Support

Have questions about how one of the many features of the Planetizen website works? The answer might be found among the Frequently Asked Questions below.

Advertising

How do I advertise on the site?

You can find more information by visiting the Planetizen advertising page or downloading the Planetizen Media Kit. You can also contact Planetizen at [email protected].

What are the specs for banner advertisements?

The full list of specifications can be found in the Planetizen Media Kit. If you have any questions, please contact us at [email protected].

How do I submit a job or announcement for an event or RFP?

View FAQs for posting jobs and announcements.

AICP* Exam Prep Class
*AICP is a registered trademark of the American Planning Association.

I just signed up for the AICP* Exam Prep Class. When will I be able to access the class?

If you signed up while the fall or spring term class is in session your account is active upon purchase. Your account and access information will be sent via email. Early bird registrants will have access when the class becomes open for the term.

What if I am unable to take the AICP exam?

The registration fee covers one term only.

Planetizen does not offer deferments or refunds if your application to sit for the exam is denied by the APA, you decide not to take exam, or for personal hardship.

Because we do not offer deferments or refunds, if you are unsure of your application status with the APA, we advise you wait to enroll in this class.

If you have questions about the APA's exam window, eligibility requirements and application status, please visit the American Planning Association's website for more information.

If you wish to continue your access to the class, you will have to re-register at a reduced fee for the next term.

What are the dates for the spring and fall session terms?

Preparing for the May Exam?

Class registration for the spring term is open from December 15th - May 15th. Class access is open starting January 15th through June 15th.

Preparing for the November Exam?

Class registration for the fall term is open from June 15th - November 15th. Class access is open from July 15th through December 15th.

Do I need Essentials Readings in Urban Planning or the Local Planning book for the AICP Prep Class?

The books are not required for the class. Planetizen offers Essential Readings in Urban Planning as an extra resource curated by the course instructor, Emily Talen, to assist with the key concepts necessary to become a certified planner. contains selections from the APA’s list of recommended reading.

Planetizen also offers Local Planning: Contemporary Principles and Practice, which is considered the "Green Bible" for planners, and is a valued resource AICP* exam preparation.

Are the books available digitally?

We are unable to offer AICP exam prep books in a PDF or e-book format due to copyright restrictions from the publishers. The price of Essential Readings in Urban Planning reflects the cost of obtaining publishing rights from all of the included titles. Many of these titles are difficult to obtain from public sources, and to purchase each book individually would be very expensive.

Is the class online? How does this work?

The AICP prep class is available as an online class only. You can access the course material on your desktop computer or on mobile or tablet devices.

Am I able to access the materials or download the videos for offline use?

No, the course materials are not available offline and the videos are only available through online streaming.

Do you offer a returning student discount?

We offer a 50% off discount if you are a returning student to the AICP prep class. Please contact us at [email protected] for more information.

Do you offer a group discount?

We do offer a group discounts. Please get in touch with us for details at [email protected].

Is Planetizen's AICP* Exam Preparation Class affiliated with the APA?

Neither the American Planning Association nor AICP are affiliated with Planetizen nor this class. The sample exams in the class are practice questions. They are not real exam questions. AICP is a registered trademark of the American Planning Association (APA) and the APA's Institute.

Jobs

How do I post a job?

To post a job, you must have a Planetizen account. If you do not have one, you may create one here: https://www.planetizen.com/user/register

Once you are logged in, you can get started posting by visiting: http://www.planetizen.com/jobs/submit.

What forms of payment are accepted?

You can either pay with a credit card or with an invoice ($20 processing fee applies).

When will my job be posted?

Approval usually takes less than 3 hours if posted during regular office hours (on the West Coast). If you have already paid for a job/announcement and do not see it on our website, a Planetizen moderator will approve the post soon.

Can I repost or extend a job posting?

You may extend your job listing for an additional 30 days for $49.95.

How can I edit my job post?

Please email us at [email protected] with a link to the post along with your edits, and we'll update it for you.

Can I get a bulk discount on jobs?

Please contact us at [email protected] to discuss bulk discount options.

Free internship listing policy

Planetizen offers free job listings for compensated internship positions. To qualify for a free job listing on Planetizen's job board, the position must have intern or internship in the job title and must be for a paid position. Email us your 300-word listing for a compensated internship to [email protected] and we'll post it for you.

What are my options for scheduling unpublish dates for job listings?

By default, the unpublish date is determined by the purchase option selected, however you can select an earlier end date when you are submitting a job.

Can I unpublish a job if the position has been filled or is no longer open?

Contact us at [email protected] if you want your ad to be unpublished.

Events, RFPs, and RFQs

How do I post an event or RFP/RFQ?

To post an announcement, you must have a Planetizen account. If you do not have one, you can create one here: https://www.planetizen.com/user/register

Once you are logged in, you can get started posting by visiting: http://www.planetizen.com/announce/submit.

What forms of payment are accepted?

You can either pay with a credit card or with an invoice ($20 processing fee applies).

How do I time my announcement to appear in the next newsletter?

The newsletters include the most recent announcements. To ensure inclusion in the newsletters, please submit your post one business day before. Planetizen Newswires are sent Monday and Thursday mornings and Planetizen Jobswire is sent Tuesday mornings. Sign up to receive Planetizen Newswire or Planetizen Jobswire.

When will my announcement be posted?

Approval usually takes less than 3 hours if posted in during our regular office hours. If you have already paid for a announcement and do not see it on our website, a Planetizen moderator will approved it soon.

How long will my announcement be published?

Announcements will also display on the site indefinitely unless an unpublish date is entered. If you need to remove your post, please email us at [email protected] with a link to the post along with your request and we'll do it for you.

What are the differences between the announcement packages?

Social Media Package
Our social media package includes an announcement plus your custom message will be posted twice to our Facebook and Twitter communities.

Newswire Package
Get all of the benefits of the standard announcement along with an exclusive graphic ad included in two Newswires and one Jobswire edition sent to over 24,000 opt-in subscribers.

Premium Newswire Package
The whole enchilada. All Announcement benefits. Posted twice to our Facebook and Twitter followers. Your graphic ad will be included in two Newswires and one Jobswire edition.

Leaderboard Advertising
Make an impact with a week-long exclusive leaderboard ad. This eye-catching spot will display a large banner ad at the top of the site on nearly every page.

Site-wide Advertising
Our main advertising blocks are prominently featured in the sidebar and appear on nearly every page of our site. Includes gratis announcement.
Get all of the benefits of the standard announcement along with an exclusive graphic ad included in two Newswires and one Jobswire edition sent to over 24,000 opt-in subscribers.

For more information, see our advertising page or the Media Kit

To contact us about announcement package options, email us at [email protected].

What are the options for scheduling an announcement?

By default, the publish date is the day of purchase but you can schedule your announcement to publish at a later date. Announcements will also display on the site indefinitely unless an unpublish date is entered.

How can I edit my announcement?

Please email us at [email protected] with a link to the post along with your edits and we'll do it for you.

Can I get a bulk discount on posts?

Please contact us at [email protected] to discuss bulk discount options.

Store

How do I change my password and profile information?

You may edit your account information by logging into your Planetizen account dashboard and clicking on the edit tab. You will see the fields that allow you to change and confirm your password.

I lost my password/username. How do I retrieve it?

If you forgot your password, request a new one here: https://www.planetizen.com/user/password.

Where can I find my receipts and invoices?

You can see your all your purchase transaction history in your Planetizen account dashboard. Log in to your account and click on the My Orders tab.

How do I download my PDF?

You will be sent a download link via email. Follow the instructions in the email to download your PDF.

How can I access the Planetizen Store?

Access the Planetizen Store at https://store.planetizen.com.

Can I get a discount for large orders?

Contact us for details at [email protected].

I've already placed my online order, how do I update my address?

If you need to make a correction to your delivery address, please contact us immediately at [email protected] with the correct information.

Are there expedited shipping options?

Contact us for details at [email protected].

What shipping service do you use?

We send packages via Priority 3-day Mail from USPS.

What's the estimated delivery for my order?

If package is within the U.S., estimated delivery ranges from 2-4 business days depending on time and day order was placed. Please note, if order was placed on a weekend, the order will not get processed and shipped until the following business day.

What's the delivery cost for international orders?

We do ship orders outside the U.S. Please note that the minimum price of shipping international is 20 U.S. dollars and gets more expensive depending on the size of the package and country package is delivered to. If you would like a quote on international shipping rates, please contact us at [email protected].

Where can I find information about your shipping and handling prices?

You can find information about our shipping and handling prices here: http://www.planetizen.com/shipping-info.

What is your return policy?

Our return policy lasts 30 days from the date of purchase. We will refund the cost of an item, but not the shipping.

If 30 days have gone by since your purchase, unfortunately we can’t offer you a refund or exchange.

To be eligible for a return, your item must be in the same condition that you received it. The must also be in the original packaging along with a copy of the receipt.

Refunds (if applicable)

Once your return is received and inspected, we will send you an email to notify you that we have received your returned item. We will also notify you of the approval of your refund.

Your refund will be processed, and a credit will automatically be applied to your credit card or original method of payment, within a certain amount of days.

Exchanges on damaged or incorrect order (if applicable)

Damaged and incorrect orders can be returned for a full refund of the item and shipping cost. We can replace items if they are defective or damaged. If you need to exchange it because it’s damaged or incorrect, send us an email at: [email protected].

Gifts

If the item was marked as a gift when purchased and shipped directly to you, you’ll receive a gift credit for the value of your return. Once the returned item is received, a gift certificate will be mailed to you.

If the item wasn’t marked as a gift when purchased, or the gift giver had the order shipped to themselves to give to you later, we will send a refund to the purchaser and they will be notified about your return.

Late or missing refunds (if applicable)

If you haven’t received a refund yet, first check your bank account again.

Then contact your credit card company, it may take some time before your refund is officially posted.

Next contact your bank. There is often some processing time before a refund is posted.

If you’ve done all of this and you still have not received your refund yet, please contact us at [email protected].

Shipping returns

To return your product, you should mail your product and a copy of the receipt to:

Planetizen (Attn: Returns)
3530 Wilshire Blvd, Suite 1285
Los Angeles, CA, 90010, United States

You will be responsible for paying for your own shipping costs for returning your item. Shipping costs are non-refundable. If you receive a refund, the cost of return shipping will be deducted from your refund.

Depending on where you live, the time it may take for your exchanged product to reach you, may vary.

If you are shipping an item over $75, you should consider using a trackable shipping service or purchasing shipping insurance. We don’t guarantee that we will receive your returned item.

School Directory

How do I add a new school or edit an existing program to your Schools Directory?

Please submit the information here: http://www.planetizen.com/schools/program-submission.

What are my options for promoting my program?

Planetizen offers a number of tools to spread the word about your program.

In addition to site-wide banner advertising options, Planetizen offers advertising locations that cater to specifically schools. We offer ads that appear on the online Schools Directory landing page and also display on every non-enhanced program page. Additionally, Planetizen offers enhanced and featured school profiles to provide these benefits:

  • Option to add your logo, photos, and additional description content
  • Option to add links to your social media sites
  • No third-party ads displayed on your page
  • Featured on the front page of the directory (Featured Program only)
  • Featured at the top matching search results

Check out our advertising options and rates or get in touch by email to find out more about how we can you promote your program.

How do I navigate the directory?

We have set up the directory to help narrow your search with four search facets. You can sort by degree type, focus, location, and specializations.

How do I request information from schools?

You just need to sign up for a free Planetizen account to get started (https://www.planetizen.com/user). While viewing a program in the Schools Directory that you would like to get in contact with select the “Request info from this school” button. Enter your information on the request form and submit. It is easy to send requests to multiple programs, because your information will be stored to prevent the need to repeatedly enter information.

We respect your privacy. We will never sell or give away any of your contact information to outside parties or vendors.

By submitting the form you are consenting to representatives of the institution selected to contact you about educational opportunities via postal mail, email, text, or phone, including my mobile phone if provided above. Message and data rates may apply. Your consent is not a requirement for enrollment.

Commenting

How do I post comments?

Planetizen uses the Disqus commenting platform. Create an account with Disqus using your email, Facebook, or Twitter account from the comment box. If you would like to read more about the commenting system we are using, please review the Disqus support page.

Commenting Policy

Planetizen encourages civil, engaged conversation. Our moderators have broad discretion to remove comments.

  • No spam please.
  • Dear trolls: No ad-hominen attacks, repeat posts, off-topic rants, user identity theft, death threats, or hate speech.
  • We reserve the right to remove or edit comments.
  • All comments containing links will be moderated before being published on the site. Comments are typically posted faster during business hours. Moderation can be less frequent in the evening and on weekends.
  • Please help your hardworking moderators by flagging comments that violate our policies. But please use your flagging powers wisely.
  • Our writers and moderators alike love your thoughtful responses to less well-informed commenters.
Newsletter

Tell me more about your newsletters.

The Planetizen Newswire is a free email newsletter that brings together the most popular news and features from our website into a condensed, readable form in your inbox. We respect your privacy. We will never sell or give away any of your contact information to outside parties or vendors.

The Planetizen Newswire includes:

  • The latest op-eds and analysis from our team of writers and professionals working in land use, design, and development.
  • Timely blog discussions from noted leaders of the profession, like transportation analyst Todd Litman, planning professor Ann Forsyth, and former Vancouver Planning Director Brent Toderian.
  • Recent job listings for careers in urban planning.
  • The latest announcements for training events, RFPs, conferences, and contests.
  • The most popular stories posted to Planetizen over the past four days.

Looking for a job, or just keeping an eye on the job market? The weekly Jobswire delivers the latest job listings from academia and architecture to urban design and zoning administration every Tuesday.

How do I signup?

You can add your email from any signup box found in the sidebar of the site, or from the Newswire page. You can also manage your subscriptions settings from your Planetizen account.

How do I unsubscribe?

If you no longer want to receive our newsletters, simply click the unsubscribe link at the bottom of one of our emails. You can also manage your subscriptions settings from your Planetizen account.

Editorial

A Planetizen news summary links to a web page or article that is no longer available. Can you send me that page?

Our news summaries provide a link (if available) to the original article or report available from the source website. Some websites make their content available for a limited time only, after which the content may be archived. In other cases, the source website may have changed the link to the source content. Your best bet is to search on the source website for the title of the original article.

A Planetizen news summary does not link to the original article. Do you include articles that aren't available on the Internet?

We struggled with this question. In the end, we elected to cover all articles that substantively concern urban planning, regardless of whether or not the source publication is available on the Internet. The question we asked ourselves was: "Would Planetizen readers rather know about the existence of the article, even if they can't access it on the Internet?" We felt that if the article was critical to your job or interest, you could then find a way to get the article from the source publication, even if it's not available on the Internet.

News articles from certain sources such as The New York Times require a fee or registering with the source website?

Planetizen links to articles from a variety of sources. Most are free, but some require a free registration or a paid membership. For example, The New York Times website allows you to view some articles for free, and others for a fee. As sources such as these frequently publish excellent stories on urban planning issues, we provide a summary and link to such articles. You may decide if registering with the source website or paying the fee is worthwhile for you.

How do I contact the editor?

You may contact the editor at [email protected].

How do I become a blogger?

Email [email protected] and be sure to provide some information about your background and the subject matter you’d be interested in writing about.

How do I submit news?

To submit news, you must have a Planetizen account. If you do not have one, you may create one here: https://www.planetizen.com/user/register

Once you are logged in, you can get started posting by visiting the Submit News page.

How do I pitch a feature?

Please email [email protected] with feature pitches. Be sure to include some information about your professional background. Planetizen features should be exclusive content that has not already been published in print or online.

How do I become an editorial intern?

Periodically we post an internship opening on the Planetizen jobs board. If you’d like to find out more information about when the next opening will be available, email [email protected].

How do I become a correspondent?

The Planetizen Correspondent program has been upgraded to provide greater benefits to participants by taking advantage of Planetizen's wide planning and development audience. The basic model remains the same—correspondents submit at least two news stories and summaries per week on topics or geographic regions of special interest to them, for use in the bi-weekly Planetizen Newswire. Now, however, Correspondents have the ability to gain increasing publicity among Planetizen's diverse readership. Find out more information about our Correspondent Program.

Contacting Planetizen

How can I contact you?

You can reach us Monday - Friday between the hours of 9am - 5pm PST.

Email (preferred):

Customer Support: [email protected]
Editor: [email protected]
Planetizen Courses: [email protected]
Advertising Sales: [email protected]

Phone: 877-260-PLAN (7526)

Mailing Address:
Planetizen
3530 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 1355
Los Angeles, CA 90010

Technical Information

What browsers do you support?

For optimal performance, please use the most up-to-date version of one of these supported browsers: Chrome, Safari, Firefox, Opera, and Internet Explorer. We support Microsoft Internet Explorer 10 and newer versions. If you are having trouble posting on Planetizen, please note that some features may look different or may not work on older versions of Internet Explorer.

What is the technical architecture for Planetizen? How did you do this?

For those who are interested in the technical details, Planetizen uses the Drupal content management system, runs on the GNU/Linux operating system and is powered by the Apache Web server. The website is entirely database driven; the data is stored using the  MySQL database and converted into web pages using a computer language called PHP. We also use several GNU tools to develop Planetizen. We would like to thank the world-wide community of Free Software and Open Source contributors for making it possible for us to develop Planetizen using high-quality, reliable software.

Who built Planetizen?

Planetizen was developed and is maintained by the team at Urban Insight, Inc.

Privacy Policy

What is your privacy policy?

  • We don’t ask you for personal information unless we truly need it.

  • We don’t share your personal information with anyone except to comply with the law, develop our products, or protect our rights.

  • We don’t store personal information on our servers unless required for the on-going operation of one of our services.

Below is our privacy policy which incorporates these goals.

If you have questions about our privacy policy, please send an email to [email protected].

Website Visitors

Like most website operators, Planetizen collects non-personally-identifying information of the sort that web browsers and servers typically make available, such as the browser type, language preference, referring site, and the date and time of each visitor request. Planetizen’s purpose in collecting non-personally identifying information is to better understand how Planetizen’s visitors use its website. From time to time, Planetizen may release non-personally-identifying information in the aggregate, e.g., by publishing a report on trends in the usage of its website. Planetizen also collects potentially personally-identifying information like Internet Protocol (IP) addresses for logged in users and for users leaving comments. Planetizen only discloses logged in user and commenter IP addresses under the same circumstances that it uses and discloses personally-identifying information as described below.

Gathering of Personally-Identifying Information

Certain visitors to Planetizen’s websites choose to interact with Planetizen in ways that require Planetizen to gather personally-identifying information. The amount and type of information that Planetizen gathers depends on the nature of the interaction. For example, we ask visitors who sign up for an account to provide a username and email address. Those who engage in transactions with Planetizen – by purchasing products, for example – are asked to provide additional information, including as necessary the personal and financial information required to process those transactions. In each case, Planetizen collects such information only insofar as is necessary or appropriate to fulfill the purpose of the visitor’s interaction with Planetizen. Planetizen does not disclose personally-identifying information other than as described below. And visitors can always refuse to supply personally-identifying information, with the caveat that it may prevent them from engaging in certain website-related activities.

Aggregated Statistics

Planetizen may collect statistics about the behavior of visitors to its websites. Planetizen may display this information publicly or provide it to others. However, Planetizen does not disclose personally-identifying information other than as described below.

Protection of Certain Personally-Identifying Information

Planetizen discloses potentially personally-identifying and personally-identifying information only to those of its employees, contractors and affiliated organizations that (i) need to know that information in order to process it on Planetizen’s behalf or to provide services available at Planetizen’s websites, and (ii) that have agreed not to disclose it to others.

Some of those employees, contractors and affiliated organizations may be located outside of your home country; by using Planetizen’s websites, you consent to the transfer of such information to them. Planetizen will not rent or sell potentially personally-identifying and personally-identifying information to anyone. Other than to its employees, contractors and affiliated organizations, as described above, Planetizen discloses potentially personally-identifying and personally-identifying information only in response to a subpoena, court order or other governmental request, or when Planetizen believes in good faith that disclosure is reasonably necessary to protect the property or rights of Planetizen, third parties or the public at large.

If you are a registered user of an Planetizen website and have supplied your email address, Planetizen may occasionally send you an email to tell you about new features, solicit your feedback, or just keep you up to date with what’s going on with Planetizen and our products.

If you send us a request (for example via a support email or via one of our feedback mechanisms), we reserve the right to publish it in order to help us clarify or respond to your request or to help us support other users. Planetizen takes all measures reasonably necessary to protect against the unauthorized access, use, alteration or destruction of potentially personally-identifying and personally-identifying information.

Cookies

A cookie is a string of information that a website stores on a visitor’s computer, and that the visitor’s browser provides to the website each time the visitor returns. Planetizen uses cookies to help Planetizen identify and track visitors, their usage of Planetizen website, and their website access preferences. Planetizen visitors who do not wish to have cookies placed on their computers should set their browsers to refuse cookies before using Planetizen’s websites, with the drawback that certain features of Planetizen’s websites may not function properly without the aid of cookies.

Business Transfers

If Planetizen, or substantially all of its assets were acquired, user information would be one of the assets that is transferred or acquired by a third party. You acknowledge that such transfers may occur, and that any acquirer of Planetizen may continue to use your personal information as set forth in this policy.

Ads

Ads appearing on any of our websites may be delivered to users by advertising partners, who may set cookies. These cookies allow the ad server to recognize your computer each time they send you an online advertisement to compile information about you or others who use your computer. This information allows ad networks to, among other things, deliver targeted advertisements that they believe will be of most interest to you. This Privacy Policy covers the use of cookies by Planetizen and does not cover the use of cookies by any advertisers.

Comments and News Submissions

Comments, news submissions and other content submitted to us are saved on our servers. We use them to improve the services we provide. If you submit personal commentary in a news article you submit, we may, at our discretion, publish your comments alongside your username and the article you submitted. If you do not wish your username to be associated with content that you submit to use, please submit it anonymously.

Privacy Policy Changes

Although most changes are likely to be minor, Planetizen may change its Privacy Policy from time to time, and in Planetizen’s sole discretion. Planetizen encourages visitors to frequently check this page for any changes to its Privacy Policy. Your continued use of this site after any change in this Privacy Policy will constitute your acceptance of such change.

Change Log

March 15, 2012: Planetizen privacy policy substantially updated to recognize best practices in privacy policies.

We wish to thank Automattic for providing the foundation for this privacy policy under a creative commons license.