Are You a Planner? — Survey

Scott “Capt. Cloudwatcher” Allen, GISP
Lecturer, Department of Urban and Regional Planning
University of Hawaii, Manoa

I am a current student at the University of Hawaii at Manoa's Department of Urban and Regional Planning. My research interests lie at the nexus of planning, education, and social justice and I am currently working on my master's thesis to satisfy my graduation requirements. The topic of my research is the socialization of American Planners, which I chose because little is known about what it is like "becoming" a planner. A key outcome of successful professional socialization is forming a strong professional identity. Especially in professions that seek to serve the public good, understanding professional identity is important because it is associated with judgement and how we make decisions. This research aims to shine light on experiences in a planner's career that shape who they become and understand how this compares to theorized approaches to planning (e.g. rational or communicative planning). The results may help inform planning theory, curriculum, and professional development programs.

Those interested in participating should follow the link in the flyer to the recruitment form (http://bit.ly/2RqKShp). They will be asked to provide some basic profile and contact information to indicate their intent to participate in the study. After signing up, they will be sent an informed consent form and instructions to begin the study.  The first round of the study involves a brief online survey (10–15 minutes) which would need to be completed by MARCH 6. There will be an option to continue participation if they are interested but this is not required.

Return to the January/February issue of the Washington Planner