Image photo of Miami Beach Florida with Pedestrian Friendly Zone yellow sign attached to the Lenox Ave street sign

Walkable City 7: The Planner's Pledge

North America’s car-dependent landscape stems from planning’s past focus on zoning and highways, causing social, economic, and environmental harm. The Planner’s Pledge calls on planners to acknowledge these mistakes and commit to a sustainable, equitable, walkable urbanism.

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Course Info

  • Duration 7 video lessons (72 Mins)
  • Published Published
    2025
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Browse Course Chapters

  • Chapter Locked
    1.
    Introduction
    Chapter Duration 5 mins
  • Chapter Locked
    2.
    History of the Pledge
    Chapter Duration 19 mins
  • Chapter Locked
    3.
    Pledge Structure and Introductory Text
    Chapter Duration 2 mins
  • Chapter Locked
    4.
    The "Whereas" Statements
    Chapter Duration 18 mins
  • Chapter Locked
    5.
    The "Encourage" Statements
    Chapter Duration 14 mins
  • Chapter Locked
    6.
    The "Discourage" Statements
    Chapter Duration 8 mins
  • Chapter Locked
    7.
    What You Can Do
    Chapter Duration 2 mins

What You Will Learn

- Learn about a nascent movement to reform the planning profession. 

- Learn about the flawed history of the profession. 

- Learn about the need to add a quality standard to the expectations surrounding planning practice. 

- Learn the key fundamentals that distinguish good planning from bad. 

- Consider joining the Planner’s Pledge movement and sharing its message.

Course Description

The North American built environment is the result of many influences, not least among them the direction provided by the planning profession. Thanks in part to that profession’s historical embrace of zoning and highways, we now inhabit a built environment that separates us ruthlessly both from different activities and from different people, such that we are inordinately dependent on our automobiles and less connected to one another. The outcomes of this pattern of growth could not be more profound. We have worsened public health, lost economic resiliency, exacerbated inequity, and undermined the social fabric of our communities as our daily driving cooks the planet. It is time for professional planners to offer a new model of professional conduct, one that explicitly acknowledges past errors, rejects autocentric suburban sprawl, and embraces a sustainable, equitable, walkable urbanism. That model is offered here in the form of The Planner’s Pledge.

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AICP CM

This course is approved for 1.25 AICP CM credit, including 1 Ethics credit

AIA CES

This course is 1 LU.

CIP

This course is eligible for self-reported CIP unstructured CPL units.

Meet Your Instructor

Jeff Speck

Jeff Speck

Jeff Speck is a city planner who advocates internationally for more walkable cities.

Meet Instructor

Course Reviews

4.38
Sean Hoelscher 1

Sean Hoelscher 1

Extremely Satisfied
Rema Abdelfattah

Rema Abdelfattah

Extremely Satisfied
Briam Amaya Perez

Briam Amaya Perez

Satisfied
WILLIAM DINSMORE

WILLIAM DINSMORE

Extremely Satisfied

Course Reviews

49%
40%
10%
1%
0%
Richard Roisman

Richard Roisman

Satisfied
James Hill

James Hill

Extremely Satisfied
This was truly groundbreaking.
Jenah Thornborrow

Jenah Thornborrow

Extremely Satisfied
Richard Guether

Richard Guether

Extremely Satisfied
I was initially skeptical about the concept of a "Planner's Pledge", but the principles summarized in this presentation are so very well thought out and potentially actionable, that I've been sold on the concept. Definitely view the other Walkable City courses first, though.
Emily Pierson-Brown

Emily Pierson-Brown

Extremely Satisfied
Speck claims that this course is not part of the larger Walkable City track, but I disagree. It feels like a logical culmination of that track. I believe that planners should be advocates for better city design and that starts with understanding the basic principles of what makes environments walkable. I like that this course is aspirational and a call to action.
hardy huang

hardy huang

Extremely Satisfied
Peter Vickerman

Peter Vickerman

Satisfied
Ben Luckens

Ben Luckens

Extremely Satisfied

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