Planning Process
Are Virtual Public Meetings Here For Good?
Online public hearings and other meetings have become commonplace. A case can be made to continue virtual meetings even in the post-COVID-19 era.
For Success, Smart Cities Need Stakeholder Engagement
Smart cities technologies are not going to lead to the right outcomes unless end users are recognized as integral players in the planning process.
Local Planning Departments Shutting Down in California
The entire state of California is now on a shelter in place order, but planning desks and public hearings on land use issues were already in the process of shutting down.
The 'Garbage Language' of Planning
The language we use as planners can serve many purposes and often hinders good communication rather than fostering it.
Lessons from a Six-Hour Hearing on Planning and Zoning
A recent debate in Washington, D.C. echoed common concerns about the planning process in cities around the country.
The Final Days of 'Level of Service' in California's Environmental Review Process
A long-awaited draft update of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) has finally been released, and Level of Service will finally be a thing of the past in the next two to four years.
Google Headquarters Expansion Trips Near the Finish Line
Negotiations between the city of Mountain View and tech giant Google over the latter's plans to expand its headquarters recently took a strange turn.
Planners Across America: Making Albuquerque the Land of Enchantment, Not Confusion
The city of Albuquerque is focused on bringing consistency and coherence to an unwieldy collection of planning and land use regulations. An interview with Albuquerque Planning Director Suzanne Lubar explores the city's approach to the challenge.
Innovating the Planning Process Through Community-Centered Design
Sean O'Malley and Andrew Watkins, of the landscape architecture, planning, and urban design firm SWA, describe the benefits of a design process that empowers people and communities to participate.
The Rise of the Development Agreement
The evolution of the development agreement reveals how its proliferation as a land use tool is a symptom of a larger struggle between increasingly complicated land use regulations, the public’s conflicting goals, and developers’ desire for certainty
Poll: What are the Most Important Skills for Planning Staffers?
In the second in a series of posts, PlannersWeb recently posted the results of a poll asking: "What are the skills you’ve found most important in serving on a planning commission?"
Poll: What are the Most Important Skills for Planning Commissioners?
PlannersWeb recently posted the results of a poll asking: "What are the skills you’ve found most important in serving on a planning commission?"
How a Bunch of Nosepickers are Helping Nashville Plan for its Future
Booming development and shifting demographics are driving updates to Music City’s land use policies. Civic leaders and planners say they want residents to steer the process, which has meant getting people’s attention in some unlikely ways.
Development Fails the Public Opinion Polls
A recent article for PlannersWeb called “10 Things You Should Know About How the Public Feels About Development” provides helpful data and insight into the type of opposition encountered whenever new development projects face public scrutiny.
A Call to Give New York's Planning Power to the People
Michael Sorkin bemoans the trickle-down planning ethos of the Bloomberg era and sees the need to increase the city's resiliency as an opportunity to "return to the task of physical planning attuned to local desires".
Techniques for Bridging the Activist-Developer Divide
A frank discussion about growth and development at a recent Vancouver forum revealed the extensive common ground shared developers and neighborhood activists, and promising techniques for bridging their traditional divide.
New Urbanism's Chief Regret?
In his fifth entry in a lengthy examination of the successes and failures of New Urbanism, Peter Katz looks at one of the movement's key blindspots: the failure to help improve the processes and practices of local governments.
Can Gamification Bring New Voices to the Planning Process?
A new Internet-based game hopes to expand the allure of civic engagement by making planning playful. Trial runs in Detroit and Salem, Massachusetts have already shown promise in attracting new voices to the planning process.
Can a 'Case Management' Office Save the Development Process in Los Angeles?
Despite 40 percent fewer employees, the department recently announced a reform plan to expedite the development approval process by bringing the city's Planning Department and the Department of Building and Safety under one roof.
Improving Planning in San Francisco
The Wall Street Journal talks with Gabriel Metcalf, executive director of the San Francisco Planning and Urban Research Association, about where the city is heading and how it needs to change.
City of Costa Mesa
Licking County
Barrett Planning Group LLC
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Mpact Transit + Community
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
City of Universal City TX
ULI Northwest Arkansas
Town of Zionsville
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.
