Which Urban Planning Academics Use Twitter and How

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.

1 minute read

October 30, 2019, 10:00 AM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Social Media Apps

Jason A. Howie / flickr

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.

Saturday, October 26, 2019 in Tom Sanchez

Red on white 'Room for Rent, Inquire Inside' sign

In Most U.S. Cities, Archaic Laws Limit Roommate Living

Critics argue laws preventing unrelated adults from living in the same home fail to understand the modern American household.

May 24, 2023 - The Atlantic

Vancouver Chuck Wolfe

Ten Signs of a Resurgent Downtown

In GeekWire, Chuck Wolfe continues his exploration of a holistic and practical approach to post-pandemic urban center recovery, anchored in local context and community-driven initiatives that promote livability, safety, and sustainability.

May 24, 2023 - GeekWire

New York MTA subway station

Off-Peak is the New On-Peak

Public transit systems in major U.S. cities are starting to focus on non-rush hour travelers as pre-pandemic commuting patterns shift and transportation needs change.

May 19, 2023 - Curbed

Nighttime view of Tacoma, Washington skyline

Tacoma Coalition Calls for ‘Tenants’ Bill of Rights’

The group wants to put more power in the hands of tenants, but the city has its own, competing proposal for addressing the housing crisis.

May 26 - The Urbanist

Wind turbines sillhouetted against a sunset sky along roadway in New Mexico

New Power Transmission Line Approved in the Southwest

The proposed transmission line will transfer wind-produced power from New Mexico to cities in Arizona and California.

May 26 - U.S. News And World Report

Aerial view of 238 freeway in Oakland, California cutting through neighborhood with small houses

The Limitations of ‘Reconnecting Communities’

The Biden administration has pledged to correct the damage imposed on communities by highways and infrastructure, but many projects are only committing to minor improvements, not transformative changes.

May 26 - The New York Times

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.