Tom Sanchez, PhD, AICP, taught urban planning for 30 years. Over the past several years, he's been researching the application of AI to urban planning. His book, AI for Urban Planning (Routledge), came out in 2025. His new book, The Handbook of AI and Urban Planning (Elgar), is due out in 2027. He also teaches a 6-Week Planetizen course, "Preparing Your Planning Agency for AI."
Is AI really the Panacea to our permitting woes?
Let’s have a look at what’s happening on the ground.
Does every planner need an AI policy?
From a hundred-person agency to a one-person consultancy, the answer is yes. The difference is what “policy" means.
5 ways to hallucination-proof your AI output
With public trust on the line, the stakes are high for urban planners to ensure accuracy in our AI work. Here’s how to do it.
A planner's guide to AI prompting: Getting from vague to valuable
What you ask AI matters as much as which AI you use. Understanding effective prompt engineering can help you ask better questions.
Getting started with AI, part 2: What some planners are actually saying
Five practicing planners offer their advice for diving — cautiously — into using AI in their day-to-day work.