Planning: Get started

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?

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

Omni: your library catalogue

• 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