Assistant Professor in Urban and Regional Planning

University of Florida•Gainesville, FL

10d

About The Position

The Department of Urban and Regional Planning within the University of Florida’s College of Design, Construction and Planning invites applications for a nine-month, tenure-accruing faculty position at the rank of Assistant Professor to begin in August 2026. The Department encourages applications from candidates with background and expertise in the urban and regional planning field . The Department has particular interest in candidates whose research and teaching contribute to future-oriented, innovative urban and regional transformation and the empowerment of communities and residents . We seek a high-caliber candidate whose work focuses on achieving equitable and sustainable outcomes related to: affordable housing , climate resilience , physical and social mobility , or integrated land use and urban governance . Candidates should demonstrate the ability to leverage advanced and integrative planning , design , policy , and technology to make significant contributions to one or more of these areas. Ideal candidates will collaborate with other disciplines, bring professional experience, and have interest in relating their work to Florida communities. The Department of Urban and Regional Planning consists of a collegial faculty of thirteen core members and an additional eighteen members affiliated with research centers and other academic programs. Our faculty is the most productive in the College and consistently attracts the highest amount of research funding, with close to $4 million in new grants secured in the past year. We foster a family friendly environment and promote career development at every level, including mentorship of junior faculty. The Department, founded in 1975 and first accredited in 1978, offers a Master of Urban and Regional Planning (MURP), a Master of Science in Urban Analytics (MSUA), a PhD URP concentration with STEM designation, a graduate minor in URP and certificate in UA, an undergraduate minor in URP, and a combined (4+1) bachelor-master degree. The Department’s fully-online MURP was the country’s first and remains the only accredited such program. In 2023, the MURP program (campus and online) was ranked 22 nd in the nation, sixth in the South, and the 10 th largest by enrollment. The Department recently established a Bachelor of Urban Sciences and Planning (BUSP) to begin in Fall 2026. As one of the two units in the School of Landscape Architecture and Planning , the Department of Urban and Regional Planning has a strong relationship with the Department of Landscape Architecture, as well as other units in the College, which include Architecture, Construction Management, Interior Design, Historic Preservation, and Sustainability and the Built Environment. The School of Architecture has established two off-campus CityLab programs in Orlando and Jacksonville to enhance access to highly urban contexts. The School and College are home to a range of research institutes and centers, including the Shimberg Center for Housing Studies, the GeoPlan Center, the Center for Health and the Built Environment, the International Center for Adaptation Planning and Design (iAdapt), the Center for Landscape Conservation Planning, and the Florida Institute for Built Environment Resilience (FIBER). The University of Florida is ranked #7 among the nation’s public universities according to the U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges 2025 list. As the flagship university of the state of Florida, and as a major land-grant research university in the Association of American Universities (AAU), the University offers many opportunities for faculty to develop a national and international reputation for research on issues that showcase Florida and the Southeastern United States as a living laboratory, and to shape the next generation of urban and regional planning professionals. Opportunities exist for cross-disciplinary appointments and collaboration, such as with the Warrington College of Business, the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, the Levin College of Law, UF’s six health-related colleges on campus, the School of Natural Resources and Environment, the Water Institute, and the Florida Climate Institute. In addition, the University’s AI initiative includes access to Nvidia’s HiPerGator supercomputer. The College is located on the University’s historic main campus, which is characterized by gothic brick buildings and expansive oak trees. The broader campus boasts world-class museums, a performing arts center, a childcare center, and a nationally ranked hospital complex. Situated within the city of Gainesville , the campus is surrounded by historic neighborhoods and a vibrant downtown, and the campus connects to the larger community and beyond by over one hundred miles of bike paths, a regional transit system, and a regional airport. The Gainesville metropolitan area within Alachua County is home to 280,000 residents and serves as the commercial, cultural, educational, and medical center of the north central Florida region. Alachua County schools are highly rated and offer a variety of specialized programs. The County’s nature parks, waterways, and freshwater springs provide nature-lovers with abundant outdoor activities. The major cities of Orlando, Tampa, and Jacksonville, and the Gulf and Atlantic coasts, are all two hours or less away.

Requirements

The candidate must have a PhD in urban and regional planning or closely related field.
A successful candidate must have expertise and a strong fundamental background in the planning field, through education and experience, to enable them to support specialized and core courses for the MURP and BUSP programs.
The PhD must be completed prior to the start date of August 16, 2026.
An ABD at the time of interviews will be considered with a letter from the candidate’s supervisor confirming the candidate’s date of graduation.

Nice To Haves

Preferred candidates incorporate real estate finance and/or policy aspects into their research, teaching, and service, including through connections with related discipline programs such as business and political science.
Professional planning experience is desired, with AICP or other relevant credentials preferred.
Candidates should also have a demonstrated track record or potential to publish in peer-reviewed journals and attract extramural research funding, particularly nationally competitive grants; favorable experience with student-centered classroom instruction (at graduate or undergraduate levels) and an interest in incorporating online modalities; and a willingness to serve the academy, the profession, and communities.

Responsibilities

Conduct research and publications commensurate with a tenure-track position and be entrepreneurial in obtaining research grants.
Collaborate with other faculty and researchers.
Teach a total of four courses per year (two in fall and two in spring), which may be graduate and upper-level undergraduate courses delivered in-person and online, in the candidate’s areas of expertise and in general planning topics. Anticipated courses include at least one core general planning course.
Conduct community outreach and service consistent with the missions of the Department and the land-grant University.

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