GOOD Magazine follows planner James Rojas as he engages a community in the act of planning in his own particular fashion, using everyday objects and building blocks.
"'Many planning meetings are boring, contentious, and fail to stir people's creative energy,' says Rojas. Even though planners consistently work closely with groups of constituents, they're stuck with the kinds of tools they like to use: maps, words and pictures. Well, not everyone can understand a complex map. Other people are uncomfortable writing. And even the physical tools-Post-It notes, simple blocks, whiteboards-that planners use during charrettes do nothing to get the imagination pumping."
Thanks to James Rojas
FULL STORY: Putting Urban Planning In the Hands of the People
Seattle's Weirdest Intersections Make a Fetching Design
One artist capitalized on the quirks of Seattle's street grid.
Artists Find Alternate Uses for Billboards in Los Angeles
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Map: The Towers Changing the L.A. Skyline
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Florida Considers Legalizing ADUs
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Conservatives’ Decongestion Pricing Flip-Flop
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Can Geothermal Energy Fuel Hawaiʻi’s Future?
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Climate Gardening: Cultivating Resilient Landscapes in Los Angeles
TreePeople’s 4th Annual Urban Soil Symposium explored how climate gardening, soil health, and collaborative land management strategies can enhance urban resilience in the face of climate change.
Electric Surge: EV Chargers Outnumber Gas Nozzles in California
California now has 48% more electric vehicle chargers than gasoline nozzles, reflecting its rapid shift toward clean transportation and aggressive zero-emission goals despite federal pushback.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Florida Atlantic University
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
City of Piedmont, CA
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service
City of Cambridge, Maryland