Preparing Planners for the Breadth of Practice

The 1999 survey of planners whose results I report here aimed to reach a broad range of practitioners in order to produce a more complete picture of the profession than previous surveys of more circumscribed populations. In analyzing these results I find many aspects of practice are systematically related. For example, plannersʹ professional affiliations, substantive specializations and whether they see their work as traditional planning are closely related to where they work. Recognizing that in this larger community of planners not all are members of the American Planning Association nor completed a formal education in planning, I recommend that the academic and professional communities collaborate to prepare students for both initial work and future careers, establish systematic transitional education for planners without a formal education in planning, and expand continuing professional development opportunities for practitioners.