Professional Development

Resumes and Cover Letters for Future Planners
A number of entry-level planners make tactical choices that lessen their chances of landing the best possible job. If you see yourself in these, please take note.

Innovations in Post-Master's Graduate Planning Education
Professional doctorates or certificates of advanced graduate study (CAGS) can offer an alternative to a PH.D. for planners looking to expand their education beyond the master's degree.
Twelve 'Can't Miss' Planning and Design Conferences in 2017
L.A. County Planner Clement Lau issues his annual list of his favorite conferences for urban design professionals in the upcoming year.
Looking for a Planning Job? Practice the Art of the Interview
Urban planning students at University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill’s Department of City and Regional Planning recently participated in a valuable career–building workshop: the mock interview. Below are tips on how to organize a similar event.
Ten Planning Career Growth New Year's Resolutions for 2016
Planner Clement Lau shares his New Year's resolutions: ten professional development and career growth goals for planners and urban design professionals.
So You Want To Be a Certified Planner?
While planning seems more intuitive than technical to many the layperson, Los Angeles planner Clement Lau describes what it takes to stay at the top of the profession.
Snohomish County Public Works Department
Brick & Story
City of Mt Shasta
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Cohousing Association of the US
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Sun City Center Community Association, Inc
City of Mesa
Town of Gilbert, Arizona
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.
Hand Drawing Master Plans
This course aims to provide an introduction into Urban Design Sketching focused on how to hand draw master plans using a mix of colored markers.