My recent posts have provided advice on the exit project or thesis in planning: how to get started, write a proposal, manage one’s committee, and troubleshoot problems.
My recent posts have provided advice on the exit project or
thesis in planning: how to
get started, write a proposal, manage one's committee, and troubleshoot
problems. This post concludes this series by providing advice on getting
done-not the last-minute troubleshooting issues dealt within one of the earlier posts-but the big steps that will help you get done on time.
- Write
a proposal-without
it you'll flounder. - Make a
timeline and negotiate key deadlines with your committee-they may even
have a draft ready. For instance, Bruce Stiftel of Florida State
provides standard milestones
for students.
Allow time for comments and revisions. Don't underestimate the time to
create illustrations and do final formatting. Stick to your timeline and
if you need to depart from it, let your committee know ahead of time. - Find
the university style sheet or create your own. There are often two parts.
One will deal with text:
punctuation, capitalization of words, reference formats, and related
issues. The other will deal with
layout: margins, heading styles, fonts. If there isn't a style sheet in
existence use a book like Turabian's Craft of Research
for the text styles. Copy a book or report you find attractive for the
layout style. This is an important document-sticking to a style can save
lots and lots of time. - Take
notes carefully-I use a template that records the methods used, place
studied, and key topics for each reading and that also notes page numbers.
This is a great help later. - While
not absolutely necessary, I've found over the years that keeping notes
about what I do helps reconstruct decisions later. I keep such a log every
day. - Unless
you really, really need to travel or buy a large data set you don't need
to get grants for masters-level projects in planning. It
isn't expected and it can take a lot of time. - Many
people have not managed a 100+ page document-if you are one of those folks, look
for classes on how to use your word processing program effectively to deal
with pagination, sections, paragraph styles, tables, charts, graphs, and
images. There are many simple short cuts and I notice that too few
students use them.
Remember, getting finished is an important step on your path to
being a planner. Doing it as efficiently as possible will enable you to start making
a difference in the world all the sooner.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

Chicago’s Ghost Rails
Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail
The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.

Ohio Forces Data Centers to Prepay for Power
Utilities are calling on states to hold data center operators responsible for new energy demands to prevent leaving consumers on the hook for their bills.

MARTA CEO Steps Down Amid Citizenship Concerns
MARTA’s board announced Thursday that its chief, who is from Canada, is resigning due to questions about his immigration status.

Silicon Valley ‘Bike Superhighway’ Awarded $14M State Grant
A Caltrans grant brings the 10-mile Central Bikeway project connecting Santa Clara and East San Jose closer to fruition.
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
City of Fort Worth
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie
