Education & Careers

Students at a graduation ceremony

Planning Education: Striking a Better Balance

Planning education and practice fail to recognize the importance of physical design and spatial planning. Randall Arendt diagnoses the root of the disorder and suggests some treatments for returning urban planning to good health.

October 31, 2012 - Randall Arendt

Female bus driver wearing safety vest sits in driver's seat, talking with woman passenger boarding bus

TSA Suggests More Background Checks for Transit Workers

The proposal could make it even harder for short-staffed agencies to attract and hire new employees.

August 27, 2023 - Federal Times

View of empty paved schoolyard with green picnic benches and basketball hoops in Malibu, California

Expanding Schoolyard Greening in California

To protect kids from extreme heat, California just distributed another $73 million to local school districts to transform schoolyards by converting blacktops to green spaces, planting trees, and other related efforts.

August 25, 2023 - Office of Governor Gavin Newsom

View of concrete schoolyard in New York City through fence

An Urbanist Agenda for Education

An opinion article by Angie Schmitt addresses the neglect of education policy in the urbanist political platform, and proposes two specific education policy goals for urbanists to get behind.

August 23, 2023 - Angie Schmitt

Worker wearing orange hard hat and vest over light blue long-sleeved shirt and jeans inspects rooftop solar panel

Report: Cities’ Climate Plans Fail to Include Workforce Development

While a few cities have detailed goals and investment strategies for building their green workforce, most U.S. cities fail to address the need for the training and education of a new generation of workers.

August 15, 2023 - Route Fifty

Men and women having a business meeting around a conference table in a glass-walled office building

Note to Companies: Hire Urban Planners

An argument for the value of including planners in industries far beyond city planning.

August 10, 2023 - The Handbuilt City

Photo of Bruce Stiftel as a young man standing in front of a green chalkboard

Youth, Inexperience, and a Sense of Mission

Forty years ago this week, I arrived in Tallahassee to take my first full-time university job. It was a nervous moment. After nearly eight years of graduate school, I was about to learn if I was any good at the career I'd prepared so long to begin.

August 10, 2023 - Bruce Stiftel

View of wide green lawn in front of red brick four-story buildings on Harvard University campus

The Housing Crisis on U.S. College Campuses

Top universities are turning away thousands of eligible applicants, in part due to NIMBY resistance to building new student housing.

August 8, 2023 - Governing

People on bikes ride on protected bike path along the Seine River in Paris, France

The Most Influential Contemporary Urbanists

The 100 people making an impact on planning and cities today.

August 2, 2023 - Planetizen

Close-up of bus driver holding bus steering wheel

How HR Shortcomings are Kneecapping Transit Agencies

Facing severe staffing shortages and high rates of burnout, transit agencies must improve their human resources departments and create healthier work environments to address current lapses in service.

July 27, 2023 - Streetsblog USA

City Planners

Why Aren’t There More Planners?

Planning can be a great career for socially conscious individuals, but university programs are struggling to attract new students to the field. A trio of academics are raising awareness about the field through community activation.

July 27, 2023 - The Conversation

Photo of graduating student in cap and gown from the back with overlaid graphic text "Top 10 Planning Schools"

Back to School: Planetizen’s Top 10 Master’s Programs for Urban Planners

Planetizen’s Editorial Director James Brasuell joins the Planning Commission Podcast to discuss their new list of the Top 10 Schools for Urban Planners.

July 26, 2023 - The Planning Commission Podcast

Jane Jacobs

The 100 Most Influential Urbanists, Past and Present

Planetizen readers have decided the who's who of urbanism (and its discontents) in 2023.

July 11, 2023 - Planetizen

Two adults stand behind a table, gesturing toward a model of a city while talking to a young child about buildings and parks and streets.

An Urban Planner Dedicated to Winning the Funding Necessary to Do the Work

An interview with Katy Shackelford, AICP, PTP, an urban planner and a funding specialist, to discuss the unique paths a planning career can take, and how unexpected career choices can deliver big benefits.

July 10, 2023 - James Brasuell

Aerial view of beach bike path and palm trees in Santa Monica, California

Podcast Shows Urban Planning Is Anything But Dull

“Urban Planning is Not Boring” is a podcast created by USC alumni Samantha Ellman and Natalie Ikhrata which highlights just how fascinating the field of planning can be.

July 7, 2023 - The Daily Trojan

A large, multi-use building is adorned with blue canopies, pictured in the sunset of an urban landscape.

An Interview with the APA President: Angela D. Brooks, FAICP

APA President Angela D. Brooks discusses a career focused on affordable housing, supportive housing, and joint-use facilities. The interview suggest ways for planners to help solve some of the biggest challenges facing the country today.

July 3, 2023 - James Brasuell

Rosa Parks, Jane Jacobs, Frederick Law Olmsted

Vote for the Most Influential Urbanists, Past and Present

Readers sent hundreds of nominees for an updated version of Planetizen's Most Influential Urbanists list. Now's your chance to vote among 200 nominees.

June 29, 2023 - Planetizen

A graphic announcing the availability of the Planetizen Guide to Graduate Urban Planning Programs, 7th Edition, including an image of the cover of the book.

The Top Schools For Urban Planners

The 7th Edition of the Planetizen Guide to Graduate Urban Planning Programs, now available, includes an updated ranking of the Top 25 master’s programs in urban planning, city planning, regional planning, and community planning.

June 22, 2023 - James Brasuell

Close-up of two passengers in business clothes sitting face to face on speeding train

Forget the Bean Bag Chair: Workers Just Want Short Commutes

The office amenities of yore are out. Quick, painless commutes are in.

June 15, 2023 - Curbed

Graphic for '1000 Joys of Planning' with The Planning Commission Podcast

A Planning Commission Podcast Journey: The 1,000 Joys of Planning

The Commissioners explore the facets of the planning profession that fill their cups with joy.

June 4, 2023 - The Planning Commission Podcast

Top Books

An annual review of books related to planning.

Top Websites

The best of the Internet—since 2002.

Top Apps

Planning apps for a brave new world.

Top Schools

The definitive ranking of graduate planning programs.

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.

Planning for Universal Design

Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.