Planning Skills and Career Development

A Special Issue of the Journal of the American Planning Association

The planning profession continues to evolve as rapid technological advancement, climate change, and changing political and financial conditions challenge traditional approaches to advancing equity and quality of life. 

This special issue seeks to advance that conversation by bringing together diverse perspectives on how the planning profession is changing by understanding the types of skills and knowledge that will be necessary for the successful planning professional, as well as the internal and external pressures forcing these changes. 

We welcome submissions that address topics including, but not limited to:

• how planning careers are evolving,
• what employers seek from planners,
• how skills and competencies are changing, given changing external demands and / or new workplace technologies,
• how planners move across sectors and career stages,
• geographic and organizational differences in work and professional expectations,
• how planning differs from other (related) professions, and
• how accredited planning programs are responding to the changing professional demands.

We are open to other topics, but they must directly be relevant to understanding the changing planning profession.

Out of Scope

We are primarily interested in works presenting original research from a variety of approaches.  This special issue is not interested in papers based solely on a synthesis of other studies or using literature review as the primary method for understanding the planning profession. 

Submissions

Authors should submit a title and a 500-word extended abstract by February 1, 2027, to the guest editor, Camille Barchers, PhD, AICP, via email at cbarchers@umass.edu prior to full manuscript submission. Extended abstracts will undergo an initial review by the guest editors to assess their relevance, fit, and contribution to the aims of the special issue. Authors of selected abstracts will subsequently be invited to submit a full manuscript for consideration by June 1, 2027.

Extended abstracts should follow JAPA's abstract structure and include the following sections:

• Problem, Research Strategy, and Findings: Clearly describe the planning problem or research question, the research strategy and methods employed, and the principal findings and conclusions. Authors should also include at least one sentence discussing the limitations of the research approach, methods, and/or data, and the implications of those limitations for the findings.
• Takeaway for Practice: Clearly explain the relevance and implications of the research for planning practice, governance, policy, or professional decision-making.

Acceptance of full manuscripts is contingent upon JAPA's standard peer-review process.

Guest Editors

Camille Barchers, PhD, AICP (cbarchers@umass.edu)
Henry Renski, PhD (hrenski@umass.edu)
Jamaal Green, PhD (jamaalg@design.upenn.edu)

Top image: Photo by iStock/Getty Images/ Nikita John Creagh