Clear Signals

Abstract

Results from an earlier study indicated that senior planners in Oregon and Southwest Washington expect planning graduates to be equipped with strong communicative competencies built on a base of broad analytic skills. This article reports on an extension of that study to a survey of planners in California, Florida, Maryland, and New Jersey and confirms that these earlier findings are not unique to the Pacific Northwest. The challenge for planning educators is to design a core curriculum that responds to the skills and competencies demanded in practice and to adjust teaching practices and policies to recognize and reward the types of personal qualities sought by employers. Planning educators must consider carefully the field’s unique contributions and weave substance and values back into the curriculum.