What is planning? What is its value for society?
Planning is a profession that began during the progressive era in the United States to address aesthetic, land use, economic, housing, open space, urban design and public health conditions that threatened quality of life and efficient function of the industrializing city. The role of planning as a profession is to bring knowledge to action in public decision making processes and lead an inclusive, democratic process. Planners help communities define the future vision of their community, set goals to achieve that vision, identify problems or challenges, conduct research to understand opportunities and problems more fully, suggest strategies and plans for directing change, develop decision making criteria by which community leaders and residents can select or reject these plans, and develop actions through which these plans are implemented. The value gained from planning as an intellectual and decision making process is to clarify the values and goals of the community, bring information to bear on decisions, and allow community members to participate in these decision making processes. Planners have a special responsibility to work in the public interest, whether they work for public agencies or in the private sector.

Where to planners work?
Planners work in many different settings, including for city, county and regional planning agencies, for non-profit organizations, for private sector planning or development firms, and for other public agencies. How can a trained planner work in so many different contexts? Planners have a mode of work (described above) and a set of skills that can be applied in a variety of organizational settings and to a variety of urban and regional challenges and opportunities.

How is the planning profession governed?
Planning was institutionalized as a profession early in the 20th century, and today the American Institute of Certified Planners is the governing body for the profession. The American Planning Association is the body that provides technical assistance and professional development for practicing planners.

For additional information about planning and its professional practice, visit the American Planning Association.

The MUPDD faculty combines outstanding teaching with research productivity and public service. Our faculty received degrees from Cornell University, the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Carnegie Mellon University, the University of Southern California, Indiana University, Wayne State University, the University of California at Berkeley, Ohio State University and the University of Hawaii. We bring a broad range of experience and expertise to the program. The faculty maintain rigorous research and public service practice in addition to their teaching responsibilities.

Mittie Davis Jones
Joel Elvery
Edward Hill
Sanda Kaufman
Dennis Keating

Wendy Kellogg
Norm Krumholz
Sugn-Gheel Jang
Larry Ledebur
Sugie Lee

Helen Liggett
Brian Mikelbank
Robert Simons
Alan Weinstein

American Planning Association
APA is a nonprofit public interest and research organization committed to urban, suburban, regional, and rural planning. APA and its professional institute, the American Institute of Certified Planners, advance the art and science of planning to meet the needs of people and society.

The Ohio Planning Conference
The Ohio Planning Conference (OPC) is a statewide, non-profit association of citizens and professional planners committed to promoting and enhancing planning and the quality of planning for all governmental entities in order to maintain and improve the quality of life for all Ohio citizens. The OPC is a state chapter of the American Planning Association (APA).

2008 APA Conference in Las Vegas
Check the APA website for more information about the upcoming conference.

Planners Network
Planners Network is an association of professionals, activists, academics, and students involved in physical, social, economic, and environmental planning in urban and rural areas, who promote fundamental change in our political and economic systems.

Urban Planning, 1794-1918: An International Anthology of Articles, Conference Papers, and Reports

CSU Library Urban Planning Research Portal

PDD 611 Studio, Spring 2007: Northeast Ohio Regional Retail Analysis

PDD 611 Studio, Spring 2005: Northeast Ohio & Regional Governance

PDD 611 Studio, Spring 2004: Train Avenue/Walworth Run Corridor

PDD 611 Studio, Spring 2003: Burke Lakefront

PDD 611 Studio, Spring 2002: West 3rd Street Peninsula

Amistad Development Corporation
Avon Lake Planning Department
Batelle, Inc.
Bellaire-Puritas Development Corporation
Boulder County (Colorado) Planning Department
Children's Services of Cuyahoga County
Citizen's League of Greater Cleveland
City of Baltimore Planning Department
City of Cleveland Community Development Department
City of Cleveland Economic Development Department
City of Cleveland Planning Commission
City of Lorain, Ohio, Community Development Department
Cleveland Hopkins Airport
Cleveland Municipal School District

Council of Economic Opportunities of Cleveland
Crawford County (Pennsylvania) Planning Department
Cuyahoga County Planning Commission
Cuyahoga Metropolitan Housing Agency
D.B. Hartt
Deloitte and Touche
Detroit Shoreway Community Development Organization
Enterprise Foundation
Fairfax Renaissance Development Corporation
Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority
Lorain County Planning Commission
Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency
Slavic Village Development Corporation
State of New Jersey

Faculty Program Director
Dennis Keating

Graduate Advisor
Joan Demko