Doing Research in Urban and Regional Planning : Lessons in Practical Methods

Doing Research in Urban and Regional Planning provides a basic introduction to methodology and methods in planning research. It brings together the methods most commonly used in planning, explaining their key applications and basic protocols. It addresses the unique needs of planners by dealing with concerns which cut across the social, economic, and physical sciences, showing readers how to mobilise fresh combinations of methods, theoretical frameworks and techniques to address the complex needs of urban and regional development. It includes illustrative case studies throughout to help planning students see how methods can be operationalised on the ground and connect research with urban and regional planning practice to build foundations for action.

The book pays attention to contemporary trends – such as the growth in information technology, and general shifts in urban and environmental governance – that are affecting the practicalities and protocols of doing planning research. Doing Research in Urban and Regional Planning also encourages ethical reflection and discusses the ethical issues specific to planning research.

Each chapter begins with a chapter outline with learning outcomes and concludes with take-home messages and suggested further readings. It also suggests a range of learning activities and discussion points for each method.

Diana MacCallum teaches urban and regional planning at Curtin University, where she has coordinated the Honours program in planning since 2012. Her research interests focus on social aspects of urban planning and development, including practices and discourses of governance, social innovation, and eco-social justice in environmental policy.

Courtney Babb lectures in urban and regional planning at Curtin University. His teaching responsibilities include research methods and dissertation preparation, as well as transport planning and participatory planning. He also conducts research in these areas, and has a particular interest in children’s interaction with the built environment and planning systems.

Carey Curtis is Professor of City Planning and Transport at Curtin University, and the Director of the urban research network Urbanet. Her research experience spans four decades and has included over 50 projects in both academia and the planning industry. She has employed a wide range of both quantitative and qualitative research methods. Carey has published extensively in the areas of travel behaviour, transport and land use planning, and institutional barriers to sustainable urban development.