Study Tours as a Mean of Professional Development for Transportation And Urban Planning Professionals

摘要

International study tours are one way to bring new design solutions and design methods to Finland. Tours give opportunity for transportation and urban planning professionals to develop their knowledge, improve their professional networks and become more international. Study tours may be seen as a positive or negative thing for varying reasons. Purpose of this thesis is to study real benefits and effects of study tours and to find out how study tours can be developed.Study tours made by two different organizations in 1986 - 2011 were studied in this thesis. Tours' pre-travel materials, which contained exact itinerary, information of destinations and participant listing, were inventoried. Internet survey was sent to the study tour participants. Survey collected information on the impact of the study tours to professionals' work, concrete examples of utilized design solutions and projects that have benefited from study tours. Furthermore respondents were asked to give suggestions how to improve the study tours in the future.Based on the results of this study the trajectory of the study tours have been very similar with the history and development of transportation engineering and urban planning and the study tours have pioneered new design solutions to Finland. Study tour benefits are very versatile. Respondents say that experiencing concrete examples on-site, networking with Finnish colleagues and getting new ideas are the most significant benefits.Learning process of the study tours can be improved by developing how to record, share and use learned information. Possible ways to achieve this is to keep study tour journal, organize reflection and feedback sessions and make a summary paper after the study tour.