Bonnie Johnson, FAICP, PhD


Profile Image

FAICP Statement

Bonnie J. Johnson, who directs the University of Kansas’ Urban Planning Program, really does believe planners can save the world. Her inspired teaching and transformational research directly draw on her experiences as both an award-winning practitioner and a leader in the American Planning Association. Johnson pushes students to be innovative through her APA award-winning instruction. In her career as a practitioner and academic, Bonnie focuses on creating innovative citizen participation and communication techniques, staking out and celebrating the ethics of planning, and empowering planners as civic leaders. Her work builds community and pushes the creative boundaries of the profession.

Professional Biography

Bonnie J. Johnson, PhD, FAICP is Director and Professor in the University of Kansas’ Urban Planning Program within the School of Public Affairs and Administration. She teaches planning theory, politics, and public management courses. Research focuses on the profession of city planning and the roles and ethics of being a planner. Contributions to the field include the use of new media for neighborhood organizing, creation of the civic bureaucracy model, groundbreaking research on staff reports, and comparative studies of public service professions and their codes of ethics. Before returning to school for her doctorate, Johnson was a practicing city planner for eight years designing citizen engagement processes for neighborhood, corridor, and city/countywide plans. At the City of Liberty, Missouri, she was project manager for Liberty’s award-winning Blueprint for Liberty: Land Use Plan. The plan was awarded the American Planning Association’s “Outstanding Planning Award”. She is the elected Professional Development Officer for the Kansas Chapter of APA and member of the Planning Accreditation Board representing the Association of Collegiate Schools of Planning. She served on the Ethics Committee for the American Institute of Certified Planners and was inducted into the AICP College of Fellows in 2020.

Education

016971 | University of Kansas
Graduation Date: May, 1990
Degree Level: Undergraduate

016971 | University of Kansas
Graduation Date: May, 1992
Degree Level: Graduate

016971 | University of Kansas
Graduation Date: May, 1994
Degree Level: Graduate
Planning Degree

016971 | University of Kansas
Graduation Date: December, 2006
Degree Level: PhD/J.D.

Social

Personal URL: https://spaa.ku.edu/people/bonnie-johnson
LinkedIn URL: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bonnie-j-johnson-faicp-phd?lipi=urn%3Ali%3Apage%3Ad_flagship3_profile_view_base_contact_details%3BL3K43MDHTfm4aNiyNrFi0w%3D%3D
Facebook URL: https://www.facebook.com/kuurbanplanning