Second year student, John Dawson, has been chosen as the winner of the Iowa American Planning Association’s student Essay Scholarship Program. His essay titled, “The Convergence of Planning and Democracy” was chosen as the best in state. The paper focuses on the role of democracy through public participation issues that practitioners often face, using examples from New Orleans to illustrate the theories.

John feels his undergraduate degree in philosophy (from the University of Iowa) helps when applying planning theory to practical planning practices. Urban and Regional Planning is proud to have one of our students chosen for this award and offers John a big congratulation!