The Language of Planners: A Central Issue in Internationalizing Planning Education

Abstract

One basic problem in internationalizing planning education is that planners across the globe seem to have no common language, no common role models or heroes, and no strong international professional societies. Planners simply have a hard time communicating with one another internationally, or understanding one other. On the other hand, our partners in shaping the urban environment (i.e., architects, landscape architects, urban designers, and engineers) do not seem to have a similar problem. Architects from different parts of the globe have no problem understanding or appreciating one another’s work, concepts, or reasoning.