Echoes of a decade in plaNext – Next Generation Planning journal and the road ahead

plaNext – Next Generation Planning journal is an international, peer-reviewed, open-access e-journal founded by the AESOP Young Academics network. Established as a platform to amplify the voices of emerging scholars, plaNext enables early career researchers to contribute to international planning debates and make their work accessible to a global audience. The journal welcomes a wide range of contributions, including empirical research, theoretical discussions, innovative methodologies, case studies, and book reviews, fostering both academic engagement and professional development among young planners. This paper presents a threefold contribution: (i) a retrospective overview of plaNext’s scholarly output over the past decade, (ii) an empirical survey assessing the journal’s outreach within the Young Academics network and capturing respondents’ perspectives on the contemporary publishing system, and (iii) a collective editorial dialogue. It culminated in a set of strategic recommendations aimed at enhancing editorial practices, strengthening mentorship mechanisms, and consolidating plaNext’s role as a supportive and inclusive platform. In positioning itself through these initiatives, plaNext aspires to serve as a distinctive and forward-looking model of an open-access journal committed to empowering early career researchers in the planning discipline.