This year’s workshop, attended by 24 planning doctoral students representative of urban and regional planning programs affiliated with 18 universities in 12 states and two countries, was hosted by the Georgia Tech University School of City and Regional Planning. An RSA Travel Award made it possible for me to attend.
The aims of the annual workshop, as referenced on the ACSP website are to enable advanced planning students:
• to gather and discuss “the practical details of creating, producing, distributing and consuming planning knowledge” among fellow beginning researchers, under the advisement of accomplished scholars;
• to learn to “conceive, organize, and present PhD‐quality research to multiple audiences, including, most centrally, their peers;” and
• to “advise one another as scholars pursuing unique research paths within a community of shared inquiry.”
The workshop included both plenary and small‐group sessions. Each student was afforded the opportunity make at least two presentations about their research “with the objective of gaining insight into how to maximize the impact of their dissertation research.” Highly informative sessions on topics ranging from quantitative and qualitative research design, to securing of funding and publishing of findings were also held.
Internationally‐known planning faculty serving as this year’s workshop organizers and facilitators included:
• Dr. Stephen P. French, FAICP‐ David M. McKenney Professor and Associate Dean of Research Georgia Tech University School of City and Regional Planning
• Dr. Bruce Stiftel, FAICP‐ Professor and Department Chair Georgia Tech University School of City and Regional Planning
• Dr. Nancey Green Leigh, FAICP‐ Professor Georgia Tech University School of City and Regional Planning
• Dr. Michael L. Poirier Elliott‐ Professor and Associate Director, Center for Quality Growth and Regional Development Georgia Tech University School of City and Regional Planning
• Dr. John D. Landis‐ Crossways Professor and Department Chair University of Pennsylvania Department of City and Regional Planning