Writing may not be the key focus for urban planners, but it is a necessary skill for better communicating with the public on important planning issues, writes Clement Lau, a Los Angeles County planner.
While not all planners enjoy writing, the need to craft reports and other documents as part of the job make it a necessary skill to hone.
Clement Lau, a planner with the Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation, posits that while not all of his colleagues will enjoy writing the way he does, sharpening their skills as a way to better communicate their plans for their projects to the community is necessary.
"In my opinion, two of the biggest ongoing challenges for planners are communicating clearly with the public and maintaining interest on important planning issues. One way to tackle these challenges is to prepare thoughtful and articulate plans or reports that not only reflect the input of our constituents, but are also easy to read and understand."
Tips planners can incorporate to make their writing better include avoiding jargon, keeping paragraphs short, avoiding the passive voice, and removing extra words, according to Lau.
FULL STORY: Writing Tips for Planners
Defining Key Zoning Code Terms for the Masses
What it means when planners use their words.
'Define Each and Every Acronym'
A participant in some of Seattle's most consequential planning processes puts out a call for a more inclusive use of language.
Ask the Editor: Planning Grammar Edition
The Planetizen managing editor answers questions about some of the post consistently befuddling grammar questions that arise when writing and talking about planning.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Map: Where Senate Republicans Want to Sell Your Public Lands
For public land advocates, the Senate Republicans’ proposal to sell millions of acres of public land in the West is “the biggest fight of their careers.”
Restaurant Patios Were a Pandemic Win — Why Were They so Hard to Keep?
Social distancing requirements and changes in travel patterns prompted cities to pilot new uses for street and sidewalk space. Then it got complicated.
Platform Pilsner: Vancouver Transit Agency Releases... a Beer?
TransLink will receive a portion of every sale of the four-pack.
Toronto Weighs Cheaper Transit, Parking Hikes for Major Events
Special event rates would take effect during large festivals, sports games and concerts to ‘discourage driving, manage congestion and free up space for transit.”
Berlin to Consider Car-Free Zone Larger Than Manhattan
The area bound by the 22-mile Ringbahn would still allow 12 uses of a private automobile per year per person, and several other exemptions.
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.
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
JM Goldson LLC
Custer County Colorado
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Claremont
Municipality of Princeton (NJ)