A recently-released report for Planetizen, a top website on U.S. planning issues, ranked the University of Maryland’s Urban Studies and Planning Program (URSP) in the top 10 of all U.S. graduate planning programs, in terms of cited faculty publications per capita. The same study puts Maryland in the top five planning programs for annual cited publications per capita.
“This is very satisfying news,” said Jim Cohen, URSP director. “I knew we were doing well in terms of our faculty’s scholarly productivity but, until this study, we never had a comparative measure of it.”
The study, conducted by Professor Tom Sanchez of Virginia Tech’s Urban Affairs and Planning Program, examined citations of publications by planning faculty from programs across the country, including publications such as books, chapters and journal articles. According to Sanchez, faculty citations are a direct reflection of a faculty’s scholarly work and a measurable way to gauge academic productivity, reputation and impact.
Faculty at UMD’s Urban Studies and Planning Program study multiple facets of the urban fabric. The program houses planning experts in economic development, transportation planning, housing policy, land use planning, social planning and planning technology. The program also benefits from its partnership with the National Center for Smart Growth Research and Education, a driving force in planning research; four research associates at the Center are also active members of the URSP faculty.
“This is a wonderful achievement for our planning faculty and a reflection of the important work they undertake at the University,” said David Cronrath, Dean of the School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation. “It is terrific to see them being recognized on a national stage.”