Chris Steins is Planetizen's co-Editor-in-Chief, and the founder and chief executive of Urban Insight, a leading technology consulting firm that operates Planetizen. Chris has 20 years of experience in technology consulting and urban planning and has served as a consultant to public sector state, county and local agencies, Fortune 500 private firms, educational institutions, and nonprofit organizations. He is currently creating a modern web-based version of the zoning code for the City of Los Angeles, and developing the next generation of web-based video training for planners.
Chris was formerly the managing editor of The Planning Report and Metro Investment Report, two Los Angeles-based monthly trade publications reporting on urban planning, real estate and infrastructure development. He also previously served as the executive director of a Los Angeles-based nonprofit affordable housing development corporation involved in public-private joint venture development.
Chris is a lecturer for the Department of City and Regional Planning at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, and was previously a lecturer at the Sol Price School of Policy at the University of Southern California. He previously served for five years on the executive board of Urban Land Institute, Los Angeles and as Chair of the American Planning Association's Information Technology Division.
Chris received his Masters (M.Pl.) degree in Urban Planning and Development from the University of Southern California, and his Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). Chris also holds a variety of technology certifications from UCLA, Microsoft, CompTia, and Novell.
Top Urban City Building Games in 2019
A middle schooler reviews the top three city building games on the market in 2019.
What Do Cities in Fortnite Look Like?
Fornite is one of the fastest growing multiplayer games in the history of games, with over 125 million players in one year. A teenager Fortnite player publishes a collection of images from the major cities in the game.
Gift Ideas for the Young Future Urban Planner in Your Life
I've gathered some of the best here, field tested by my boys who have grown up a little since I last made a list like this in 2010, to help you with your holiday shopping list.
Collecting Comments on a PDF Planning Document on the Web?
How do you collect public comments on a web-based PDF planning document? It should be simple. But it isn't.
A Primer on Types of Zoning Codes
Los Angeles' City Planning Department offers a layman's introduction to the many forms of zoning codes, from Euclidean to Performance to Incentive.