Connecting the ivory tower to the legislature: How to design planning research to influence urban policy and legislation in practice

A foundational aim of planning research is to influence practice, including through new policy, legislative reforms, rule or code changes, new plan-making, organisational or procedural reforms, or other kinds of institutional change. For researchers dedicated to creating new knowledge, translating their findings into decisions in practice can be a frustrating challenge.
This article reviews how political dynamics can inform the design and dissemination of urban and planning research to maximise its influence on policy formation. Drawing on practice experience, institutional theory, and literature on knowledge transfer, this paper presents a novel framework and eight research design suggestions to guide planning researchers in structuring and disseminating findings to maximise their influence on policy.