The planning research agenda: planning theory for practice

摘要

The American Planning Association (APA) sponsors a membership survey every 10 years or so to assess what professional planners do and know. The APA uses the results to amend and validate questions for the national American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP) exam. In 2007 more than 95% (of nearly 5,000 respondents) reported learning planning theory, mostly at planning schools. When asked about the importance of this knowledge for current professional work most ranked it on par (2.2 out of 4.0) with economic forecasting, hazard mitigation, waterfront planning or institutional planning. Professionals report using their most valued knowledge within the context of specialised areas of competence: development review, zoning administration, urban design, neighbourhood development, coastal zone management, affordable housing and more. Theory for these practitioners represents a kind of specialised knowledge useful on some occasions, but not relevant for daily use on the job (Hoch, 2010).