Research guides: Planning: Get started

About this guide

This guide will help students and faculty in the School of Planning navigate the library to meet their learning and research needs by:

linking to relevant databases to find articles
providing information about books, print and electronic
linking to additional resources and collections
showcasing tools that support academic goals and objectives

Find articles lists databases for specific topics, such as:

climate change adaptation
climate change mitigation
healthy cities
nature based solutions
planning theory
public participation
sustainability
transportation

Databases, and how to:

navigate effectively
use filters and limits
tag and export results to Zotero

Find books provides information on:

eBooks and eBook collections
LC (Library of Congress) classification system
locations of on-campus book return bins
new books
Onmi, the library catalogue
requesting items from the catalogue

More resources links to:

library guides
- essential
- subject specific
- topic specific
- for advanced library users
unique collections
- data; statistics
- films
- Geospatial Centre
- Special Collections & Archives (SC&A)
  - Digital library
  - Special Collections / Rare books
publications of selected centres and institutes
- Heritage Resources Centre
- Interdisciplinary Centre on Climate Change (IC3)
- Southwestern Ontario Research Data Centre (SWORDC)
- Water Institute
- Waterloo Institute for Complexity & Innovation (WICI)
- Waterloo Institute for Social Innovation (WISIR)
- Waterloo Institute for Sustainable Energy (WISE)

The Research toolkit provides an overview of the research process and tips to help with:

academic writing, essays and research papers
help with references, citing your work
bibliometric tools
more than technical skills, soft skills
time management tips
the research process
saving your search strategy
setting up alerts
publishing your work?
need funding?

Access

NEW

Nature Cities

Nature Cities is a new monthly, online journal to be launched in January 2024. Nature Cities will publish insightful research and opinion about cities and urban issues broadly. All editorial decisions are made by a team of full-time professional editors.
Aims and scope

Relevant research topics

conversion of land from natural habitats to urban land use
creation, use, and preservation of natural spaces and parks
development of transportation networks and infrastructure
water and air quality
political theory and policy analysis
physical/natural environment
community sustainability
urban design
transportation
housing
social and demographic dimensions
economic development
regional planning
heritage and preservation
health
environmental planning includes:
- biology and ecology
- water and wetlands
- watersheds
- forests and parks
planning as a process includes
- policy-making
- research
- decision-making
- select disciplines in geography, social sciences, and pure and applied sciences
planners help:
- plan and design new communities, and developments within existing communities
- protect the natural environment as well as heritage buildings and neighbourhoods
- improve the existing conditions of urban areas
- create programs and policies that benefit individuals and communities
- assist in the creation, operation, and development of transportation infrastructure and systems - roads, transit, bikes and pedestrian ways - which allow for freight and people movements
- advise city governments and private companies on environmental issues

Liaison Librarian

Need help?

You can email me with your question(s), or book a consultation. Email questions are answered within1-2 business days. Consultations can be booked up to a month in advance and could be up to an hour in length.