Careers: Phillip D. Peters Regional Planning Fellowship

The Peters Fellowship provides graduate students with a paid and enriching work experience at the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP).

As one of the only fellowships of its kind, the Phillip D. Peters Regional Planning Fellowship provides graduate students with a unique experience at a major regional planning agency in one of the nation’s largest metropolitan areas.

About the Peters Fellowship

CMAP awards the Peters Fellowship each year to a qualified master’s degree graduate student in urban and regional planning or a related field.

Selection is based upon a combination of education, relationship of past coursework and employment to CMAP’s current work and needs, and a career interest in regional planning. Priority is given to students who are midway through their graduate program. Fellows are compensated for their time and mentored by a CMAP senior staff member. 

Projects may fall in any of the following topic areas: land use, transportation, environment and natural resources, housing, or economic development. Projects may involve local planning, community engagement, policy analysis, communications, or data research and analysis. CMAP will match the fellow’s education and interest with the agency’s activities, including participation in networking and enrichment opportunities.

About Phillip D. Peters

The Peters Fellowship honors the late Phil Peters, the former executive director of the Northeastern Illinois Planning Commission (NIPC) — one of CMAP’s predecessor agencies. He played a major role in the development and implementation of the agency’s innovative, comprehensive, and highly regarded planning for the Chicago metropolitan area.

Phil brought a unique perspective to the newly emerging field of regional planning. He saw the delicate balance required to achieve growth and prosperity, while maintaining responsible land-use, transportation planning, and environmental protection.

Phil first joined NIPC in 1963 and played a fundamental role in the development and execution of the commission’s innovative planning program for the region. Regarded as a planning pioneer, his strong advocacy for natural resource planning and intergovernmental cooperation helped change the very process by which regional planning was perceived and carried out. Phil retired in 1999 after more than 30 years of extraordinary service to NIPC.

Learn more about Phil Peters

Apply for the fellowship

Planning for a region as large and complex as northeastern Illinois requires hard work and a talented staff. Every year, CMAP works with partners on many local and regional projects to help bring the vision of ON TO 2050 to life. As the Peters Fellow, you can help carry out that vision by working on interesting local and regional projects, learning about the value of regional planning, and growing your professional skills.

Applications are open now.

Eligibility

Applicants must be enrolled in a master’s program in urban and regional planning; public policy and administration; environmental science or engineering; or a related field. Priority will be given to students midway through their graduate program.

Application requirements

Please submit all the following items as part of your application:

1. Application letter, no more than two pages, with the following:
   
   • Your address, phone number, and email address during the school year
   • Time period you would be able to perform fellowship duties between May and December
   • Background statement specifying your university and master’s degree program, the number of semesters completed, expected graduation date, grade point average, academic and other awards, and community and other extracurricular activities
   • Statement describing why you are interested in applying for the fellowship, along with specific aspects of regional planning that interest you
2. One letter of recommendation from a faculty member in your master’s degree program
3. Resume, curriculum vitae, or other description of your education and professional experience
4. Official transcript(s) with confirmation of your grade point average

Support the fellowship

Through the Peters Fellowship program, we hope the best and brightest students will consider regionalplanning as a career and view northeastern Illinois as a place to apply their talents. CMAP welcomes andappreciates your contribution to help make that happen.

All donations to the program will go toward supporting future Peters Fellowship positions. CMAP is an Illinois state agency and your donation is a charitable contribution in accordance with U.S. Code, Title 26, 170(c)(1).

Please include a name and address where we can send a receipt for your tax-deductible donation. Checks should be made out to “CMAP” and sent to:

CMAP
Attn: Finance
433 West Van Buren Street, Suite 450
Chicago, Illinois 60607

Thank you for your continued support of this valuable program.