Course Library
Browse our library of planning courses
Complying With Federal Law in Regulating Telecommunications
This course explains what local governments need to do—and what to avoid—to comply with federal laws while regulating telecommunications facilities.
Federal and State Religious Land Use Statutes
This course will explain what local governments need to do—and to avoid—when enacting and applying land use regulations that affect religious land uses.
Transportation Planning: Principles and Practices of Transportation Finance
This course explains principles of transportation finance and reviews the general structure for funding transportation projects. Learn about the history of U.S. funding, from strong local funding to state and federal involvement to regional funding sources.
Transportation Planning: Making Transportation Plans—Rationality and Politics
This course explains the major forms of planning applicable to transportation, including rational comprehensive planning, strategic planning, policy analysis, incremental planning, advocacy planning, and communicative planning.
Measuring Neighborhood Segregation and Diversity
This course reviews the various ways to measure both segregation and diversity at the neighborhood scale.
Local Regulation of Marijuana Businesses
This course examines the role of local regulation in states that have legalized marijuana. Learn about marijuana components and products, federal and state laws, zoning, and social equity issues.
Transportation Planning: Travel Behavior Regulations, Pricing, and Programs
This course reviews the efficacy of regulatory strategies (such as prohibitions and mandates), pricing strategies (such as peak period pricing), and education and information strategies (such as real-time ride-hailing apps).
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 2
By the end of this course, you will have a high understanding of the range of building type choices, their importance, and where and how to apply them to achieve compatible and more predictable community character objectives.
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.
The Ethics of Disruptive Transportation Technologies
This course discusses the process for making ethical decisions as part of planning for disruptive technologies.
CityEngine for Planners 3: Integration and GIS
Learn how to import real-world data from satellite imagery and terrain to GIS data.
Introduction to Planning: Zoning as an Implementation Tool
This course discusses the Zoning Ordinance - its structure, its relationship to the plan and the sometimes confusing procedures through which it is modified and varied.
Introduction to Planning: Implementation of the Plan
This course provides an overview of implementation strategies for a Comprehensive Plan and examines how those strategies fit together.
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
The second course in the Urban Design for Planners series provides training on two important tools: SketchUp and QGIS.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process. The first course introduces the software you’ll use to create analytical maps, 3D models, and 2D graphic designs.