Teaching Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation in Urban Planning Programs : An Analysis of Urban Planning Curricula
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The research addresses the crucial role of planners and planning education programs in addressing climate change. While many university programs have attempted to cover sustainable development and climate change issues, there remains a gap between what planners are expected to know about the concepts, potential strategies, and analytical methods and what they learn in their planning programs. As planning students will become critical actors and mediators in future planning projects, they must understand and develop the necessary skills to tackle climate change effectively.The research examines selected urban planning programs at the bachelor's and master's levels in the countries: Japan, Sweden, Iran, and the United States. Preliminary research findings from comparing various programs worldwide indicate the significance of local climate issues and the politics behind the contribution of urban planning schools to prepare planners as agents of change toward more environmentally-friendly developments. The results also emphasize a lack of literature, research, experts, and lecturers specialized in the interdisciplinary fields of climate change and urban planning. Moreover, it highlights critical thinking as a vital skill for planners and the practicality of the knowledge about climate change taught in urban planning.