Would publishing independent research on urbanism make me employable?
December 10, 2015 10:28 PM Subscribe
I am 47 years old, and have been non-employed for several years now. I've spent some of this time involved as a concerned citizen in local land-use politics conflict. Several activists I worked with have praised my 'research' skills and writing ability. I've discovered that urbanism is a complex, fascinating and important cause, and a fertile vantage from which to look at the world. If I were to produce -- as an independent scholar -- work that was published in a peer-review journal on urbanist topics, could this result in making me more employable?
The political conflicts I've been involved with in my hometown have to do with appropriate levels of growth and architectural and urban design standards. I spent a lot of time going to hearings, sometimes speaking at them, reading city planning documents, and going to activist meetings. (I found that I am somewhat a moderate when it comes to the battle between NIMBYs and smart-growth-advocating urban planners. The truth does not seem to be in the extremes.) I've done some background study of the New Urbanist movement and its discontents, and learned a bit about issues in the municipal design-review process. I've also tried to achieve a more global perspective and have learned some about the challenges to the good city and good public spaces that are faced in contemporary Africa.
The idea of sinking my teeth into these or related topics with the aim of producing articles of robust scholarship appeals to me greatly. I believe I have the wherewithal to do this. However, I need to start thinking about eventually returning to the ranks of the employed. I have the vague idea that there are a lot of urbanist topics that relate to real-life practical enterprises -- like real estate development, municipal law, housing or transportation policy or architectural work. But it's a vague idea, and in any case I'm unsure how likely it is that a 48-year-old wielding a few academic-style research papers on such topics would find doors to employment thereby opened to him in any of these. My previous employment was in unrelated fields.
Can anyone give me some guidance?
All comments about this general question are welcome. As are any questions, if further info from me for this thread would be helpful.
The political conflicts I've been involved with in my hometown have to do with appropriate levels of growth and architectural and urban design standards. I spent a lot of time going to hearings, sometimes speaking at them, reading city planning documents, and going to activist meetings. (I found that I am somewhat a moderate when it comes to the battle between NIMBYs and smart-growth-advocating urban planners. The truth does not seem to be in the extremes.) I've done some background study of the New Urbanist movement and its discontents, and learned a bit about issues in the municipal design-review process. I've also tried to achieve a more global perspective and have learned some about the challenges to the good city and good public spaces that are faced in contemporary Africa.
The idea of sinking my teeth into these or related topics with the aim of producing articles of robust scholarship appeals to me greatly. I believe I have the wherewithal to do this. However, I need to start thinking about eventually returning to the ranks of the employed. I have the vague idea that there are a lot of urbanist topics that relate to real-life practical enterprises -- like real estate development, municipal law, housing or transportation policy or architectural work. But it's a vague idea, and in any case I'm unsure how likely it is that a 48-year-old wielding a few academic-style research papers on such topics would find doors to employment thereby opened to him in any of these. My previous employment was in unrelated fields.
Can anyone give me some guidance?
All comments about this general question are welcome. As are any questions, if further info from me for this thread would be helpful.
I think you're barking up a taller tree than you need to be. The thing is, publishing in peer-reviewed journals is to a very large extent specifically about contributing something new to the body of literature on that topic. This means cultivating a deep knowledge of who's already said what that is unrealistic-- and frankly, frequently pointless-- for most people who aren't career academics.
I think you would be much better served by aiming to publish in one of the vast array of "urbanist" journalism outlets that have popped up recently. Frankly there's a lot of crap out there, and a record of publishing thoughtful, knowledgeable, and accessible articles in popular venues would IMO lend a jobseeker some real marketability.
(FWIW, I have a planning degree, work in a planning-adjacent field, and have published in a peer-reviewed planning journal-- the publication is on my resume because it doesn't hurt to include it, but it probably carries the least weight of pretty much anything else I have up there.)
posted by threeants at 11:23 PM on December 10, 2015 [17 favorites]
I think you would be much better served by aiming to publish in one of the vast array of "urbanist" journalism outlets that have popped up recently. Frankly there's a lot of crap out there, and a record of publishing thoughtful, knowledgeable, and accessible articles in popular venues would IMO lend a jobseeker some real marketability.
(FWIW, I have a planning degree, work in a planning-adjacent field, and have published in a peer-reviewed planning journal-- the publication is on my resume because it doesn't hurt to include it, but it probably carries the least weight of pretty much anything else I have up there.)
posted by threeants at 11:23 PM on December 10, 2015 [17 favorites]
(It's also an issue of productivity and opportunity cost-- in the equivalent time it would take [writing and revising] to get a paper ultimately published in a peer-reviewed journal, you could probably write something like 40 high-quality blog posts.)
posted by threeants at 11:29 PM on December 10, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by threeants at 11:29 PM on December 10, 2015 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: @pando11 I guess that's part of my question: in what urbanism-related fields would employers value independent research skills? Perhaps this is putting the cart before the horse, and I should think more about a target. The project of working up publishable articles is a more vivid prospect for me now than performing any job description, partially because I'm ignorant in any detail of what jobs are out there, outside of in the municipal planning division, for which I'm assuming I'm rather late for the career track. Perhaps wrongly?
posted by bertran at 11:36 PM on December 10, 2015
posted by bertran at 11:36 PM on December 10, 2015
"Independent research skills" are quite marketable and have value almost across the board. However, if the work you're looking to do is ultimately as a practitioner rather than as a straight-up researcher, the specific skillset/knowledgebase unique to publishing in a peer-reviewed journal is IMO more rarefied than is productive to cultivate.
posted by threeants at 11:43 PM on December 10, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by threeants at 11:43 PM on December 10, 2015 [1 favorite]
My colleagues and I constantly lean on research in our day-to-day, but the overwhelming majority of it is gray literature-- primarily reports from government agencies and nonprofits/NGOs that ultimately synthesize peer-reviewed research but are certainly not, themselves, subject to peer review. In fact, the few times I've felt the need to go back and read the original journal article, I haven't even been able to-- for the most part anyone without a university affiliation trying to legally and cheaply access these journals is SOL!
posted by threeants at 11:52 PM on December 10, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by threeants at 11:52 PM on December 10, 2015 [1 favorite]
Speaking from the vantage point of an ex-academic - possession of skills to produce peer-reviewed papers will only really ever be useful if you are/want to be a research-active academic, and to do that you need a PhD and an awful lot of luck and persistence to win in the academic job lottery (which is why I am an IT project manager as opposed to a sociology lecturer). However, possession of research skills is a different story and that is something you could usefully sell to employers, depending of course on what your choice of employment is.
posted by coffee_monster at 1:57 AM on December 11, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by coffee_monster at 1:57 AM on December 11, 2015 [1 favorite]
As others have said, peer reviewed articles are their own skillset and not an easy path to take. It can take many months to even hear back from a journal, and at the end of the day all you have is an entry on your resume. Outside of academia it can be good for a conversation piece, but that is about it.
That said, if you have the skills to write a journal article, you have the skills to write reports, white papers, and analyses, which are all things that people pay for, either by their own staff or by consultants. But as has been said, it sounds like you are reversing things -- you need the path first, and then your writing will support that; I am not aware of any way to make a living writing urbanist papers on spec.
Urbanist topics do seem to be having a cultural moment and there is a lot of terrible work being produced, so if your timing may be good.
posted by Dip Flash at 2:08 AM on December 11, 2015 [1 favorite]
That said, if you have the skills to write a journal article, you have the skills to write reports, white papers, and analyses, which are all things that people pay for, either by their own staff or by consultants. But as has been said, it sounds like you are reversing things -- you need the path first, and then your writing will support that; I am not aware of any way to make a living writing urbanist papers on spec.
Urbanist topics do seem to be having a cultural moment and there is a lot of terrible work being produced, so if your timing may be good.
posted by Dip Flash at 2:08 AM on December 11, 2015 [1 favorite]
I would talk to some people in an urban planning department. Seems like if you had a lot of articles under your belt (blog posts, general articles for lay people) and you were able to show expertise, you could apply for some jobs in a planning or permit department.
posted by gt2 at 3:50 AM on December 11, 2015
posted by gt2 at 3:50 AM on December 11, 2015
I work in the field, and I'd say "maybe but probably not." It's a field of practitioners, so you'll need practical skills. Now, if you have relevant skills (computer programming, say), and you just need to demonstrate that you also have a knowledge base in city planning, then it might help. But you could do that in easier ways.
I do think you should get more focused on where in the field you want to work and what your sales pitch to those employers would be. If research appeals to you, look into consulting firms. I suspect you'll get more traction if you can demonstrate skills in demographic forecasting, map-making, market research, and the operation or improvement of various modeling tools in use today.
Planning is a field for generalists, and it's a people field, so doing in-depth solo research to the level needed to create a peer reviewed article is almost something I'd view with suspicion. I'd rather hear (for example) that you partnered with neighbors, city staff, local businesses and churches to successfully apply for a state grant to add a bike lane on your local arterial.
Good luck.
posted by slidell at 5:52 AM on December 11, 2015 [3 favorites]
I do think you should get more focused on where in the field you want to work and what your sales pitch to those employers would be. If research appeals to you, look into consulting firms. I suspect you'll get more traction if you can demonstrate skills in demographic forecasting, map-making, market research, and the operation or improvement of various modeling tools in use today.
Planning is a field for generalists, and it's a people field, so doing in-depth solo research to the level needed to create a peer reviewed article is almost something I'd view with suspicion. I'd rather hear (for example) that you partnered with neighbors, city staff, local businesses and churches to successfully apply for a state grant to add a bike lane on your local arterial.
Good luck.
posted by slidell at 5:52 AM on December 11, 2015 [3 favorites]
There are many professions where practitioners almost never read, and care very little about, peer-reviewed journals in their field. The only fields I know of where academic literature is central to the professional conversation are basic research areas where most practitioners are scholars as well, whether employed in universities or in corporate research labs.
posted by MattD at 6:01 AM on December 11, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by MattD at 6:01 AM on December 11, 2015 [2 favorites]
I'm in a doctoral program in urban & regional planning and I echo the comments that publishing in a peer-reviewed (aka academic) urban planning journal like the Journal of the American Planning Association or the Journal of Planning Education and Research is not the path to an urban planning job.
My recommendations would be to
1) submit a paper presentation to the American Planning Association annual conference. This is a practitioner focused conference and would be much more useful in terms of networking. Write a paper/presentation about citizen engagement in land use. This is always a huge topic for urban planners and you have first hand experience.
2) enroll in a professional certificate in the closest urban planning program. My department offers a professional certificate that is not as demanding as an M.A. but still opens doors. If a certificate program is too much of a financial commitment at this point, reach out to one of the professors and ask to sit in on a class you are particularly interested in.
3) threeants suggestion to write for Next City or Atlantic Cities or any of the online urban-focused media outlets is a good one.
posted by spamandkimchi at 4:45 PM on December 11, 2015 [3 favorites]
My recommendations would be to
1) submit a paper presentation to the American Planning Association annual conference. This is a practitioner focused conference and would be much more useful in terms of networking. Write a paper/presentation about citizen engagement in land use. This is always a huge topic for urban planners and you have first hand experience.
2) enroll in a professional certificate in the closest urban planning program. My department offers a professional certificate that is not as demanding as an M.A. but still opens doors. If a certificate program is too much of a financial commitment at this point, reach out to one of the professors and ask to sit in on a class you are particularly interested in.
3) threeants suggestion to write for Next City or Atlantic Cities or any of the online urban-focused media outlets is a good one.
posted by spamandkimchi at 4:45 PM on December 11, 2015 [3 favorites]
^ good suggestions
You could also have your APA presentation be about another topic you find interesting based on your desired urban planning career.
For instance, as millennials begin to start families, what does it take for multifamily buildings / high density neighborhoods to remain appealing to them -- what do cities and transit agencies need to do to prevent family-creation from triggering increased demand for lower density, auto oriented choices?
For instance, displacement and gentrification are huge topics now. (I see you live in Santa Monica, so you live in a place with a huge affordability problem, and the research says it will get worse). What does the research say about what anti-displacement strategies actually WORK? San Fran has implemented a ton of stabilization tools and is still experiencing massive displacement. What more is needed?
I could go on. Point being, find the intersection between your interests and topics that the field is really grappling with now. Think carefully about your target employers -- e.g., I wouldn't discuss climate-friendly policies if you're trying to get hired by a conservative jurisdiction.
One other idea. If you're willing to do free research, maybe you could do a volunteer internship in which you research something for a public agency, consulting firm, or nonprofit. I'd work your personal networks to find the most senior staff you can request a personal interview with. If you don't have any, then take a class at UCLA or something, kick ass (while being exceedingly normal and professional), and see if the professor can introduce you to someone. Again, the more strategic you can be about the field -- where you're trying to go, and thus, which professor -- the better.
posted by slidell at 7:50 AM on December 12, 2015
You could also have your APA presentation be about another topic you find interesting based on your desired urban planning career.
For instance, as millennials begin to start families, what does it take for multifamily buildings / high density neighborhoods to remain appealing to them -- what do cities and transit agencies need to do to prevent family-creation from triggering increased demand for lower density, auto oriented choices?
For instance, displacement and gentrification are huge topics now. (I see you live in Santa Monica, so you live in a place with a huge affordability problem, and the research says it will get worse). What does the research say about what anti-displacement strategies actually WORK? San Fran has implemented a ton of stabilization tools and is still experiencing massive displacement. What more is needed?
I could go on. Point being, find the intersection between your interests and topics that the field is really grappling with now. Think carefully about your target employers -- e.g., I wouldn't discuss climate-friendly policies if you're trying to get hired by a conservative jurisdiction.
One other idea. If you're willing to do free research, maybe you could do a volunteer internship in which you research something for a public agency, consulting firm, or nonprofit. I'd work your personal networks to find the most senior staff you can request a personal interview with. If you don't have any, then take a class at UCLA or something, kick ass (while being exceedingly normal and professional), and see if the professor can introduce you to someone. Again, the more strategic you can be about the field -- where you're trying to go, and thus, which professor -- the better.
posted by slidell at 7:50 AM on December 12, 2015
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posted by pando11 at 11:21 PM on December 10, 2015 [2 favorites]