Four decades of American planning traced through one planner’s career

A new interview-based perspective published in Frontiers of Urban and Rural Planning traces how American planning has changed over more than four decades, from a largely technocratic and regulatory practice into a more collaborative, interdisciplinary and community-oriented profession. The piece is built around the reflections of Sue Schwartz, former Planning Director of Greensboro, North Carolina, and a leader within the American Planning Association and the American Institute of Certified Planners.

The interview, published as an open access Perspective on 2 October 2026, organises the profession’s recent history into distinct periods and turning points. These include the development-led expansion of the 1980s, the influence of New Urbanism and Smart Growth, the transformation of public engagement, and the lessons drawn from the Great Recession.

Schwartz also discusses the opportunities and risks that artificial intelligence and data tools present for planning practice, according to the article’s abstract. The perspective examines how professional certification, continuing education, ethical standards and professional associations help sustain planning as an increasingly interdisciplinary field.

Despite economic uncertainty, political change and technological disruption, the interview highlights curiosity, public service, professional judgment and optimism about the future as enduring foundations of the planning profession. The article is a retrospective and forward-looking reflection rather than an empirical study, and its scope is the American planning profession as experienced and interpreted by one senior practitioner.

Subject of Research: The evolution of the American planning profession over four decades

Article Title: The evolution of American planning over four decades: professional change, institutional adaptation, and future directions

Article References: Schwartz, S., & Bai, R. (2026). The evolution of American planning over four decades: professional change, institutional adaptation, and future directions. Frontiers of Urban and Rural Planning, 4(1), Article 26. https://doi.org/10.1007/s44243-026-00097-2

Image Credits: AI Generated

DOI: 10.1007/s44243-026-00097-2

Keywords: urban planning, American Planning Association, AICP, New Urbanism, Smart Growth, public engagement, Great Recession, artificial intelligence, professional certification, planning ethics, Greensboro, Frontiers of Urban and Rural Planning