Young planners can benefit from ISOCARP’s large network of planning professionals through courses, workshops, awards and other activities that are co-organised or endorsed by ISOCARP. These build the base of the Young Planning Professionals’ Network.
Since 2012, ISOCARP has been organising Special YPP Workshops to provide more focused approach with the inclusion YPPs having similar cultural and educational background. These have covered joint workshops with other institutions such as Association of European Schools of Planning (AESOP) and International Tunnelling and Underground Space Association’s Committee (ITACUS), or can be specifically designed as part of research projects whereas ISOCARP takes the lead as the partner. such as SUSREG Project. This format allows promoting modern planning skills and knowledge, also in the underprivilidged areas and countries. It represents the more „practical” approach – workshop outcomes can be used by the host / partner organization.
In 2010 AESOP launched a new annual event: the European Urban Summer School (EUSS) for young professionals. AESOP wanted to bring together young professionals and experienced academics and practitioners across Europe to discuss planning issues. The concept does not involve economic profit. The European Urban Summer School should be a platform of debate and exchange and should be run on as low as possible fee for participants. Tutors do not get any fee for their work. AESOP decided to invite European partners from planning organizations to cooperate in this project. In 2012, the folowing organsations have joined EUSS apart from ISOCARP: European Council of Spatial Planners (ECTP-CEU), International Federation for Housing and Planning (IFHP).
ITACUS sees ISOCARP’s YPP programme as an ideal example of how to actively involve ITA Young Members and make them part of a cross-disciplinary cooperation with ISOCARP Young Planners. It ties in directly with the co-operation the ITA Young Members are seeking with the ITA committees and more specifically, to the new ITACUS joint activity group on a programme for young members. ITACUS is therefore now actively setting up of a Young Professional’s Think Deep Programme for young members (YPTDP), working together with ISOCARP. The core idea is to combine the proven methodology of ISOCARP’s YPPP with the concept of working cross-disciplinarily on underground planning issues. The results of the foreseen five YPTDP case studies will be collated into a follow-up publication to Think Deep and presented at the ITA WTC, ISOCARP World Congresses and the ACUUS World Congress.
