Course Library
Browse our library of planning courses
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.
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.
Regulating Electronic Message Centers
This course provides practical, solution-focused guidance for regulations that leverage digital sign technology while protecting community aesthetic values and safety concerns. This course is available for free.
Multi-Family Property Valuation Case Study for Planners
This course will take planners through a case study multi-family property valuation. The course will build upon previous course topics of time discounting, internal rate of return, net operating income, lease structures, debt payments, and risk assessment.
Office Property Valuation Case Study for Planners
This course offers a case study of office property valuation, building upon topics from previous courses, including time discounting, internal rate of return, net operating income, lease structures, debt payments, and risk assessment.
Real Estate Debt for Planners
This course introduces planners to basic concepts of real estate debt, including metrics used in obtaining a mortgage and other concepts like borrowing capacity, and amortization analysis.
Property Valuation for Planners
This course builds on topics covered in the previous two courses from this series, time value of money and property cash flow, to undertake a discounted cash flow analysis of property value.
Property Cash Flow Analysis for Planners
This course will introduce planners to property cash flow analysis, which provides the foundation for real estate pro forma analysis.
Time Value of Money for Planners
This course will introduce planners to the concept of time value of money that will provide the foundation for real estate pro forma analysis.
Form-Based Codes 101: Legal Aspects
This course explores the legal issues of creating and using a form-based code.
Photoshop CC for Planners 4: Creating Visual Simulations
In this course, we'll use the skills and techniques covered in the previous three Photoshop CC courses to create an advanced visual simulation of a re-imagined public space.
Defensible Sign Regulations
Communities regulate the characteristics of signs to achieve multiple goals, such as limiting driver distraction, maintaining the aesthetic character of the community, and implementing aspects of related plans. This course will show participants how to draft—and adopt—sign ordinances that accomplish those purposes while conforming with the First Amendment.
Regulating Sex Businesses, Part 2: Practical Tips
This course will provide practical tips for developing local zoning and licensing regulations for sexually oriented businesses. This course builds on material from Part 1 of this two-part series.
Regulating Sex Businesses, Part 1: Principles and Foundations
This course shows how to lay the foundation for ordinances that mitigate the negative effects of sex businesses while conforming with constitutional requirements under the First Amendment.
Photoshop CC for Planners 3: Advanced Techniques
This course builds upon the first two courses in the "Photoshop CC for Planners" series. In this installment, we'll cover more advanced functions in the program and start building a digital library, which we'll use in the next course to create a complex visual simulation.
Photoshop CC for Planners 2: More Tools and Techniques
This course builds upon the first Photoshop CC course, giving you step-by-step instructions on how to use more complex tools and techniques in the program.
Photoshop CC for Planners 1: Basic Functions
Adobe Photoshop CC is widely recognized among design professionals as the premier image editing software, with a number of useful applications for urban planning. This course gives you a step-by-step introduction to the basic tools of Photoshop CC.
Planning and the Law: Procedural Due Process
The United States Constitution protects rights to "due process." In a land use law context, due process is why local governments must treat legislative and quasi-judicial decision making differently. At the end of this course, students will be able to differentiate between legislative and quasi-judicial decisions and to understand the due process implications of the distinction.
Planning and the Law: The Takings Clause
This course will help students understand and explore three legal concepts borne of the United States Constitution's Takings Clause: eminent domain, regulatory takings, and exactions. By the end of the course, students will be able to identify whether a particular government action is at risk of violating the Takings Clause.