The Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) has opened entries for its Awards for Research Excellence 2025, introducing two newly renamed categories to honour the memories of two influential planning academics who passed away in 2024.
The renamed categories include the Tony Crook Award for Early Career Research and the Patsy Healey Award for Academic Excellence, both of which celebrate the legacies of these distinguished individuals within the planning research community.
The Tony Crook Award for Early Career Research commemorates Professor Tony Crook CBE FRTPI, a dedicated member of the RTPI since 1965. Professor Crook was deeply involved with the Institute throughout his career, including serving as a Trustee until his passing in 2024.
The Patsy Healey Award for Academic Excellence honours Professor Patsy Healey OBE, who made significant contributions to planning research. Professor Healey was the third person and the first woman to receive the RTPI Gold Medal, awarded since its inception in 1895. She was also the first Senior Editor of Planning Theory & Practice.
The RTPI Awards for Research Excellence recognise the best spatial planning research conducted at RTPI-accredited planning schools. The awards highlight the implications of academic research on policy and practice, acknowledge the vital contributions of planning consultancies to research, and promote the importance of planning research more broadly.
Entries for the awards are open from March 18 until May 18, with judging set to take place in July. The awards will be presented by RTPI President Helen Fadipe at the UK Ireland Planning Research Conference in Belfast this September.
For more details on the eligibility criteria and the awards, visit the RTPI website at RTPI Awards for Research Excellence.
