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

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.
FULL STORY: Book Review: Working with Planning Consultants

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.
San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency
City of Orange
City of Charlotte - Charlotte Area Transit
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Montrose County
Wichita-Sedgwick County Metropolitan Area Planning Department
City of Lomita
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.