Design in Planning: An Overview

Total course duration: 58 minutes (Includes 9 videos)
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In this course, Planetizen brings you an overview of design in planning. Using real world examples from design guidelines, plans, and manuals, city planner Jason Kambitsis looks at how code, practice and guidelines precipitate design and the form of our cities. This overview is for students of city planning or planners who desire a refreshing overview of land use and form based codes and best practices in design formation and implementation in the United States.

 

Your instructor, Jason Kambitsis, AICP, is the Executive Director of the Mt. Washington Community Development Corporation (MWCDC) in Pittsburgh, PA and is a founding Principal with the Community Planning and Design firm Aspect. Prior to this Jason worked as Senior Planner at the City of Pittsburgh Department of City Planning, overseeing the planning and development for 23 of Pittsburgh’s 90 neighborhoods along with project managing DesignPGH, the city’s first comprehensive look at Urban Design. Before that Jason worked in Long Range Planning for San Luis Obispo County, CA and served as Planning Commissioner for the City of San Luis Obispo, CA. Jason holds a B.S in Geography and Regional Planning from Indiana University of PA, and a Master’s in City and Regional Planning from CalPoly, San Luis Obispo. He is also a freelance journalist published at Wired, ABC News and CNN. 

Chapters

  • 1. Introduction

    An introduction to the course, showing some of the main tools planners have to influence design in planning.

    1:13m
  • 2. Integrating Design Into Planning

    Provides an overview of the four main tools that planners use to influence design in planning, including: Design Plans, Design Manuals, Zoning Code and Form Based Code.

    8:03m
  • 3. The Design Plan

    In this chapter, learn about the elements of a design plan.

    9:13m
  • 4. Design Manuals

    Chapter 4 gives an overview of what makes up an effective design manual, by looking at the example of the New York Street Design Manual.

    8:17m
  • 5. Design Tools in Action

    In this chapter, Jason delves into how to use a design plan and a design manual as implementation tools.

    12:59m
  • 6. Zoning Codes

    In this chapter explore how design is informed by the current "use based" form of zoning code.

    4:47m
  • 7. Form Based Codes

    In chapter 7, Jason explains a newer type of regulatory codes, known as Form Based Code, where the existing 'form' of the land determines development and use.

    3:40m
  • 8. From Regulation Comes Design

    In this chapter learn about how both zoning code and form based code have been implemented at a community level.

    8:52m
  • 9. What We Learned

    In this concluding chapter, Jason gives a brief summary the topics introduced in the course and what ideas you can take away from it. 

    1:36m