How to Work with Planning Consultants

Los Angeles County planner Clement Lau review of the book "Working with Planning Consultants."

1 minute read

July 3, 2014, 11:00 AM PDT

By melaniecj


City Planners

Mosman Council / flickr

For those whose job includes working with planning consultants, one of the keys to success is building relationships.

Clement Lau, a Los Angeles County planner, highlights the importance of this principle and others in his review of the book Working with Planning Consultants, by Eric Damian Kelly.

Lau writes that while Kelly’s point about building relationships with consultants may seem like an obvious one, it is among the most valuable.

“As we all know, success in any relationship requires respect, commitment, and effort by all parties.  A good consulting relationship depends equally on a good client.”

Other major points Kelly makes in his book, according to Lau, include the benefits of splitting the selection process into a “two-part RFQ-RFP process,” the need to focus on qualifications over presentation, and the value of communication.

“Working with Planning Consultants is a good resource for all planners to have, especially those in the public sector.  The book is uniquely written by a planner for planners and offers useful examples of an agreement for consulting services, a scope of services, and an evaluation form for selecting consultants.”

Visit Urbdezine to read the full review.

Monday, June 30, 2014 in UrbDeZine

Black and white Rideshare Pick-Up Zone sign

The Slow Death of Ride Sharing

From the beginning, TNCs like Lyft and Uber touted shared rides as their key product. Now, Lyft is ending the practice.

June 1, 2023 - Human Transit

Red on white 'Room for Rent, Inquire Inside' sign

In Most U.S. Cities, Archaic Laws Limit Roommate Living

Critics argue laws preventing unrelated adults from living in the same home fail to understand the modern American household.

May 24, 2023 - The Atlantic

Vancouver Chuck Wolfe

Ten Signs of a Resurgent Downtown

In GeekWire, Chuck Wolfe continues his exploration of a holistic and practical approach to post-pandemic urban center recovery, anchored in local context and community-driven initiatives that promote livability, safety, and sustainability.

May 24, 2023 - GeekWire

Self-driving Mercedes semi truck on highway with white semi truck behind it

California Moves to Limit Autonomous Trucks

A bill passed by the State Assembly and moving on to the Senate would require autonomous semi trucks to have a trained human operator in the vehicle.

June 2 - The Sacramento Bee

Minnesota state capitol building with red flowers on green front lawn

Minnesota Budget Includes Significant Transit Investments

After a contentious debate, the state legislature passed a budget that changes how transportation projects are funded and supports increased transit service in the state.

June 2 - Governing

A vacant lot between two one-story brick buildings with graffiti in Detroit, Michigan

Proposed Land Value Tax Plan in Detroit

Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan proposes hiking property taxes for vacant land and buildings while lowering the rate for occupied homes and businesses in a split tax plan he contends will resolve many of Detroit's blight and high property tax woes.

June 2 - The Detroit News

Project Manager III

San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency

UDO Transportation Planner

City of Charlotte - Charlotte Area Transit

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.