Coordination is required to get urban planning projects from concept to construction, according to Los Angeles County Planner Clement Lau.
For urban planners, the word coordinate should be what guides them in the planning and construction of projects.
Coordination, as defined, requires bringing different elements together to work in harmony and collaboration, according to Los Angeles County Planner Clement Lau.
Public-private partnerships to build park projects is one example of where coordination is important and necessary, he writes.
Lau goes on to describe how other partnerships between the county’s various departments and a committee the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors created are helping to bring projects and plans to fruition.
“I believe that one of my primary responsibilities as a planner is to coordinate or bring the appropriate players to the table and facilitate, negotiate, or broker solutions to problems. I agree with Booher and Innes (2002) when they argued that planners should be ‘“a key part of a self-organizing process that brings together agents, enables information to flow, builds trust and reciprocity, represents interests, connects networks, and mobilizes action… They play a part in convening stakeholders and in making sure that processes can meet the conditions of network collaboration.”’
FULL STORY: Coordination: Can’t Plan Without It

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

Walmart Announces Nationwide EV Charging Network
The company plans to install electric car chargers at most of its stores by 2030.

Chicago Approves Green Affordable Housing Plan
The Mayor’s plan calls for creating a nonprofit housing corporation tasked with building affordable housing that meets Green Building standards.

The World’s Longest Light Rail Line is in… Los Angeles?
In a city not known for its public transit, the 48.5-mile A Line is the longest of its kind on the planet.

Quantifying Social Infrastructure
New developments have clear rules for ensuring surrounding roads, water, and sewers can handle new users. Why not do the same for community amenities?

Dallas Code Reform Makes Way for Missing Middle Housing
The Dallas City Council voted to change the city’s building code to allow up to eight residential units in three-story buildings.
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.
City of Moorpark
City of Tustin
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions