Call for Papers /// Reframing Planning Education: Crises and New Pathways session, 20th International Association for China Planning Annual Conference, 10–12 July 2026, Xi'an, China

Reframing Planning Education: Crises and New Pathways

Organisers

Yunpeng Zhang (University College Dublin)

Yitian Ren (Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University)

Weijie Hu (Swinburne University of Technology)

We would like to share the Call for Abstracts for the panel on "Reframing Planning Education: Crises and New Pathways" to be held during the 20th International Association for China Planning Annual Conference between July 10 and July 12, 2026, in Xi'an, China. 

Planning is increasingly expected to respond to climate emergencies, widening socio-spatial inequalities, and rapid socio-technological changes (Frank et al., 2014). At the same time, planning education itself is being reshaped by shifting labor markets, evolving expectations of professional practice, and institutional pressures on universities. In mainland China, these dynamics are especially visible. In response, some universities and planning schools have discontinued or restructured their planning degree programmes, developed international education pathways, or strengthened the training on computational and digital technologies considerably. Many of these developments are not unique to China but resonate with similar changes occurring in planning education beyond China. This raises broader questions about how planning is delivered, what forms of knowledge and skills are prioritised or marginalised, what capacities future planners should develop, and what implications these changes have for planning practices and for addressing societal challenges of our times.

This session invites critical and constructive contributions that examine changes in the provision of planning education and their implications. We welcome conceptual, empirical, or practice-oriented papers that engage with curriculum design, pedagogy, institutional strategy, or the changing boundaries of the planning profession.

Contributions may consider the following questions (but are not limited to):

1. How do social, political, ecological, and digital transformations challenge planning education, and what roles can education play in shaping future planners capable of navigating these changes?

2. How are universities and planning schools responding? What knowledge and skills are prioritised or marginalised in curricula, and what are the trade-offs and implications?

3. How do internationalisation strategies (joint/dual degrees, overseas branch campuses, cross-border studios, joint universities, student exchanges) reshape planning education, and how do they affect the production, delivery, and circulation of planning knowledge?

4. How might planning education be reframed to remain publicly relevant, ethically grounded, and intellectually robust?  

We particularly welcome contributions that draw on empirical studies, employ comparative lenses (across institutions, regions, or degree levels), or share innovative pedagogical approaches (including engagement with Generative AI in planning education). We are also interested in critical reflections on the professional identity of planners, public purposes of planning, and the politics of planning knowledge production and circulation, especially in relation to internationalisation, cross-language/culture teaching and learning, and epistemic power.

If you are interested in this session, please submit your abstract (200-300 words) via the conference submission portal (https://cmt3.research.microsoft.com/User/Login) by February 12, 2026.  Submission guides can be found on the conference website (https://www.china-planning.org/alpha/2026-iacp-annual-conference-call-for-abstracts-2/). Important note: When submitting, please indicate in your abstract that your submission is for this session (and/or select “others” in the subject area).

If you have any queries, please feel free to contact Yunpeng Zhang (yunpeng.zhang@ucd.ie), Yitian Ren (yitian.ren@xjtlu.edu.cn), and Weijie Hu (whu@swin.edu.au).

References

Frank, A. I., Mironowicz, I., Lourenço, J., Franchini, T., Ache, P., Finka, M., Scholl, B. & Grams, A. (2014). Educating Planners in Europe: A Review of 21st Century Study Programmes. Progress in Planning 91 30-94.

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