Charles Hoch Chair, Planning Accreditation Board (PAB) Professor University of Illinois at Chicago chashoch@uic.edu
APA Job Survey: What planners know and do A quick look at what planners do Focus on what planners know What planning education contributes Compared with non planning degree education Compared with on the job education Planning education makes largest contribution overall Schools teaches concepts and skills Professional experience teaches implementation, practical implementation and ethical/political judgment
Conducted in 2007 Sample of 4,375 planners out of 28,594 surveyed Undertaken to provide feedback on knowledge domains for the AICP exam Survey responses used to test and verify expert judgments about knowledge domains for profession Never used to provide feedback to profession on what they do and know until now
Bimodal Age Split The early 80 s saw a dip in planners Gender Shift Women a fraction of senior ranks Gaining parity (40% overall, more in earlier years) More than half planning students nationally Minorities still tiny fraction of profession Blacks slightly less than 3 percent Hispanics slightly more than 3 percent Whites 91 percent
Age Distribution of Planners
Gender by Age
Ten most common tasks (3 to 3.5 score) 5 Communication (out of 8) 4 Plan and Policy (out of 9) 1 Research & Analysis (out of 4) Ten least common tasks (2.3 to 1.4 score) 5 Administration (out of 13) 4 Implementation (out of 8) 1 Research & Analysis (out of 4)
Top Ten Tasks Planners Reported Doing on the Job 2007 Survey Task 50% 100% Score Prepare written reports 3.70 Conduct meetings 3.54 Make recommendations 3.49 Report on progress 3.48 Public presentations 3.54 Identify & analyze issues Do and Manage Do 3.40 Synthesize information 3.14 Evaluate alternatives 3.27 Negotiate with parties 3.13 Collect and analyze data 3.01 No Score is average of importance rating: Unimportant = 0 through 4= Very important
Bottom Ten Tasks Planners Reported Doing on the Job 2007 Survey Task 50% 100% Score Do project budgets Do RFQs or RFPs 2.28 1.96 Set agency direction 2.31 Do operating budgets 2.04 Do functional programs 1.98 Design or do surveys Do & Manage 1.55 Respond to RFQs-RFPs 1.55 Do grant applications 1.67 Do capital improvements 1.55 Do Do financing or pricing 1.47 No Score is average of importance rating: Unimportant = 0 through 4= Very important
Over 30 year window Planners in 1980s less likely to obtain planning degree than those before and after Currently 58 percent have planning degree Planning degrees increasingly popular since 1990s and especially among newest cohort
Planner Age by Planning Degree Assume graduation age of 25 yrs to estimate 5 yr cohorts from age data.
Planner Experience by Planning Degree Assume planners start work after graduation estimating 5 year cohorts
Highest degree obtained 60% a Planning Degree Other Major Degrees Geography Public Administration Design Degrees rarely part of professional education
Highest Degree Type for Planners
Survey covered five domains: History and Theory Plan Making & Implementation Functional Areas Spatial Areas Public Involvement and Social Justice Asked when acquired (degree grad, later, no) Asked about current importance for work
Chart Showing results for one kind of knowledge
The abstract knowledge about the field of planning most fully acquired in planning school However, a lot of knowledge taught for other degree programs, especially ideas about settlement patterns
History and Theory Planning Degree Other Degree Theory of Planning 100% 50% 50% 100% History of Planning Patterns of Settlement Planning Law Acquired Knowledge By Highest Degree Never Acquired Acquired Later in Career
Data analysis, research skills and environmental knowledge acquired from many degrees Planning knowledge about growth management, policy & environmental analysis, development regs Half from school and half from practice Implementation and administrative knowledge learned on the job
Plan Making & Implementation Quantitative & Qualitative Planning Degree Other Degree 100% 50% 50% 100% Demographics & Economics Natural & Build Environment Data Use Growth Management Environmental Analysis Application of Legal Principles GIS/Spatial Analysis Communications Techniques Visioning & Goal Setting Land Use & Development Regs Policy Analysis & Decisions Program Evaluation Budgets and Finance Options Development Plans & Project Rev Stakeholder Relationships Intergovernmental Relations Project & Program Management
Planning education provides most of the knowledge for core areas on land use, transportation and the like Splits the educational burden for more obscure specialized areas More specialized areas have increasing numbers who never learn about it Urban design and development regulation learned mainly on the job
Functional Areas Planning Law Land Use Natural Resources & Environment Policy Planning Comprehensive Long Range Planning Housing Economic Development Revitalization Transportation Community development Parks, Open Space and Recreation Grrowth Management Historic Preservation Public Services Economic Development Revitalization Infrastructure Labor Force Development Social and Health Services Urban Design Development Regs & Admin Energy Policy Hazard Mitigation & Disaster Plans Ed, Inst, Military Institutional Plans Food System Planning Planning Degree Other Degree 100% 50% 50% 100%
School provides knowledge about local urban and suburban planning, less so for smaller specialized areas Planning schools prepare better than other degrees National and state planning not a focus Planners focus on municipal and district planning Schools split the knowledge provision with experience
Spatial Areas of Practice Planning Degree Other Degree 100% 50% 50% 100% Urban Planning Neighborhood Plans Suburban Planning Downtown Plans Small Town Planning Planning Sub State Regions Historic District Plans Corridor Plans National Planning County Planning State Planning Multi-State Planning Waterfront Plans
Justice issues and participation techniques acquired in school Hands on participation working with stakeholders and building coalitions acquired on the job Planning schools much better than other degree programs
Public Participation & Social Justice Social Justice Issues Planning Degree Other Degree 10 0% 50% 50% 100% Public Participation Techniques Public Involvement Plannning Serving Underserved Working with Diverse Groups Coalition Building AICP Code of Ethics: Only 20 % reported learning in school compared to 6 % of those in non planning degree programs. Most practitioners learn about AICP Code when joining AICP
PLANNING DEGREE > 50% Theory. 4 / 4 Plan Making.. 12/ 18 Functional Areas.. 10/ 23 Spatial Areas.. 5/ 13 Participation.. 2/ 6 NON PLANNING DEGREE > 50% Theory 1 / 4 Plan Making. 4 / 18 Functional Areas 1/ 23 Spatial Areas 0/ 13 Participation 0/ 6 Total 33/ 64 Total. 6/ 64 Planning degree contributes about half of currently used planning knowledge. Planning degree makes a big difference compared to non planning degree. Planning degree makes bigger difference compared to on the job learning.
DEGREE Provides knowledge most History, theory and law Research, analysis, data use Communication skills Plan making concepts & skill Core land planning topics Settlement patterns Land Use Natural Environment Participation techniques ON THE JOB & AICP Provides knowledge most Project & plan review Project management Budgets Intergovernmental relations Stakeholder relations Program Evaluation AICP Code of Ethics
Planning schools teach knowledge, skills and practice; but do best at knowledge and skills. Planning experience teaches knowledge, skills and practice; but do best teaching practice. Remember that communication and plan making skills are the most frequent and important tasks planners do on the job