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UF Urban and Regional Planning

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UF Urban and Regional Planning

Established in 1975, the University of Florida's Urban and Regional Planning Department leads the way in academic pursuits related to the planning field.

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08/31/2026

Calling all friends, colleagues, alumni and former mentors. 📣

Applications are now open to join our 2026–2027 URP Mentorship Program! This is your chance to help the next generation of planners build the skills and connections they need for a successful career.

We want to say thank you to everyone who has served as a Mentor in the past, and we encourage you to join us again this year!

About the Program: The goal of the URP Mentorship Program is to help students strengthen their professional networks through relationships with practicing planners. Mentors and mentees meet monthly from October to April (virtual or in-person), with options for office shadowing, resumé review, and letters of recommendation.

Apply today at the 🔗 in our bio.

For any additional questions, please reach out to Elizabeth “Liz” Abernethy, AICP | [email protected]

Application deadline: Thursday, September 17
Matches announced: Week of September 21
Program begins: Monday, October 5

08/27/2026

Elizabeth Abernethy, AICP, UF URP’s Planner in Residence, served as a panelist this month at two conferences focused on local land use and housing.

🔹 Florida League of Cities Annual Conference in Hollywood. Panel: “Better Decisions, Better Places: Improving Local Land Use Outcomes,” alongside FL Sen. Stan McClain, FL House Representative Kaylee Tuck, and Mark Barnebey, AICP, City Attorney for the City of Palmetto, FL.

🔹 Florida Housing Coalition’s REPAIR Conference in Orlando. Panel: “Policies Shaping Florida’s Future,” where she shared insights from the City of St. Petersburg’s Missing Middle zoning district and three years of building data since its launch. She also caught up with Florida Housing Coalition CEO and UF URP alum Ashon Nesbitt. 🐊

Drawing on her experience as former Director of Planning and Development Services for the City of St. Petersburg, Liz brought real-world expertise to conversations shaping the future of housing and development across the Sunshine State.

Read the full story in our News section, 🔗 in bio!

07/06/2026

Whether you’re lounging by the pool, taking a long road trip, or just need something to unwind after a long summer day, check out the UF URP Summer Reading (+) List, a curated collection of the best reads, listens, and watches recommended by our students, alumni, faculty, and staff! 🌇

From research on rural planning to a snapshot of “Old Florida,” swipe to find your new favorites. 👉

06/17/2026

Assistant Professor Zhaoxi Zhang, Ph.D., recently took a tour through Europe to speak with colleagues and students about her research on emerging technologies and their role in creating safer, healthier and more resilient urban spaces. ✈️ 🌍

With stops in Denmark, Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands, Dr. Zhang exchanged insights on the use of AI and wearable technologies in urban research, while gaining fresh perspectives on how researchers worldwide are tackling similar challenges. Dr. Zhang presented findings to and met with colleagues from a variety of international institutions including KU Leuven TU Darmstadt TU Eindhoven Københavns Universitet and Aarhus University

Visit our News section at the link in our bio to read the full story.

06/04/2026

Dr. Yan Wang, alongside Ph.D. student Su Jeong Jo, recently published the paper “Career Mobility of Planning Alumni in the United States: Evidence from Professional Profile Data Using Large Language Models” in the Journal of the American Planning Association (JAPA).

The research team utilized LLM’s to analyze the career mobility of 130,000 planning alumni utilizing data from LinkedIn profiles. The paper sought to answer two questions:

1. How do sectoral backgrounds, spatial contexts, network characteristics, and skill acquisition shape career advancement among planning alumni?
2. What mechanisms and opportunity structures are associated with upward career mobility in the planning profession?

Read the full paper by visiting our News section, 🔗 in bio.

05/07/2026

Thank you to everyone who came out to celebrate the end of another successful year at our end-of-year event! 🐊

Special congratulations to our students, faculty and staff on their tremendous accomplishments. 🏆 This event also brought our 50th anniversary year to a close, honoring the legacy we’ve built and the bright future that lies ahead.

See more photos from the event and read the full recap at the 🔗 in our bio.

05/06/2026

Congratulations to our Spring 2026 graduates! 🎉

Your commitment to the planning profession and the growth you’ve demonstrated throughout the program has prepared you to shape our future communities with both passion and purpose. We’re thrilled to see what you accomplish! 🐊

04/23/2026

Check out our new feature article from UF News! 🔗 in bio.

“Nearly 1,000 people move to Florida each day according to University of Florida’s Bureau of Economic and Business Research, accelerating development that is reshaping communities and placing growing demands on the state’s natural resources and ecosystems.

At UF’s Department of Urban and Regional Planning, the next generation of planners and community leaders is learning to address these challenges, from smart growth and cultural preservation to supporting aging populations and advancing ecological conservation.”

04/16/2026

FINAL call to RSVP for our End-of-Year Celebration! 🔊

Deadline is Sunday, April 19. Tap the 🔗 in our bio to register for free. See you there!

04/14/2026

Professor Zhong-Ren Peng, alongside his current and former Ph.D. students, recently published “Symbiotic Planning Theory: The CORE Framework for Human-AI Co-Creation in Urban Planning” in the 𝘑𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘈𝘮𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘗𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘈𝘴𝘴𝘰𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 (JAPA).

The paper addresses a timely question: How can planners harness AI without giving up human judgment, democratic legitimacy, and institutional accountability?

The authors propose Symbiotic Planning Theory (SPT), which argues that AI should be treated not as a passive tool or an autonomous system, but as a co-creative partner in planning. While AI can help generate options, reveal hidden patterns, and simulate consequences, humans must still set goals, make value judgments, and retain final authority. As the paper puts it: AI proposes, humans authorize.

Using Gainesville’s shared e-scooter program as a case study, the paper examines the gap between deployment rules and actual use in designated Equity Zones. The research shows how AI, combined with community-defined equity constraints, can help shift service toward underserved areas and strengthen transit integration.

Read the full article at the 🔗 in our bio!

Zhong-Ren Peng is a Professor in the Department of Urban and Regional Planning and serves as Director of iAdapt, where he leads research on urban planning AI, transportation, and climate adaptation.

Address

1480 Inner Road, ARCH 431
Gainesville, FL
32611

Opening Hours

Monday	9am - 5pm
Tuesday	9am - 5pm
Wednesday	9am - 5pm
Thursday	9am - 5pm
Friday	9am - 5pm

Telephone

+13522941485

Website

https://dcp.ufl.edu/urp/

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