Launched today, the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) new Planning Your World site aims to raise awareness of the planning profession within the general public and illustrate the value of planning within the community.
The new site will host case studies and profiles of current planners to help young people to develop careers within the industry. Victoria Hills, Chief Executive of RTPI explained that the site is a user-friendly hub packed with industry knowledge directly from experts. “It is our hope at the RTPI that this new interactive website will be launchpad for potential new planners, who can see that a career in planning is richly rewarding and has a genuine positive impact on the lives of millions,” said Hills.
The initial idea of a site developed to help grow the understanding of how the planning industry and the role of planners is perceived within the community was first conceived following an RTPI survey aimed to gauge public understanding of the planning profession.
The survey, which spoke to 2000 people in July 2021, showed that, while the majority (73.2% ) claimed to understand the role of town planners, they did not truly comprehend the scope of the profession, nor the ways that planners can positively impact communities, the economy and the climate. “[We] were shocked by the results [of the survey],” said Hills. “If we are to train the next generation of planners, we need people to understand the importance of the industry today.”
The results from the survey found that only 28.5% of participants recognised that planners can influence the economy; 32.7% recognised that planners can influence covid recovery and 37.4% recognised that planners can influence issues around climate change and the environment.
Timothy David Crawshaw, RTPI’s President in 2022 who launched the website during his inauguration speech, explained that the results of the survey showed a concerning lack of understanding surrounding the planning industry.
“Planning is about more than just housing and new development. It is a world-changing profession with positive impacts on the economy, health and well-being, as well as holding the ability to tackle the climate crisis. Professional planners take into account the interests of local communities, technical considerations such as transport infrastructure and the environmental impacts of developments to ensure the best outcomes for the local area,” shared Crawshaw.
Planning Your World will be continually updated with new case studies and profiles to be ensure it remains an invaluable source of inspiration and education. Planners are encouraged to share their work on the site following the launch can contact the RTPI’s communications department at [email protected].
The Planning You World site can be found at: www.planningyourworld.org.uk
