Yan Song, PhD, Selected as Next Editor of Journal of the American Planning Association (JAPA)

(CHICAGO – Nov. 14, 2023) — The American Planning Association (APA) is pleased to announce that Yan Song, Ph.D., professor of the Department of City and Regional Planning and the director of the Program on Chinese Cities at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, has been selected as the next editor of the prestigious Journal of the American Planning Association (JAPA).

Yan Song, PhD

JAPA is a double-blind, peer-reviewed quarterly academic journal that has published original research and commentary relevant to the planning profession since 1935. The current editor, Ann Forsyth, PhD, from Harvard Graduate School of Design, will complete her term as editor this year.

Song's five-year term as JAPA editor will begin Jan. 1, 2024. As editor, Song will focus on bridging theory with practice, elevating real-world applications of planning research, and contributing to more sustainable, inclusive, and resilient global communities. She previously served on the journal's editorial board.

"Dr. Song is a widely recognized scholar in the domain of urban and environment economics, land use and transportation interactions, and urban analytics," said Subhro Guhathakurta, chair of the JAPA editor search committee and professor at Georgia Institute of Technology. "She brings to the editorial position a wealth of experience."

Song's research has focused on sustainable and low-carbon urban forms and policies, smart cities, land use and transportation integration, and evaluation of China's urban development policies. She holds a doctorate in urban and regional planning from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, a master's degree from Florida State University, and a bachelor's in architecture from Shenzhen University in Shenzhen, China.

JAPA is the quarterly journal of record for the planning profession. APA members receive a discounted digital subscription rate. JAPA aims to bring insight to planning the future, elevate a variety of perspectives, and publish the highest quality work for the profession.

The American Planning Association is an independent, not-for-profit educational organization that provides vital leadership in creating great communities for all. APA and its professional institute, the American Institute of Certified Planners, are dedicated to advancing the profession of planning, offering better choices for where and how people work and live. The nearly 40,000 APA members work in concert with community residents, civic leaders, and business interests to create communities that enrich people's lives. APA is based in Chicago. Learn more at www.planning.org.

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Contact: Roberta Rewers, APA Communications, 312.786.6395; rrewers@planning.org.