Save the UNL CRP Program

Recently, the Chancellor for the University of Nebraska–Lincoln rolled out a Budget Reduction Plan aimed at adjusting to a $27.5M budget shortfall due to declining revenues from tuition and state appropriations. The plan proposed, amongst other actions, the elimination of UNL’s Community and Regional Planning (CRP) Program. This decision would end Nebraska’s only PAB-accredited planning program, eliminating the Master’s in Community and Regional Planning, the undergraduate and graduate minors, and the Urban Design Graduate Certificate.

A Witness to a Successful Program

In my eight years as President of the Nebraska Planning and Zoning Association (NPZA) and nearly twenty years of involvement in the Association, I have witnessed first-hand the positive impact the CRP program has had on planning and zoning in Nebraska.

Each year, students from the program provide session presentations at our annual Nebraska Planning Conference. These sessions are consistently among the most well-attended and highly rated by our members. Attendees routinely praise the students’ creativity, technical skills, and thoughtful approaches to real-world planning challenges. These presentations not only inspire our members, but they also equip them with practical ideas they can take back and apply in their own communities.

NPZA, along with its sister organization, APA Nebraska, recognizes the importance of this program to Nebraska. In a joint effort, they provide free registration for students to our annual conference and have set up a scholarship program for students in the CRP program as well. Of the over 17,000 certified planners in the United States, only 100 reside in Nebraska. There is an obvious need to grow the planning profession in Nebraska to support more livable communities, something that is only possible with a strong in-state academic program.

A Direct Impact

Students of the UNL CRP program also have a direct impact on communities throughout Nebraska on a regular basis. The program’s faculty and students work in communities across the state of Nebraska with hands-on projects that make a real, positive impact. They’ve provided planning assistance to many communities in need, where budgets are limited, but their impact can be substantial.

The CRP program is Nebraska’s only PAB-accredited planning program, producing highly trained professionals who serve communities across the state and region. Its contributions extend far beyond the classroom. CRP faculty and students have led nearly 40 community-engaged projects in Nebraska over the past seven years, directly benefiting local governments and residents. This includes communities like Brownville, where Extension and the Community and Regional Planning Program assisted this town of only 126 residents with flood recovery, mitigation, and planning assistance.

Eliminating the CRP program at UNL would harm Nebraska’s ability to develop our own planners, weaken community partnerships, and undercut UNL’s commitments to research, teaching, and service. Communities across the state are struggling with complex challenges that demand thoughtful, innovative solutions. Solutions that UNL’s CRP graduates are uniquely equipped to provide.

Last Call for Action

Today is the last day to submit letters to urge the Academic Planning Committee to recognize the essential value of the CRP program to the University and the State of Nebraska and to reconsider the proposed elimination of this program.

APC Portal: The portal is key to getting the comments to the review committee and will remain open until October 13^th. https://apc.unl.edu/fall-2025-budget-reduction-feedback-form/

When submitting your comment (or pasted letter) at this link, under “Program Area”, select Community & Regional Planning.  Then you can enter a comment in the text box OR upload a file with your letter of support.