PhD: motivational letter

Good morning,

I recently graduated in urban planning and I am trying to win one of the few PhD scholarships available at my university.
I'd be very grateful if you could help me with my motivational letter. It's not a draft anymore since I'm working on it during the last two weeks. I have used your great lessons and taken inspiration from the many examples here in this forums. Thank you for your help.

Dear Madam or Sir,
I wish to apply to xxx for the PhD programme in Urban and Regional Development for the academic year 2016/2017. My choice to apply for this PhD is related with my personal idea of the role of an urban planner; I imagine a new breed of professional with wide expertise, to be able to use its knowledges to work in any environment. I would like to think myself working and studying in a field not purely theoretical but instead with a great impact in the real world. Nowadays, it is really necessary to bring new ideas and encourage the renewal of our obsolete planning practices. In particular, my career ambition is to carry on my research in a leading university and have the chance to work with various administrations, at local, national and European level, and to come into contact with different working and cultural realities.
In xxx, I graduated from xxx with a Bachelor of Science degree in Architecture. Through my years of studying, among all the different subject, I became fascinated with city planning, from both historical and practical point of you. The aspect that started to fascinating me the most was that, in comparison with architecture, city and spatial planning have deeply connections with social, economic, political and environmental aspects (or have serious social, economic, political and environmental implications). I started to think that for me designing new buildings wasn’t enough; I felt the need to study the territory and try to solve the problematics in a much more integrated way. In order to acquire new skills in this field, I decided to dedicate my Bachelor’s thesis on spatial planning; in particular, to support my research I have learnt to use GIS software (i.e.: ArcGIS), one of the many aspects I am passionate about. Despite the subject, not strictly related with the architectural field, my thesis has been very appreciated by the Commission.
Under my bachelor supervisor suggestion, I decided to continue my academic training at your university, with a Master Degree in Territorial, Urban, Environmental and Landscape Planning. It has been two intensive years, that enriched me professionally and personally. Trying to overcome my fear of not measuring up, I have studied with a renewed interest and I have taken every chance to learn and to challenge myself, inside and outside the university. Throughout the second semester of the first year, I have carried out a part-time collaboration at the Laboratory of Territorial and Urban Research. Moreover, I had chosen to move to xxx for my curricular internship; during my stay, beside the professional experience at the xxx, I had the chance to live in a student dormitory with people from all over the world, improving my English and my social skills. During my internship and my master thesis I had the opportunity to broaden my territorial planning know-how, by deepening the subject of retail policies and, in particular, the strong relationship between retail and territorial planning, with a view to sustainable local development. One of my greatest satisfaction was that my thesis was evaluated worthy of mention by the Commission.
In all these years of studying I have learned how to communicate and promote my work in the best possible way, by using a proper and incisive language. I am a precise and organized person and this is the reason why I always give my best, especially when I work with other people, and I always pretend the same from my teammates. I am conscious that the most important thing for an urban planner is exchange and compare experiences, knowledges and ideas; it is the only way to grow and improve yourself. For this reason, I would like to attend your PhD programme; I am truly convinced that I will have the opportunity to research and study in a multicultural and interdisciplinary academic environment, to complete and develop my education. I would like to challenge myself and I am confident that I would take advantage of this amazing opportunity.
Thank you for considering my application, and I look forward to your acceptance.

Yours sincerely,
xxx