How we measure success

Through the Peters Fellowship, we hope that the best and brightest students will regard regional planning as a viable career and to view northeastern Illinois as a place to apply their talents.

Our goals

Help great talent to find careers in the field regional of planning

The field of regional planning must attract top talent from graduate planning programs – who are often lured into for-profit development fields due to higher paying salaries. The Peters Fellowship provides one of the few paid summer regional planning experiences for a graduate student. All of the 20 Peters Fellows have pursued a career in regional planning (or related).

Help great talent to find careers in northeastern Illinois

A vital factor in the success of northeastern Illinois is human capital — having talented individuals who can contribute to the advancement of our region. Through the fellowship program, top talent from across the country, and from Chicagoland itself, can experience living and working in the region.

Bring great talent to work at CMAP

Phil Peters believed in the mission of Northeastern Illinois Planning Commission (NIPC), which is echoed now at CMAP. Through NIPC, he could help to keep Chicagoland as the best place to live and work in America. The program aims to sustain Phil's legacy by drawing the best and brightest graduate students to fulfill CMAP's mission.

Increase awareness of the program among top planning schools

The Peters Fellowship is unique. No other major metropolitan regional agency offers a similar work and enrichment experience. In 20 years, the top graduate urban and regional planning programs have taken notice — there has been a 500 percent increase in the number of annual applicants since 2000, particularly from top schools.