Planning is a profession, that is, it's not solely an academic activity in which people discuss theory and leave it at that. While theory is important, and certainly research is an important tool for establishing "the way things are," it is not in any way the focus of the industry.
Since planning is a profession, you shouldn't be surprised to know that planners can be certified, just, for example, as engineers can be. When you become certified, you join the American Institute of Certified Planners, and you earn the privilege of appending "AICP" to your name, as in "Josephine Planner, AICP." Being a certified planner means that you have been recognized by the industry as a professional in the craft, and that you are bound to the AICP code of ethics. Certified planners maintain their certification through the AICP Certification Maintenance program, which requires 32 hours of instruction every two years, and which must include at least 1.5 hours of planning law and 1.5 hours of ethics training.
In order to become a certified planner, you must achieve certain prerequisites, including a specified combination of education and professional experience. Once you have met these prerequisites, and are a member of the American Planning Association, you are eligible to take the AICP exam.
The AICP exam is administered twice annually, and the application and exam cost is currently $485. An exam outline is also provided by the AICP which also makes exam prep notes available in paperback and CD for $195.
Having said that, there are other study guides, too. The Washington APA offers the APA Chapter Presidents' Council Study Manual for $15. Online study guides also exist, such as the APA Florida Treasure Coast Section's AICP Exam 2011 Study Links.
The Treasure Coast Section's offering is an exhaustive list of links to books, reviews, and other resources, and I intend to spend a significant amount of time going through it. I'm glad to have found it. And how did I find it? Apparently someone found my blog entry regarding Michael Brooks' "Planning Theory for Practitioners" worthy of inclusion on the list. I am flattered, but the credit goes to EWU's Urban and Regional Planning program for inspiring (requiring?) the work. It just goes to show how the EWU program contributes to the future of our region.
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This is an interactive blog for people interested planning in the Spokane region or planning in general.