Course Library
Browse our library of planning courses
Defining Neighborhoods
This course reviews the varying definitions of neighborhoods and examines methods for defining a physical basis and tangible meaning to neighborhoods based on the location of neighborhood centers, boundaries, and spatial extents.
Transportation Planning: Strategies for Working with Roadway Capacity
This course explains the menu of contemporary approaches to modifying or adding to transportation capacity. It provides examples of capacity responses to regional mobility for commuters and local accessibility for communities.
Virtual Reality for Planners 4: Refining the End User Experience
This final course of the virtual reality series discusses the big picture, looks at space planning and event setup, discusses alternatives to the full VR experience, and lists a few ways to fine tune the user’s experience for maximum success.
Virtual Reality for Planners 3: Working with Unity
In this third course of the virtual reality series, we will create a VR application from scratch using Unity. We will be adding SketchUp data, VR components, materials, textures, backgrounds, sky and finally virtual reality.
Virtual Reality for Planners 2: Modeling in SketchUp
Learn how to use SketchUp to create content appropriate for a virtual reality environment. By the end of the course, viewers will be ready to learn how to prepare a final model for export into Unity.
Virtual Reality for Planners 1: Introduction
This course provides an overview of virtual reality (VR) and the elements that lead to effective urban design simulations and, ultimately, how to produce VR applications that enable users to explore urban design scenarios.
Form-Based Codes: Using Building Types, Part 1
Learn about building types in the context of form-based coding and how building types can be a direct way to achieve compatible and more predictable built results.
21st Century Storytelling: Video for Planners
This course will give you motivation to create video content, and give you practical, affordable tips to be heard among the online noise.
Storytelling for Planners
This course will teach planners how to adapt proven storytelling methods employed by creative artists for centuries. We will cover the storytelling applications to analog and digital outreach methods.
Conceptual Drawing for Planners
In this course, we will learn effective ways of drawing as a means to communicate design ideas and explore digital tools that support traditional drawing.
Regulatory Implications of Tiny Homes
In this course we will define a tiny home and explore the history and appeal of this seemingly recent movement. The course touches on challenges associated with the legal development and regulation of this alternative residential option.
Mobile Drawing Apps for Planners
This course explores three affordable mobile drawing apps and how each might facilitate the planner’s creative process.
Writing Master Plans, From Start to Finish
In this course you’ll learn how to approach a master plan—starting with concept development and community voice, and finishing with the mechanics of organizing and expressing ideas.
Digital Publishing for Planners
This course identifies popular digital publishing methods, and explains tradeoffs between user-friendly self-publishing tools and premium hosting services.
Introduction to Real Estate Equity Crowdfunding
Learn the rules that govern and allow for real estate crowdfunding and how real estate crowdfunding can be deployed in your community for possible development.
Leadership in Planning: Strategic Decision-Making in the Public Interest
At the end of this course, you will understand how to turn planning theory into practice in the real world.
External Relations for Planners
This course teaches customer service concepts, skills, and strategies to reflect well on planning organizations, and also make planners more effective in their work.
Managing a Planning Organization
At the end of this course, you will understand how to motivate and inspire staff; what steps to take to deal with unmotivated personnel; and how to manage an office as part of a larger organization.
Blogging About Planning
In this course we will review how blogs are used as planning tools to educate and engage participants in community decisions.
Land Use Planning to Support Economic Development
This course provides a general understanding of macro level socio-economic and related business and industry trends likely to influence economic development plans and associated land use policies over the next twenty years.