About 1/3 of planning faculty members use Twitter in a professional capacity. Semantic and network analysis of their Twitter use is helpful for reading the pulse of the field.
Tom Sanchez, professor of planning at Virginia Tech, recently announced new research that reveals the extent of Twitter adoption by planning faculty in the United States, in addition to insights into how planning faculty are using the social media platform.
According to the abstract to the paper, Sanchez provides the first attempt at an empirical analysis of how and why planning faculty use Twitter.
To complete the research, Sanchez identified a total of 324 Twitter accounts used for professional purposes from the over 1,100 urban planning faculty (the list is available online). One of the key points of the study's inquiry focused on the network aspects of planning faculty's Twitter use, characterizing users according to their connections to other users.
Findings include breakdowns by tweet type (e.g., retweet, quote, reply, etc.), popular hashtags, subject matter, and network influence.
Sanchez presented the new research, still in draft form but also available online [pdf], to the national conference of the American Collegiate Schools of Planning, which wrapped up over the weekend in Greenville.
FULL STORY: Urban Planning Faculty Using Twitter
Is Twitter Still an Effective Planning Tool?
Twitter has been a daily dose of drama and upheaval ever since Elon Musk offered to pay over $40 billion to buy the social media platform. Media outlets and public transit agencies had been abandoning the social media platform—should planners?
Twitter for Planners in 2022
Twitter is changing, not in the way Elon Musk wants it to, but it’s still perhaps the most useful social media platform for planners looking for education and engagement.
Only High-Income Riders Rely on Twitter for Transit Info, Study Says
A recent study by the Transit app reveals which communications methods are the most and least effective at reaching demographic groups representative of transit riders.
Alabama: Trump Terminates Settlements for Black Communities Harmed By Raw Sewage
Trump deemed the landmark civil rights agreement “illegal DEI and environmental justice policy.”
Study: Maui’s Plan to Convert Vacation Rentals to Long-Term Housing Could Cause Nearly $1 Billion Economic Loss
The plan would reduce visitor accommodation by 25% resulting in 1,900 jobs lost.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Waymo Gets Permission to Map SF’s Market Street
If allowed to operate on the traffic-restricted street, Waymo’s autonomous taxis would have a leg up over ride-hailing competitors — and counter the city’s efforts to grow bike and pedestrian on the thoroughfare.
Parklet Symposium Highlights the Success of Shared Spaces
Parklets got a boost during the Covid-19 pandemic, when the concept was translated to outdoor dining programs that offered restaurants a lifeline during the shutdown.
Federal Homelessness Agency Places Entire Staff on Leave
The U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness is the only federal agency dedicated to preventing and ending homelessness.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Caltrans
Smith Gee Studio
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions
Salt Lake City
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service