Planning, Housing & Transport Education

Planning Education

Town and country, city, urban, regional, rural and environmental planning is taught at circa 25 departments in UK Higher Education Institutions. More than twenty departments are currently offering planning programmes accredited by the Royal Town Planning Institute, the professional body that regulates the planning profession in Britain.

Planning practice and education must be evaluated constantly to adjust to changing needs. The RTPI's education commission is reviewing the Institute's stance on education, training and professional qualifications.

Housing Education

As the importance of providing good quality and affordable housing as a means of addressing social problems such as poverty and ill-health was firmly established in 19th century Britain, there is an established tradition of a separate discipline of housing.

Education in housing is often undertaken within planning schools, but not always. Housing degrees for the most part are practice orientated reflecting the needs of employers. Housing degrees are generally accredited by the Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH).

Transport Planning Education

Transport professionals need a variety of skills including technical, policy and management. There are different professional bodies that cater to transport professionals and educators. Transport Planning courses are accredited by the Institute of Logistics and Transport (ILT).

Transport planning is taught as a speciality at a number of planning schools. A recent report by Wenban-Smith and Billington on 'Transport Skills for the New Millennium' documents a severe skills gap in the field. Transport planners are sought after and a bursary is put forth to help boost student numbers by the Transport Planning Society.