linked planning to conservation.

Middletown
A Study in Contemporary American Culture Robert Staughton Lynd, Helen Merrell Lynd 1929 A monumental and very popular anthropological study of Muncie, Indiana, the book helped define the character of the American community. The authors examined work, class divisions, nuclear family, and play among other key organizing principles of American life.

Neighborhood Unit
A Scheme of Arrangement for the Family-Life Community Clarence Perry 1929 Perry developed the concept of the neighborhood unit and believed cities should be aggregates of smaller units that serve as a focus of community. He promoted public neighborhood space and pedestrian scale.

100 Essential Books of Planning: Decade Three

1930-1939

The Depression shifted the focus of planning. Some planners took up the cause of adequate housing and the federal government emerged as driving force in the development of new towns and the building of national infrastructure. Visionary planning continued as both European and American designers put forward their visions of the future.

The Disappearing City

Frank Lloyd Wright 1932 In this publication Wright introduced Broadacre City, his visionary community form divorced from the city and suburban in concept. His was one of many conceptual new towns that were primarily architectural in character.

CIAM Manifesto
Congrs International d'Architecture Moderne 1933 Members of the congress presented their analysis of comparative town planning at the famous 1933 congress. They were committed to a belief in collective action to create a thoroughly new and modern city that would replace the old and outdated.

Final Report: Status of City and Regional Planning in the United States
National Planning Board 1934 The National Planning Board was a short-lived attempt at a national planning program with a focus on buttressing infrastructure, the economy, and creating jobs. This report was a based on a study "to determine what the role of the urban community is in national life."

Modern Housing
Catherine Bauer 1934 Both an assessment and a political demand for a housing movement to support low rent housing, this book helped rally interest and concern in housing needs in America. It advocated for the role of government in assuring housing for all.

Regional Factors in National Planning and Development

National Resources Committee 1935 A major study of regions in America, this work detailed how federal, state, and local government could undertake coordinated planning. The report addressed political frameworks, interstate cooperation, economic issues, regulations, waters rights, and examined the Tennessee Valley Authority as a model for regional planning.

Outline of Town and City Planning

Thomas D. Adams 1935 Did the professional of planning arise in response to traffic congestion? Certainly, the automobile put tremendous pressure on the existing form of cities. This core idea and many more were consolidated into this book which served as one of the first textbooks on planning in America. The books was based on 11 years of lectures Adams gave at MIT.

Our Cities
Their Role in the National Economy National Resources Committee, Urbanism Committee 1937 This was in the words of the committee the "first major national study of cities in the United States ... where a large portion of the Nation's wealth ... and problems are concentrated." The work links urban planning to the economy.

The Structure and Growth of Residential Neighborhoods in American Cities

Homer Hoyt, U.S. Federal Housing Administration 1939 From his experience in real estate, Hoyt examined how the structure of residential neighborhoods developed. He also explored how the real estate market worked to shape neighborhoods. His is known for the sector theory in urban development.

100 Essential Books of Planning: Decade Four

1940-1949
World War II consumed Americans throughout the 1940s. The federal government's role in planning began to weaken. New attitudes towards government, society, management, and the environment began to emerge as well, as the end of the war liberated thinking and resources once again.

Local Planning Administration

Ladislas Segoe, Walter H. Blucher, Institute for Training in Municipal Administration 1941 Planning pioneer Ladislas Segoe advocated for planning's integration into government in order to obtain respect in administrative and legislative circles. This was a manual for administrative practice and came out within months of Walker's book.

The Planning Function in Urban Government

Robert Walker 1941 A controversial but influential book that argued that planning needed to move away from

association with independent commissions and gain a place closer to the local legislative body, the chief executive, and the administrative agencies. In short, Walker argued for fully integrated planning agencies within local government.

American Housing
Problems and Prospects: The Factual Findings Miles Colean, Twentieth Century Fund, Housing Committee 1944 Colean had worked for the Federal Housing Authority and advocated for housing finance reform and public housing. His analysis of American housing concluded that there were not enough innovative housing products on the market to address need. He also advocated for strong coordination between war production and housing an opportunity missed during World War I.

The Road to Serfdom

Frederick A. von Hayek 1944 Nobel Prize winner Hayek argued that central economic planning led to serfdom. His influential theories reinforced libertarian views that hands-off approaches by government were needed to avoid tyranny. His work reemerged as an influence on governmental policy makers in the 1980s.

Communitas
Means of Livelihood and Ways of Life Paul Goodman, Percival Goodman 1947 This book jump started the post-war rebellion that reached its pinnacle in the 1960s. The Goodmans posed three models of community based on consumption, art, or liberty. They spoke out against religious and government coercion. Paul Goodman's later works encouraged a radical rethinking of major social institutions and their roles in individual lives.

A Sand County Almanac and Sketches Here and There

Aldo Leopold 1949 Aldo Leopold was a co-founder of The Wilderness Society and the originator of the concept of wildlife management. In this popular book he put forward the ethical premise that views land as not a commodity to be possessed but an obligation to be preserved. He helped develop the scientific concept of ecology.

100 Essential Books of Planning: Decade Five

1950-1959

A golden age for planning, the 1950s also left a legacy that planning has been reacting to ever since. Building, boom times, and the codification of education for planners were hallmarks of the era. Planning continued to grow in sophistication and more authors attempted to capture standards and accepted practice.

Toward New Towns for America

Clarence S. Stein 1951 Stein was a co-founder of the Regional Planning Association of America, a co-designer of the iconic planned town of Radburn, and an advocate for the federal new town planning program. His book highlights his pedestrian-friendly, greenbelt-influenced designs for neighborhoods and towns.

Urban Traffic
A Function of Land Use Robert B. Mitchell, Chester Rapkin 1954 This book pioneered the concept that urban traffic patterns resulted from land uses and their resulting activities. Although the link had been made between traffic and planning quite early, Mitchell and Rapkin showed how it could be measured and studied. Their concept became accepted thinking throughout the profession.

Politics, Planning, and the Public Interest

The Case of Public Housing in Chicago Martin Meyerson, Edward C. Banfield 1955 Meyerson and Banfield saw planning as firmly enmeshed within politics and urban management. Gary Hack explains that Meyerson believed "making the plan has to be inherently a process that organizes public and political support."

The Heart of Our Cities

The Urban Crisis, Diagnosis and Cure Victor Gruen 1955 The father of the mid-20th century shopping mall, architect and planner Gruen wrote this treatise on how to approach the redevelopment of cities. He viewed malls as the center pieces of new urban towns.

The Organization Man

William H. Whyte 1956 "Recognized as a benchmark, Whyte's book reveals the dilemmas at the heart of the group ethos that emerged in the corporate and social world of the postwar era." This is Nathan Glazer's assessment. The book examines the impact of large scale organization on society,

including planned suburban communities and the belief in the endless perfection of life and society. Whyte revealed the cost to the individual in terms of initiative and creativity.

Education for Planning

City, State, and Regional Harvey S. Perloff 1957 This book became the foundation for planning education as Perloff gave intellectual coherence to the field. He outlined what he called "the integrated set of learning experiences which would permit the student ... to rediscover ... principles ... and learn to apply them in a problem-solving setting."

Standard Industrial Classification

Bureau of the Budget 1957 The standard classification project began in 1937 and in the 1950s a broader project was undertaken to classify both manufacturing and non-manufacturing in the United States. This massive effort integrated diverse statistical data that allowed planners, researchers, and communities to access wide ranging data in standardized classifications such as types of employment.

Urban Land Use Planning

F. Stuart Chapin 1957 Accepted as one of the standard texts on planning practice, the book describes planning as a "big stakes game in a multi-party competition." Therefore, the book continues the tradition of looking at planning within a political and local governmental context, but also as a competition among interests.

100 Essential Books of Planning: Decade Six

1960-1969
Planning had become so well established that first critiques emerged in the 1960s. Planning's history captured the interest of both professionals and the general public. And, planners continued to refine the practice and tussle with the place of planning in a political world.

The Image of the City

Kevin Lynch 1960 A book that appears on almost every planner's list of essential books, this work is still in use almost 50 years later. Lynch argued that people create mental maps of their surroundings

with five key features: paths, edges, districts, nodes, and landmarks. He also introduced the terms wayfinding and imageability into the discourse, influencing the way people think and talk about urban space.

The Citizen's Guide to Planning

Herbert H. Smith 1961 One of the first books addressed to planning commissioners and their role. Smith helped both citizens and appointed officials understand the basics of planning. He untangled the different roles of planning commissioners and professionals and examined topics such as the master plan, capital improvement programs, zoning, and the regulation of land subdivision. In this classic, he offers a highly personal insider's account of the real world of the planning process.

The City in History

Its Origins, Its Transformations, and Its Prospects Lewis Mumford 1961 Winner of the 1961 National Book Award, Mumford's book traces the development of cities from ancient Greece and Rome to the modern forms of suburb and megalopolis. Mumford describes the genesis of cities and analyzes their purpose in a sweeping narrative that proposes a more "organic" and humane relationship between people and their environment. Mumford helped popularize planning for the general public through his Skyline feature in The New Yorker.

The Death and Life of Great American Cities

Jane Jacobs 1961 A writer with no formal training in architecture or planning, Jacobs dared to write what she called "an attack on current city planning and rebuilding" that set out new, more human, principles for city planning. The result has become one of the must-read books of the planning profession. Empirical and highly readable, this book is based on Jacobs's observations about city life. She observed what made streets safe or unsafe, what constituted a neighborhood, and what function a neighborhood served within the larger organism of a city. She analyzed why some neighborhoods remained impoverished while others regenerated.

Silent Spring
Rachel Carson 1962 Carson brought environmental concerns into the mainstream with this book on the harmful effects of pesticides on mosquitoes and birds. Widely credited for spurring the environmental movement, Carson's work inspired planners to consider the importance of environmental protection in their daily lives and in urban development projects.

The Urban Villagers

Group and Class in the Life of Italian-Americans Herbert Gans 1962 Gans, a sociologist and city planner, told the story of Boston's West End working-class Italian-American community. He illustrated the importance of family and neighborhood, taking a captivating anthropological view of a distinctly urban environment. The sociology of how people live in cities and interact with their environment was an influential thread in planning literature.

The Federal Bulldozer

A Critical Analysis of Urban Renewal, 1949-1962 Martin Anderson 1964 This book signaled a turn away from the idealistic "tear down and build new and better" approach to city planning. Anderson's early history of urban renewal detailed the mechanisms and legislation used to push the program forward, showing how its idealistic goals quickly gave way to destruction for its own sake. Anderson became a domestic policy adviser to Presidents Nixon and Reagan.

The Urban General Plan

T.J. Kent, Jr. 1964 In a contemporary review of the book, Kenneth L. Kraemer noted that the philosophy of planning had evolved. Planning was now more comprehensive and seen as "multi-layered matrixes." The goal of planning was no longer an ideal state, but "an activity stream relating to problems and goal definition, program design ... and evaluation." Kent exemplified the change and provided a history of the use, characteristics, and purpose of the urban comprehensive plan, and how it was currently being applied.

The Making of Urban America

A History of Planning in the United States John Reps 1965 Over the years, Reps's expansive studies have looked at the original plans of all types of communities in the United States. In addition, he examined how key cities and towns developed in their first decades and followed up with more intensive regional studies. This comprehensive history of early American town and city development is filled with detailed drawings and maps outlining how America urbanized.

The Zoning Game

Municipal Practices and Policies Richard Babcock 1966 A. Dan Tarlock writes: "The Zoning Game caught the crest of the emergence of local landuse controls from a marginal subject of interest ... to a major national issue in the 1970s." It

was twice cited by the U.S. Supreme Court. The book proposes sensible reforms to one of the earliest tools of planning and also provides a critique, asking whether zoning as it is practiced really promotes its stated goals. Babcock believed that zoning, when done correctly, was a critical means of implementing land use decisions that benefited the community as a whole.

Design of Cities
Edmund Bacon 1967 Bacon's powerful urban design concepts shaped Philadelphia, where he had as much influence as Daniel Burnham in Chicago and Robert Moses in New York. A planner, architect, architectural historian, and theorist, Bacon relates the international work of great city designers through the ages to the contemporary city, with illustrative examples.

Design with Nature

Ian McHarg 1969 This pioneering, inspirational work on environmental planning was notable for its use of map overlays to identify land development constraints. An influential landscape architect who spoke to planners, McHarg showed how to achieve the ideal fit between built environments and natural surroundings.

American City Planning Since 1890

A History Commemorating the Fiftieth Anniversary of the American Institute of Planners Mel Scott 1969 Not only was this book invaluable in developing this essential books list, it is the standard text on American city planning history up to 1969. Scott helped illuminate the intellectual as well as the practical develops in the field drawing clear paths from the Progressive and sanitary movements to the planning in the postwar eras.

100 Essential Books of Planning: Decade Seven

1970-1979
Planners discovered the value of the unplanned and contemplated the post-boom world. Authors presented more nuanced assessments of planning while others offered increasingly sophisticated techniques and tools for making planning work. The authors present a field that is both self-analytical and confident about the place of planning in the public realm.

The Uses of Disorder

Personal Identity and City Life Richard Sennett

1970 Influential urban sociologist Sennett examines how excessive order produced dull urban life, but was socially destructive and led to the cultivation of violent, narrow, repressed societies. His appreciation of the complexity and essential unregulated nature of good urban life challenged planners to do more than impose solutions.

Learning from Las Vegas

Robert Venturi, Denise Scott-Brown, Steven Izenour 1971 A landmark work filled with wit and insight into how people actually use and enjoy landscapes of pleasure. The book challenged architects and planners to consider the overlooked vernacular and understand how it created an order and form of its own, and responded creatively to the people who inhabited commercial landscape. It was the first book to examine the phenomenon of the strip in the American city.

Site Planning
Kevin Lynch, Gary Hack 1971 This thorough work on all the technical aspects of site planning is infused with a deep understanding on how humans inhabit their environment, the need to avoid ugliness, and the importance of understanding the consequences of design. The book remains a standard in the field of planning.

A Reader in Planning Theory

Andreas Faludi 1973 These essays covered the full complement of 20th century planning theory, including rational planning, advocacy planning, and incrementalism. Each one challenged the utility and methods of planning in determining the public interests and the role of the planner. Of particular note are Paul Davidoff's "Advocacy and Pluralism in Planning" and Martin Meyerson's "Building the Middle-Range Bridge for Comprehensive Planning."

Urban Design as Public Policy

Practical Methods for Improving Cities Jonathan Barnett 1973 Barnett discussed how to bridge the gap between the design and planning professions. An architect, planner, and teacher, Barnett focused on how to actually bring about the qualities of urban life that Jane Jacobs and others espoused.

Close Up
How to Read the American City Grady Clay 1973

Clay is one of the great proponents of close observation of landscapes and built environments, and in his first book he introduced a new taxonomy and vocabulary for describing where we live, what we see, and how we feel about places. Importantly for planners, he stressed the subjective and perceptual nature of places rather than grand, abstract plans for them.

Small Is Beautiful
Economics as If People Mattered E.F. Schumacher 1973 Schumacher was an early proponent for the concept of sustainability. He examined how it applied to economics and planning for human organizations and communities. His essays on "Buddhist Economics," the limits of natural resources, and scale are essential to modern planning thought. The book had a large popular audience.

The Power Broker

Robert Moses and the Fall of New York Robert Caro 1974 Journalist Caro grapples with the motivation, methods, and impacts of Moses, a builder of New York public works who abjured planning as a discipline but understood how to "get things done." This book was especially influential in how it crystallized the change in values that had taken place over the 20th century, with large-scale patriarchal Modernist planning falling out of favor.

Urban Planning Analysis

Methods and Models Donald A. Kruekeberg, Arthur A. Silvers 1974 This clearly written introduction to basic quantitative techniques of urban planning and policy analysis includes solid chapters on survey research and analysis, population forecasting, transportation modeling, and program analysis and management, including time-sequence scheduling.

A Pattern Language
Towns, Buildings, Construction Christopher Alexander, Sara Ishikawa, Murray Silverstein 1977 This timeless and detailed accounting of the patterns of urban architecture illuminates the populist turn in urban design in the wake of Jane Jacobs's work. These patterns are the composition of a distinct language invented and used by everyday people. Planners can learn about place and its people by interpreting the details of its form.

The Fiscal Impact Handbook

Robert Burchell, David Listokin, et al. 1978 A planning classic on the important topic of assessing development impact on the fiscal condition of the local government. This is a comprehensive treatment of cost-revenue analysis and the limitations of different approaches.

Making City Planning Work

Allan Jacobs 1978 As San Francisco's planning director, Allan Jacobs faced a memorable fight with developers and commissioners who proposed to build three high rise towers on the waterfront Embarcadero Center property. One of the first planning books of its kind, Jacobs's memoir is both practical and political; he offers case studies illustrative of typical planning issues and intersperses these with more personal "behind the scenes" stories of what city planning was really like in San Francisco.

The Practice of Local Government Planning

Frank So, et al. 1979 The "green book" has served as core text of planning since its inception. Produced in partnership with ICMA the book comprehensively covers American city planning history, planning functions, and, most important, the public administrative aspects of planning, including agency management and budgeting. The book has been updated in several new editions and is still in use.

100 Essential Books of Planning: Decade Eight

1980-1989
An era in which authors demonstrate the comprehensiveness of planning. Urban design takes hold once again as prolific authors and practitioners demonstrate the importance of public space, streets, and physical forms. Planners themselves begin to write about the importance of management skills in the world of planning.

The Social Life of Small Urban Spaces

William H. Whyte 1980 Whyte's careful examination of small spaces and how people behave in them revealed the moral dimension of planningthe responsibility to create healthy public spaces. Whyte's observations were fascinating enough to draw a public readership for his studies.

A Theory of Good City Form

Kevin Lynch 1981 A philosophical classic, the book calls attention to all that we take for granted as normative urban life. In this third of Lynch's influential books, he relates humanist priorities to the actual form of cities, while trying to illuminate what our best and worst physical environments say about us as well as what we can learn from them.

Liveable Streets
Donald Appleyard 1981 Appleyard was a precise observer of street conditions and traffic qualities. His analysis of streets and their traffic patterns demonstrated the link between urban design and social relationships. The book provided quantitative data to support traffic calming policies and established taxonomies of street use, now employed in traffic calming programs.

The Granite Garden

Urban Nature and Human Design Anne Whiston Spirn 1984 Spirn applied design with nature techniques to an urban setting. Her analysis touched off ecological urbanism movement. Scientific research and urban case studies reveal how familiar natural processes (such as water cycles and photosynthesis) occur in cities and how this should inform planning.

Land, Growth, & Politics

John M. DeGrove 1984 As states began to assert their right to control and direct growth, John DeGrove played an active role in creating the Florida growth management act as well as assessing the ongoing evolution of growth management throughout the country. This early analysis set the stage for ongoing efforts and appraisals of this important movement.

Discovering the Vernacular Landscape

John Brinckerhoff Jackson 1984 Jackson, a geographer, focused on the everyday experience of places and how people became invested in them. Like Learning from Las Vegas, the book regards everyday life ahead of theory or utopian ideals. His style was proactive and engaging for all audiences.

Redesigning the American Dream

The Future of Housing, Work, and Family Life Dolores Hayden 1984 The development of the American urban landscape seen through a domestic lens. Examining

the "architecture of gender," Hayden provided insight into the relationships between household life, social policies, and the development of cities. Her analysis of the gender implications of different housing and land use strategies led to a greater awareness of the connections between physical environments and constructed social roles.

Crabgrass Frontier
The Suburbanization of the United States Kenneth T. Jackson 1985 Perhaps the definitive history of 20th century suburbanization, Jackson's work drew together the many forces economic, governmental, and social that went into the creation of suburbia. It is among the earliest histories of the American suburbs.

Comprehensive City Planning

Introduction and Explanation Melville C. Branch 1985 Branch focused on the development of cities and their planning and management. The tie between land use and municipal administration is explored throughout. The book was written to appeal to both a professional and general interest reader.

Home
A Short History of an Idea Witold Rybcznski 1986 Rybcznski's widely read book traces the evolution of domestic living. His focus on influences and ideas that shape the concept of comfort and home set this work apart from more technical discussions of architectural history and won a broad popular audience.

Basic Methods of Policy Analysis and Planning

Carl Patton, David S. Sawicki 1986 Often required reading, the book lays out the paradigm for policy analysis and integrates policy analysis and planning. The authors explored the complex challenges in urban life and the decisions about how to address them. They examine what sorts of information get used, and by whom, in what contexts.

Life Between Buildings

Using Public Space Jan Gehl 1987 An important influence on urban designers, Gehl created a comprehensive discussion of how to design good places and spaces, at all scales. Profusely illustrated, the photos and captions

carry much of the thesis. Like William Whyte, Gehl focused on the social lives that unfold in public spaces and their importance for planners.

Cities of Tomorrow
An Intellectual History of Urban Planning and Design in the Twentieth Century Peter Geoffrey Hall 1988 Hall provided a comprehensive examination of all the major European and American planning movements starting from the late 1800s towards the end of the 20th century. He illuminates the philosophic underpinnings of each movement, and also the key actors, background, and the results. A focused discussion looked at the tension between the ideals of "anarchists," such as Howard, Geddes, and Wright, and those of strict order, represented by Le Corbusier.

Mastering Change
Winning Strategies for Effective City Planning Bruce McClendon, Ray Quay 1988 One of the few books devoted to planning management and strategy, this practical guide provides a wide array of tactics for understanding how the public reacts to change and what planners should do to increase their effectiveness.

Small Town Planning Handbook

Tom Daniels, John W. Keller, Mark B. Lapping 1988 Small town planning has received less attention than city planning. This book succinctly organizes helpful strategies for the small town planner with limited in staff and budget. The authors provided guidance on the nuts-and-bolts work of small town planners. The book has continued in new editions.

Land Use and the Constitution

Principles for Planning Practice Brian Blaesser, Alan Weinstein 1989 The legal challenges to planning and the regulatory tools of planning have shaped the field profoundly. This practical guide explains eight constitutional principles and applies them to real-world planning situations. The authors provided detailed summaries of more than 50 U.S. Supreme Court cases.

100 Essential Books of Planning: Decade Nine

1990-1999

A new golden age emerges at least for the publication of planning books. Several new concepts catch hold with the public and the profession such as sustainability and livability. The public begins to take an active interest in planning and community visioning and new forms of participation emerge. New concerns over the impacts of natural hazards add to the planners concern with the environment.

Making Equity Planning Work

Leadership in the Public Sector Norman Krumholz, John Forester 1990 The book provides one of the first detailed personal accounts of a sustained and effective equity-planning practice that influenced urban policy. Recounting their real-life experiences in equity planning in Cleveland, the authors give a clear illustration through case studies.

Edge City
Life on the New Frontier Joel Garreau 1991 Garreau examines America's "edge cities" or suburban cities, chronicling their rise across the country over the past 100 years. His work changed the perception of suburbia and its role relative to central cities. As people moved to suburbs, so did employment. The size and number of these cities influences how planning now approaches edge cities and their social implications.

Great Streets
Allan B. Jacobs 1993 Jacobs demonstrates the importance of streets as placemaking elements through beautifully drafted plans and illustrations of worthy prototypes. He explores how design shapes a street and the importance of streets in creating community.

The New Urbanism

Toward an Architecture of Community Peter Katz et al. 1994 A seminal work, the book that introduced new urbanism to a wide popular audience and enthusiastic professionals, Katz and colleagues offered case studies and handsome illustrations to make their points. The book captured the movement to reestablish a sense of neighborhood and community in face of sprawl.

Visions for a New American Dream

Process, Principles, and an Ordinance to Plan and Design Small Communities Anton Nelessen 1994

The growing sophistication and emphasis on tools for helping communities visualize growth and change was encapsulated in Nelessen's book. His Visual Preference Survey was one of the first visioning tools. In addition, his ability to illustrate neo-traditional design helped awaken an interest in historic character and quality of design that emerged in force as a planning concern in the 1990s.

Rural By Design
Maintaining Small Town Character Randall Arendt 1994 Growing out of his work in New England and an appreciation for the design of small communities, Arendt revealed how towns could grow and maintain their character through density, good site planning, and compatible design. His work reinforced efforts to achieve growth management, address sprawl, and the conserve natural and cultural landscapes. Arendt offered, with grace and humor, practical solutions to guiding growth and conserving land.

Ethical Land Use

Principles of Policy and Planning Timothy Beatley 1994 Planning as a professional with an adopted code of ethics expanded its view of ethical professional practice in this work. Beatley maintained that planning policy decisions invariably involve ethical choices and used actual case studies and hypothetical scenarios to guide planners to ethical choices in their everyday work.

The Geography of Nowhere

The Rise and Decline of America's Man-Made Landscape James Howard Kunstler 1994 Tracing America's evolution from tight-knit and coherent communities to a landscape of sprawl and anonymity, Kunstler discussed the stark economic, social, and spiritual costs paid for this lifestyle. Kunstler's impact was to call attention to the loss of community identity. He called upon readers to reinvent the places of live and work for a revived civic art and life.

Best Development Practices

Doing the Right Thing and Making Money at the Same Time Reid Ewing 1996 Ewing draws upon case examples of some of today's most acclaimed developments and recommends best practice guidelines to help developers create vibrant, livable communitiesand still make money. One of the rare studies of how places are developed using sound planning principles (at least in part) and measures the result. The books practical advice proved to be a great draw.

Natural Hazard Mitigation

Recasting Disaster Policy and Planning David R. Godschalk, Timothy Beatley, Philip Berke, David J. Brower, Edward J. Kaiser, Charles C. Bohl, R. Matthew Goebel 1999 The role of planning in hazard mitigation and recovery appeared on the agenda in the 1990s as the issues of climate change and sustainability became more pressing. This book, one of the first thorough discussions of the issue, provided insight into how hazard mitigation both worked and needed to be reformed.

Transportation for Livable Cities

Vukan R. Vuchic 1999 Vuchic placed transportation at the heart good planning. He explores its role in smart growth and sustainable urban living, covering everything from roads and transit to traffic calming.

100 Essential Books of Planning: Decade Ten

2000-2009
Planners take a new look at transportation and the form of communities inspired by creative and critical thinking. As substantial social changes manifest themselves in communities, planners bring more precise tools and analysis to bear. A new boldness and scope distinguishes publications on regionalism and design standards.

Bowling Alone
The Collapse and Revival of American Community Robert Putnam 2000 The book described a major shift in American life and politics that had largely gone unnoticed. Putnam examined the past 40 years and observed that social particpation had changed. Because of the modern demands on time, established volunteer associations important to the community fabric had lost significant membership. The book provoked debate and awakened insight into how people live their lives, expect services, and contribute to the community, and what they expect of government and politics.

The Regional City

Planning for the End of Sprawl Peter Calthorpe, William Fulton 2000 Regionalism as a focus of planning reemerged in this work that demonstrated how regional planning and design can integrate, revitalize, and provide a coherent vision for growth. Many

of the concepts of new urbanism were extended to the regional scale and include a special emphsis on transit and design.

Planning Theory for Practitioners

Michael P. Brooks 2002 Brooks brought planning theory to an understandable, usable level for practitioners. His discussion of values and ethics were especially informative.

The Rise of the Creative Class

And How It's Transforming Work, Leisure, Community and Everyday Life Richard Florida 2002 While others came before Florida and developed the evaluation methods and tools in the book, the author was the first to put the information together in a compelling and understandable format. The book revolutionized today's urban planning and economic development field. It reawakened decision makers in America to the value and power of strong central cities.

The Birth of City Planning in the United States, 1840-1917

Jon A. Peterson 2003 Peterson provides the best and most detailed overview of the early years of the planning movement, which saw Progressive activists, public-health advocates, and business interests unite in the cause of more livable cities.

The Devil in the White City

Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair that Changed America Erik Larson 2004 The book brings alive the history of early planners, including Daniel Burnham and Frederick Law Olmsted, for a general audience. He draws attention to work many still know nothing about. In vivid and sometimes graphic detail Larson paints a poignant and convincing story of the obstacles planners and architects face when approaching mammoth projects, not least of which a world's fair.

The High Cost of Free Parking

Donald C. Shoup 2005 Donald Shoup set the world of traffic management on its ear with his impassioned and thorough demolition of decades of conventional wisdom. By demonstrating the direct, indirect, social, and intangible costs of easily available parking, Shoup set the stage for municipalities to change their codes and mind-sets to create parking management systems

that put cars second and instead support the creation of complete streets, safe streetscapes, and healthier downtowns.

Urban Transit
Operations, Planning, and Economics Vukan R. Vuchic 2005 This comprehensive work covers the full range of issues involved in the operation, planning, and financing of transit systems. Vuchic presents both theoretical concepts and practical, real world methodologies for managing and improving transit planning.

Planning and Urban Design Standards

William R. Klein, Executive Editor Megan Lewis, Managing Editor 2006 The most comprehensive reference book on urban planning, design, and development available today. The book comprises contributions from more than 200 renowned professionals and provides in-depth information on the tools and techniques used to achieve planning and design outcomes, including economic analysis, mapping, visualization, legal foundations, and real estate developments.

What Urban and Regional Planners Do About this section

Urban and regional planners often travel to development sites. Urban and regional planners develop plans and programs for the use of land. They use planning to create communities, accommodate growth, or revitalize physical facilities in towns, cities, counties, and metropolitan areas.

Duties
Urban and regional planners typically do the following:

Meet with public officials, developers, and the public regarding development plans and land use Gather and analyze economic and environmental studies, censuses, and market research data Conduct field investigations to analyze factors affecting land use Review site plans submitted by developers Assess the feasibility of proposals and identify needed changes Recommend whether proposals should be approved or denied Present projects to planning officials and planning commissions Stay current on zoning or building codes, environmental regulations, and other legal issues

Urban and regional planners identify community needs and develop short- and long-term plans to create, grow, or revitalize a community or area. For example, planners may examine plans for proposed facilities, such as schools, to ensure that these facilities will meet the needs of a changing population. As an area grows or changes, planners help communities manage the related economic, social, and environmental issues, such as planning a new park, sheltering the homeless, or making the region more attractive to businesses. Some planners work on broad, community-wide plans, while others focus on specific issues. Ultimately, all planners promote the best use of a communitys land and resources for residential, commercial, or recreational purposes. When beginning a project, planners work with public officials, community members, and other groups to identify community issues or goals. Using research, data analysis, and collaboration with interest groups, planners formulate strategies to address issues or meet goals. They also may help carry out community plans, oversee projects, and organize the work of the groups involved. Projects may range from a policy recommendation for a specific initiative to a long-term, comprehensive area plan. Planners use a variety of tools and technology in their work, including geographic information systems (GIS) tools that analyze and manipulate data. GIS is used to integrate the data with electronic maps. For example, planners may use GIS to overlay a land map with population density indicators. They also use statistical software, visualization and presentation programs, financial spreadsheets, and other database and software programs. Many planners specialize. The following are common types of urban and regional planners: Land use and code enforcement planners are concerned with the way land is used and whether development plans comply with codes, which are the standards and laws of a jurisdiction. These planners work to carry out effective planning and zoning policies and

ordinances. For example, a planner may develop a policy to encourage development in an underutilized location and discourage development in an environmentally sensitive area. Transportation planners develop transportation plans and programs for an area. They identify transportation needs or issues, assess the impact of services or systems, and attempt to predict future transportation patterns. For example, as growth outside the city creates more jobs, the need for public transportation to get workers to those jobs increases. Transportation planners develop and model possible solutions and explain the possibilities to planning boards and the public. Environmental and natural resources planners attempt to mitigate the harmful effects of development on the environment. They may focus on conserving resources, preventing destruction of ecosystems, or cleaning polluted areas. Economic development planners focus on the economic activities of an area. They may work to expand or diversify commercial activity, attract businesses, create jobs, or build housing. Urban design planners strive to make building architecture and public spaces look and function in accordance with an areas development and design goals. They combine planning with aspects of architecture and landscape architecture. Urban design planners focus on issues such as city layout, street design, and building and landscape patterns.

Job Outlook About this section

Urban and Regional Planners

Percent change in employment, projected 2010-20

Social Scientists and Related Workers

18%
Urban and Regional Planners

16%
Total, All Occupations

14%

Note: All Occupations includes all occupations in the U.S. Economy. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections program Employment of urban and regional planners is expected to grow 16 percent from 2010 to 2020, about as fast as the average for all occupations. Population growth and environmental concerns will drive employment growth for planners in cities, suburbs, and other areas. Urban areas will need planners to accommodate an expected influx of people into metropolitan areas. Within cities, urban planners will be needed to develop revitalization projects and address problems associated with population growth.

Suburbs are the fastest-growing communities in most metropolitan areas. As suburban areas become more heavily populated, municipalities will need planners to address changing housing needs and to improve transportation systems. Planners also will be important as new communities will require extensive development and infrastructure, including housing, roads, sewer systems, schools. An increased focus on sustainable and environmentally-conscious development also will increase demand for planners. Issues such as storm water management, permits, environmental regulation, and historic preservation should drive employment growth. Employment growth should be fastest in private engineering, architectural, and consulting services. Engineering and architecture firms are increasingly using planners for land use, development, and building. In addition, many real estate developers and governments will continue to contract out various planning services to these consulting firms, further driving employment growth. Employment of planners in local or state government may suffer because many projects are canceled or deferred when municipalities have too little money for development. Expected tight budgets over the coming decade should slow planners employment growth in government.

Job Prospects
Job opportunities for planners often depend on economic conditions. When municipalities and developers have funds for development projects, planners are in higher demand. However, planners may face strong competition for jobs in an economic downturn, when there is less funding for development work. Although government funding issues will affect employment of planners in the short term, job prospects should improve over the 201020 decade. Planners will be needed to help plan, oversee, and carry out development projects that were deferred because of poor economic conditions. Combined with the increasing demands of a growing population, long-term prospects for qualified planners should be good. Job prospects will be best for those with a masters degree from an accredited planning program and relevant work experience. Planners who are willing to relocate for work also will have more job opportunities.

What Is Planning?
Planning, also called urban planning or city and regional planning, is a dynamic profession that works to improve the welfare of people and their communities by creating more convenient, equitable, healthful, efficient, and attractive places for present and future generations. Planning enables civic leaders, businesses, and citizens to play a meaningful role in creating communities that enrich people's lives.

Good planning helps create communities that offer better choices for where and how people live. Planning helps communities to envision their future. It helps them find the right balance of new development and essential services, environmental protection, and innovative change. Planning is done in many arenas and involves professionals who are planners and those who are professionally certified by the American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP). Planners work with elected and appointed officials, such as mayors and planning commissioners, to lead the planning process with the goal of creating communities of lasting value. Planners help civic leaders, businesses, and citizens envision new possibilities and solutions to community problems. The American Planning Association and its professional institute, AICP, help planners, officials, and citizens better serve their communities by providing research, educational resources, practical advice and tools, and up-to-date information on planning. Planners working with community members help communities meet the challenges of growth and change. To read the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor's listing for "Urban and Regional Planners" in its most recent Occupational Outlook Handbook, click here: www.bls.gov/oco/ocos057.htm.

What Do Planners Do?

Professional planners help create a broad vision for the community. They also research, design, and develop programs; lead public processes; effect social change; perform technical analyses; manage; and educate. Some planners focus on just some of these roles, such as transportation planning, but most will work at many kinds of planning throughout their careers. The basic element is the creation of a plan. Planners develop a plan through analysis of data and identification of goals for the community or the project. Planners help the community and its various groups identify their goals and form a particular vision. In the creation of a plan, planners identify the strategies by which the community can reach its goals and vision. Planners are also responsible for the implementation or enforcement of many of the strategies, often coordinating the work of many groups of people. It is important to recognize that a plan can take a variety of forms including: policy recommendations, community action plans, comprehensive plans, neighborhood plans, regulatory and incentive strategies, or historic preservation plans. Other examples of plans include: redevelopment plans, smart growth strategies, economic development strategic plans, site plans, and disaster preparedness plans.

Where Do Planners Work?

Planners work in every state and around the world. They work in rural areas, suburban areas, and large cities. They function in the public sector within federal, state, and local governments. They also work in nonprofits and within the private sector in real estate

development companies and planning or multi-disciplinary consulting firms. Click here for selected geographic and employment-sector data from the APA Member Survey. To gain insight the variety of contexts within which planners work, visit the websites of APA's divisions. You'll learn about transportation planning, urban design, planning law, and many other arenas of planning. APA has 46 chapters that represent every state in the U.S. Chapter websites provide information on planning at the state or regional level. Planning Professional Associations in Other Countries Planning is an international profession and practice. Many countries have a long history of community planning and have professional institutes similar to the American Planning Association and its institute, AICP. Here are examples of other organizations and links to their websites. Canadian Institute of Planners Royal Town Planning Institute (UK) Planning Institute of Australia Institute of Town Planners, India New Zealand Planning Institute South African Planners City Planning Institute of Japan China Association of City Planning Urban Planning Society of China Socite Franaise des Urbanistes (SFU) A Typical Day for a Planner, and With Whom Do Planners Work Planning is a highly collaborative field, and planners spend much of their time working with others. A planner's day may start with a staff meeting to discuss the management of a planning project. Other meetings might include a team meeting with engineers, architects, health professionals, and landscape architects to review the specifics of a plan. Yet other meetings might take place with developers as part of a pre-application process. The planner's role is to provide the big picture and to relate the project to various goals and guidelines, such as ordinances or design review, in order to achieve a final project that meets the needs of the community. This might include appropriate design, environmental considerations, support for the local economy, or equitable access for all members of the community.

Planners are also responsible for knowing state and federal legislation and court rulings that relate to the project, plans, or guidelines. For example, planners must know how the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution relates to sign controls or how street designs relate to the Americans with Disabilities Act. Once again, planners are responsible for providing this technical knowledge to the projects. In complex projects, a developer will likely consult his or her own legal experts. Some part of the planner's day involves working on his or her own. Planners may conduct research and gather data from a variety of sources, including economic development or market research studies, from census reports, or from environmental studies. The planner tests assumptions about the meaning and importance of the data by using a variety of technologies. One common tool used in planning is Geographic Information Systems (GIS) that link data and electronic mapping. Other tools may include scenario building visualization tools, electronic poling systems, financial analysis spreadsheets, and demographic databases. Planners prepare reports on their findings and analysis. Often, they will provide alternatives for policy makers to consider. Writing and synthesis skills are necessary for this part of the job. Planners also do presentations. Presentations are made by mid-level staff, department heads, or the planning director. Planners frequently provide presentations to the city council, business groups, neighborhood groups, and professionals. These presentations place the specific project or issue in the context of the community's plans and guidelines for development and change. Today, planners are proficient in using PowerPoint and other visual technologies to present information and ideas in planning. Presentation skills are very important for private sector planners who have to present projects at various stages to clients, officials, or the public. Project management is another important skill for planners, especially for those working in the private sector. Planners manage a variety of projects from neighborhood planning programs to the design and development of a new bike path to much larger scale projects. They also oversee grant programs, such as historic preservation or community development block grants. Planners also engage in more lengthy processes of public participation. In these projects, planners call upon their skills as facilitators working with a broad spectrum of community members. These processes have become very creative and planners often use exercises, charrettes, visualization techniques, and group work in the development of the plan. A planner's day often extends into the evening as he or she provides staff support to the monthly planning commission meeting. Public sector planners provide reports to the commission and provide support to the public meeting. Private sector planners present projects to the commission. It is not uncommon for a planning attorney to present proposals to the planning commission or, on occasion, to provide legal counsel to the planning commission. Other evening meetings may include neighborhood meetings or staffing the historic preservation review board.

What Specializations Are Common in the Planning Profession?

Most planners perform their work in one or more particular fields of specialization within the larger planning profession. These specializations represent specific bodies of planning knowledge that jointly further the welfare of people and communities. While some planners spend their entire career within one of these specializations, most will move between them or find employment opportunities that combine specializations. Here are several of the most common specializations within the planning profession: Community Development Land Use & Code Enforcement Transportation Planning Environmental/Natural Resources Planning Economic Development Urban Design Planning Management/Finance Housing Parks & Recreation Historic Preservation Community Activism/Empowerment

How Are Planners Educated?

Three main degrees are awarded in the field. The first is an undergraduate degree in planning. Many with undergraduate degrees will go on to receive a master's degree in planning. However, planners with undergraduate degrees do work in planning practice, often in entry level positions. A degree from a Planning Accreditation Board (PAB) accredited university in Urban Planning or City and Regional Planning is the most thorough educational preparation for the planning field. PAB accredits undergraduate programs. A master's-level graduate degree is considered the standard for those who are planning practitioners. Some planning graduate students have an undergraduate degree in planning, but others may have studied geography, urban studies, architecture, or sociology. PAB also accredits master's degree programs in planning. When hiring for professional planning positions, many organizations require or give strong preference to candidates holding graduate degrees. In 2004, 43 percent of all APA members (note: approximately one-sixth of the APA members are planning commissioners, officials, or students, who do not have a degree in planning) had earned a master's degree in planning. Many employers also give preference to those who are certified by the American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP).

The third level of planning degree is the Ph.D. Most often, those who obtain a Ph.D. in planning pursue a career in academia or with research or policy institutions. Ph.D. programs in planning are not certified by PAB.

What Skills Do Successful Planners Possess?

In addition to a formal educational background, planners possess a unique combination of skills that enhance their professional success. Because planning is a dynamic and diverse profession, individual skills vary depending on a planner's role and area of specialization. Successful planners possess a combination of these skills:

Knowledge of urban spatial structure or physical design and the way in which cities work. Ability to analyze demographic information to discern trends in population, employment, and health. Knowledge of plan-making and project evaluation. Mastery of techniques for involving a wide range of people in making decisions. Understanding of local, state, and federal government programs and processes. Understanding of the social and environmental impact of planning decisions on communities. Ability to work with the public and articulate planning issues to a wide variety of audiences. Ability to function as a mediator or facilitator when community interests conflict. Understanding of the legal foundation for land use regulation. Understanding of the interaction among the economy, transportation, health and human services, and land-use regulation. Ability to solve problems using a balance of technical competence, creativity, and hardheaded pragmatism. Ability to envision alternatives to the physical and social environments in which we live. Mastery of geographic information systems and office software.

Does Certification Exist in the Planning Profession?

There are two types of certification one certifies planning schools offering degrees, and the other certifies practicing planners. College and university programs are certified by the Planning Accreditation Board (PAB) Practicing planners are certified through the American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP), the professional institute of the American Planning Association. AICP provides leadership in setting nationwide standards for the planning profession. Planners who demonstrate that they meet high standards of technical, theoretical, historical, and ethical knowledge in the field earn AICP Certification. Planners who are interested in seeking AICP Certification must take an exam, which is offered twice a year, and meet other eligibility requirements. Planners with an accredited graduate degree, for example, must also have at least two years of professional planning experience before they may apply to take the AICP Certification exam.

Upon receiving AICP Certification, planners may use the initials "AICP" after their names. AICP certified planners are required to adhere to the AICP Code of Ethics. AICP Certification yields tangible results for prospective employers and planning professionals as demonstrated in the results of the APA Salary Survey. Certified planners earned $13,000 more, on average, than non-certified planners. Many organizations either require certification or give strong preference to certified planners in hiring practices. The American Planning Association does not encourage the licensing of planners on either a national or state level. The APA recognizes and respects existing state licensing or credential requirements and supports its members practicing the profession of planning in those states. For example, New Jersey currently requires licensure of professional planners, and Michigan currently provides for the registration of Professional Community Planners. Some states, such as Kentucky, South Carolina, and Tennessee, have enacted legislation pertaining to the credentialing of planning commissioners and other planning officials.

Does the Planning Profession Have Ethical Standards?

There are two standards set for ethical behavior in the field of planning. The first is a Code of Ethics binding on members of the American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP). Certified planners are required to adhere to the AICP Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct, which identifies four core responsibilities incumbent upon certified planners: Planners' primary obligation is serving the public interest. Planners are responsible for diligently and competently performing work on behalf their client or employer. Planners are responsible for contributing to the development of the planning profession and their colleagues. Planners are responsible to themselves for high standards of professional integrity, proficiency and knowledge. The Code is a helpful guide for all planners as they negotiate the ethical and moral dilemmas they encounter. It also informs the public of the principles to which professional planners are committed. The second ethics standard applies to anyone participating in the planning process and is called APA's Ethical Principles in Planning. This includes elected and appointed officials, such as planning commissioners. It also applies to citizens and non-AICP certified planners. This standard is not binding; it is a set of guidelines. However, some planning commissions formally adopt the ethical principles to assist them with ethical public decision making.

Becoming a Planner
How Are Planners Educated?

Three main degrees are awarded in the field. The first is an undergraduate degree in planning. Many with undergraduate degrees will go on to receive a master's degree in planning. However, planners with undergraduate degrees do work in planning practice, often in entry level positions. A degree from a Planning Accreditation Board (PAB) accredited university in Urban Planning or City and Regional Planning is the most thorough educational preparation for the planning field. PAB accredits undergraduate programs.

How Are Planners Educated? Planning Schools and Accreditation 10 Tips for Selecting a Planning Program Scholarship for Students A master's-level graduate degree is considered the standard for those who are planning practitioners. Some planning graduate students have an undergraduate degree in planning, but others may have studied geography, urban studies, architecture, or sociology. PAB also accredits master's degree programs in planning. When hiring for professional planning positions, many organizations require or give strong preference to candidates holding graduate degrees. In 2004, 43 percent of all APA members (note: approximately one-sixth of the APA members are planning commissioners, officials, or students, who do not have a degree in planning) had earned a master's degree in planning. Many employers also give preference to those who are certified by the American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP). The third level of planning degree is the Ph.D. Most often, those who obtain a Ph.D. in planning pursue a career in academia or with research or policy institutions. Ph.D. programs in planning are not certified by PAB.

Planning Schools and Accreditation

Planning Schools Lists of schools offering degrees in planning are maintained by the Association of Collegiate Schools of Planning (ACSP). ACSP is a member organization of the academic community in planning. It maintains current information on schools providing degree planning education. Visit the Planning Accreditation Board (PAB) website to see the lists. To view the complete list of accredited schools, click on "Accredited Planning Programs." To view the complete list of non-accredited schools, visit www.acsp.org/CareerInfo/NonAccredited_ACSP_Member_Schools.html. ACSP conducts an annual national conference on research and education in planning. Visit the website for more information: www.acsp.org.

Undergraduate and Master's Degree Programs The undergraduate and master's degree programs are listed together under each school. Review these listings. Accredited schools Non-accredited ACSP Member Schools Ph.D. Programs ACSP list of these programs Planning Accreditation Board Planners routinely complete degree programs both undergraduate and master's level through universities accredited by the Planning Accreditation Board (PAB). The PAB regularly reviews programs and helps maintain the standards for the profession of planning. All people considering a career in planning are encouraged to attend a PAB-certified school. PAB accreditation ensures that, at a minimum, graduates have demonstrated knowledge of:

Structure and Functions of Urban Settlements History and Theory of Planning Processes and Practices Administrative, Legal, and Political Aspects of Plan-making and Policy Implementation Knowledge of a Particular Specialization or Planning Issue

To complete a degree in planning, students must be skilled in:

Problem Formulation, Research Skills, and Data Gathering Quantitative Analysis and Computers Written, Oral, and Graphic Communications Collaborative Problem Solving, Plan-making, and Program Design Synthesis and Application of Knowledge to Practice

Ranking APA, AICP, ACSP, and PAB do not rank schools. Instead, APA encourages students to consider PAB accreditation in their decision of what school to attend. At least one outside vendor has published a ranking of graduate urban planning programs in the United States. Neither PAB nor any of its sponsors, however, formally recognizes this ranking or the criteria underlying it.

10 Tips for Selecting a Planning Program

Would you like to further your education in the field of planning, but are not sure how to select the right program for you? It is important to remember that no two planning programs are alike, and that the exact "right" program might not exist. Rather, the decision to enroll in a

particular program involves a number of academic and personal considerations. Here we list 10 of these important considerations for selecting a planning program. 1. Areas of Interest Write down a series of topics and issues that interest you in planning. Consult the course catalogs from the schools you are interested in enrolling. See whether the courses offered and the emphasis of the programs match your list of concerns. Review recently published articles and reports by university faculty to determine whether their interests might match yours. If you do not find a fit between your interests and those of the program or the faculty, you might consider enrolling in another school or another academic program. 2. What Are the School's Graduates Doing Now? Contact the planning department in the colleges and universities that interest you. Ask for the names and phone numbers of several recent graduates and ask for permission to contact them. Call these graduates to find out what types of jobs they got and how they view their graduate school experience. 3. Investigate Library Resources Call the university library and find out the size of its holdings and areas of greatest strength. Does the library participate in share agreements with other universities? Does the library offer a range of accessible information sources, including online resources? Compare the size of library resources from university to university. 4. Look at Other Programs Offered by the College or University Are there allied programs that may help you extend your education? Would a dual-degree program best meet your educational goals? Consider whether or not the school has architecture, landscape architecture, engineering, political science, geography, environmental management, public administration, or law programs. Ask the planning school if students take courses in other departments. 5. Does the School Offer Internships? Gaining work experience can be a great asset in orienting you to the field and the job market. It can also enhance your resume when you start hunting for that first job. Do students at the school regularly participate in internships? Does the school have an established internship program? 6. What Is the Makeup of the Student Body? Ask the department about its students. Is there a mix of ages and ethnic backgrounds? Is this important to you? Is the school a residence or a commuter school? Which environment is more agreeable to you? 7. Geographic Compatibility Some students choose schools based on proximity to their parents, or other friends and relatives. Perhaps more importantly, however, consider what type of environment matches your personality. Does living in an urban environment excite you? Or are you interested in a more rural setting? Through their planning courses students may learn a great deal about a particular city or region. That knowledge, along with interpersonal connections made through project-based classes, may lead to potential job opportunities. Would you consider living in the area, even for a short time, upon graduation?

8. Are Practicing Planners Involved in Teaching? Does the school have practicing planners among its faculty? What courses do they teach? Does the school emphasize the practice of planning and preparing you for the workplace? Or, is the school more research oriented and more suited to those going on for a Ph.D.? 9. Consider Faculty Accessibility Many students flourish by establishing sound relationships with faculty. However, in any given program, some professors or lecturers may be more accessible than others. Consider what relationship you seek with the program's faculty. If you have previously identified certain professors with interests matching your own, you should consider whether other commitments might prevent him or her from meeting your expectations. Strongly consider meeting with faculty on campus before enrolling in any program. 10. Financial Considerations Paying for education can be a challenge. Depending on the university, a number of needbased and merit-based scholarship opportunities exist. Read the section "Scholarships for Students" below. Particularly at the graduate level, teaching assistantships and research fellowships are a common way to reduce or waive the cost of tuition. If applicable, inquire about establishing in-state residency for tuition discounts. Ask for all available financial information from the school to make an informed decision.

Scholarship for Students

The scholarships available for studying planning are as plentiful as the institutions providing education. Each institution will have its own opportunities and requirements for obtaining student funding. General information is provided below as a guide to what may be available. Please check with each college or university to find out what funding opportunities exist. A list of scholarships available to planning students Undergraduate For many undergraduate degree programs, students receive scholarships that are not restricted by major. Therefore, high school grades, extracurricular activities, and test scores will generally be considered as the basic criteria for receiving scholarships. Scholarships may require that a student maintain a particular Grade Point Average to continue receiving the scholarship. Schools often require a financial aid application that doubles as a scholarship application for any grants and scholarships available from that institution. When applying for your undergraduate degree program, contact the financial aid office and familiarize yourself with the scholarship application process. Graduate Funding for graduate level study is often in the form of assistantships, fellowships, and scholarships. These titles vary by institution. Contact graduate planning programs to find out what opportunities are available for graduate funding. University researchers or professors create research assistant positions through grant funding for a particular project or program. The research assistant works on that project or program, receiving a wage, usually a stipend, and some assistance with tuition.

Teaching assistant responsibilities range from teaching introductory or lab classes to assisting professors with classes by grading or holding help sessions. Teaching assistants also receive a wage and tuition assistance. Fellowships can refer to project dependent funding, similar to a research assistantship, or grant funding with no work requirement. Grants and scholarships also vary by institution. These financial awards most often do not carry work requirements, but do require good academic performance to maintain.