Course Library
Browse our library of planning courses
Location Optimization
This course introduces the basic principles of location optimization models and provides a hands-on tutorial on point-based location optimization using QGIS and LINGO.
Virtual Reality for Planners 4: Refining the End User Experience
Creating a VR experience is one thing, but managing its use at public events and integrating it into the urban design workflow is an extra, separate step. This course considers the bigger picture and covers a few ways to fine-tune the user’s experience for maximum success.
Virtual Reality for Planners 3: Working with Unity
This course provides a high-level overview of the process involved in creating a virtual reality application and teaches viewers how to assemble a virtual reality application from scratch using Unity how to make the process as successful as possible.
Virtual Reality for Planners 2: Modeling in SketchUp
This course provides a step-by-step SketchUp tutorial and teaches users how to create content appropriate for a virtual reality environment. Viewers will learn how to optimize the performance of their software and ensure success in the next steps of the process, including final model export to Unity.
Urban Design for Planners 3: Neighborhoods and Centers
This course demonstrates how to delineate a set of neighborhoods and neighborhood centers for a given area and suggests design improvements that enhance neighborhood centers.
Urban Design for Planners 2: Getting Started with QGIS and SketchUp
Course instructor Emily Talen guides viewers through the process of transferring a shapefile of building outlines into SketchUp and processes of basic manipulation necessary to create a 3D model. Learn how to load data into QGIS, set the coordinate reference system, and change the graphic display of data layers.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
Urban planners and urban designers are interested in building places that embody beauty and hope. In this course, Emily Talen, PhD, FAICP, presents free urban design software tools that can help urban planners and urban designers visualize changes in the built environment to support the overarching goal of creating better places.
GIS Fundamentals: Geocoding, Geoprocessing, and Online Sharing
This fifth installment of the GIS Fundamentals series provides instruction on how to geocode addresses, the basics of geoprocessing, and the use of ArcGIS Online for collaborative mapping and processing.
GIS Fundamentals: Importing, Selecting, and Managing Data
The fourth installment of the Geographic Information Systems Fundamentals series explains how to configure data sets, including advanced methods for selecting data through spatial and SQL queries, working with relational databases and geodatabases, and importing non-spatial data into ArcGIS.
GIS Fundamentals: Thematic Maps
This third GIS Fundamentals course covers the basics of making several kinds of thematic maps, including choropleth, dot density, and proportional symbol maps.
GIS Fundamentals: Projections and Map Design
The course will continue core concepts of GIS that began in the first course, including projections, coordinate systems, cartography, and the difference between raster and vector data models.
GIS Fundamentals: An Introduction
This first of a series of courses covering Geographic information Systems (GIS) will guide beginners interested in learning more about GIS, especially with the use of Esri's ArcGIS software.
AutoCAD for 3D Modeling
Most planners and designers don't use just one drawing or visualization program. In this course you'll learn how to create 3D drawings in AutoCAD and how to use AutoCAD in concert with other programs, such as Adobe Illustrator and Sketchup, to create illustrative plan, section, and perspective views.
Illustrator for Planners - Introduction
Adobe Illustrator is widely recognized among design professionals as the premier vector drawing software, with many valuable design and mapping applications for urban planning. This course gives you a step-by-step introduction to the basic tools of Illustrator CS5.
Illustrator for Planners - Intermediate
Adobe Illustrator is widely recognized among design professionals as the premier vector drawing software, with many valuable design and mapping applications for urban planning. This course builds upon the Introduction to Illustrator course, giving you step-by-step instructions on some of the more complex tools that come with Illustrator CS5.
Illustrator for Planners - Advanced
Adobe Illustrator is widely recognized among design professionals as the premier vector drawing software, with many valuable design and mapping applications for urban planning. This course builds upon the Intermediate Illustrator for Planners course, going into more detail on how the program can be used for logo design, map making and other uses.
SketchUp for Planners - Intermediate Part 3
Combining SketchUp and Adobe Creative Suite, this course demonstrates how to use SketchUp together with Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign to create illustrative and informative photo simulations, perspective views, sections and site plans.