Engaging the public is a crucial aspect of planning practice. Learn the most effective best practices for conducting effective public outreach and garnering useful stakeholder input on urban planning projects.

Civic Engagement Courses

american flag with government building in background for urban planning course
Leadership in Planning: Strategic Decision-Making in the Public Interest
Jeff Levine
60 Mins
  • AICP CM
  • CNU-A
  • SACPLAN CPD
a row of three suburban homes
Just Suburbs: The New Frontier for Equity and Inclusion
David Dixon
56 Mins
  • CIP
  • AIA CES
  • AICP CM
  • SACPLAN CPD
wood carved letters spelling out ethics
Ethics: Balancing a Business Friendly Planning Environment
Carol D. Barrett
59 Mins
  • AICP CM
  • CNU-A
  • SACPLAN CPD
3D model of neighborhood in Unity software
Virtual Reality for Planners 4: Refining the End User Experience
Chase Mullen
74 Mins
  • AIA CES
  • AICP CM
  • SACPLAN CPD
Image of people gathered around a clipboard and papers with AI Ethics, legality, justice, etc words
Generative AI, Ethics, and the Future of Urban Planning
Tom Sanchez
66 Mins
  • CIP
  • AIA CES
  • AICP CM
papers books references on desk
Writing for Planners: Documents that Work
Claudia Kousoulas
74 Mins
  • AICP CM
materiality determination graphic
Principles of Materiality, Responsiveness, Inclusivity, and Impact
Carlos Zapata
61 Mins
  • CIP
  • AICP CM
closeup of newspapers for writing press release course
Writing a Press Release
Ben Schulman
49 Mins
group of volunteers sitting and talking
Placemaking for Community-Based Organizations
Kayla Hunter
53 Mins
  • CIP
  • AIA CES
  • AICP CM
closeup of ethics defintion
Ethics: Balancing a Business Friendly Planning Environment, Part 2
Carol D. Barrett
56 Mins
  • AICP CM
  • CNU-A
  • SACPLAN CPD
collage of images with families, a crowded sidewalk, and a farmer's market
Defining Neighborhoods
Emily Talen
54 Mins
  • AIA CES
  • AICP CM
  • CNU-A
  • SACPLAN CPD
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Public Speaking, Communication, and Influence for Planners
Corrin Wendell
63 Mins
  • CIP
  • AIA CES
  • AICP CM
people sitting at table for community meeting
Best Practices for Community Engagement
Dave Biggs
70 Mins
  • AICP CM
  • CNU-A
  • SACPLAN CPD
aerial of Houston with houses and buildings
Planning for Racial Equity
Lance Freeman
55 Mins
  • CIP
  • AIA CES
  • AICP CM
vector illustration of person composing email for urban planning course
Mastering Mailchimp
Ben Schulman
43 Mins
person standing in front of a colorful mural
Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design
Kayla Hunter
59 Mins
  • CIP
  • AIA CES
  • AICP CM
buildings created with communityviz
CommunityViz Introduction
Doug Walker
72 Mins
people sitting in outdoor plaza
The Social Life of Small Urban Spaces
60 Mins
  • SACPLAN CPD
hands holding tablet
Planning and Promoting Your Community Engagement Process
Dave Biggs
78 Mins
  • AICP CM
  • CNU-A
  • SACPLAN CPD
two elderly people crossing the street
The Pedestrian Safety Crisis in the U.S.
Angie Schmitt
53 Mins
  • AICP CM
  • SACPLAN CPD
couple viewing land with binoculars for urban planning course
Citizen Science in Urban Planning
Kendra Smith
35 Mins
  • AICP CM
  • SACPLAN CPD
Aerial shot of a sewage water treatment plant.
Connecting Households to Sewer Systems
Seema Thomas
55 Mins
  • CIP
  • AIA CES
  • AICP CM
title graphic reads "tactical urbanism"
Tactical Urbanism: An Introduction
Mike Lydon
81 Mins
  • AICP CM
  • CNU-A
  • SACPLAN CPD
large sculptures that spell out Porto in Porto Portugal
Effective City Branding
Fabian Geyrhalter
57 Mins
  • AIA CES
  • AICP CM

Top Civic Engagement Instructors

Kayla Hunter

Kayla is an experienced non-profit professional who works with at-risk youth to reimagine unused, neglected spaces...

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Chase Mullen

Chase is the Director of Design Visualization at MIG. With an acute eye for graphics and...

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Ben Schulman

Ben Schulman is a writer and editor based in Chicago, with a focus on architecture, urban...

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Tom Sanchez

Tom Sanchez is a professor of Urban Planning specializing in Artificial Intelligence, Technology, and Landscape Architecture.

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Mary Reilly

Mary Reilly is a land use educator with Michigan State University Extension.

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Dave Biggs

Dave Biggs is an internationally-recognized speaker, author and public engagement strategist focusing on best practices to...

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Claudia Kousoulas

Claudia has more than 25 years of experience as an urban planner with work ranging from...

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Chris Williamson

Chris Williamson has spent 40 years in academia, public and private sector planning, and environmental analysis.

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Carol D. Barrett

Ms. Barrett is a highly acclaimed expert in planning ethics.

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Elizabeth Doerr

Elizabeth Doerr is a writer with expertise and awareness around social and racial justice issues and...

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Lynn Peterson

Lynn Peterson is a nationally recognized transportation and land use integration expert.

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Annalise Fonza

Dr. Annalise Fonza is a Lecturer in the Department of Urban & Regional Planning at the...

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Katrina Johnston-Zimmerman

Katrina is a lecturer, researcher, and advocate for heart-centered cities. Her work focuses on human behavior...

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Kendra Smith

Kendra L. Smith, Ph.D. is the Associate Director for Community Engaged Research in the Office of...

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Jeff Levine

Jeff is the Planning and Urban Development Director for Portland, ME.

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William Lennertz

William Lennertz, AIA, is the Executive Director and lead trainer at the National Charrette Institute (NCI)...

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Jessica White

Jessica White is a GIS Analyst and cartographer who is passionate about the possibilities of GIS...

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Mike Lydon

Mike Lydon is a Principal of The Street Plans Collaborative.

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Corrin Wendell

Corrin Wendell, FAICP is the Founder and Executive Director of YEP! Youth Engagement Planning, President &...

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Kelly Porter

Kelly Porter is the Assistant Director for City of Fort Worth Transportation and Public Works Department...

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David Rouse

David is a consultant, educator, and author with over 40 years of experience in urban and...

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Kristin Faurest

Kristin Faurest is a public garden education and outreach professional, author, and landscape architecture educator, committed...

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David Dixon

David is well known for helping create new, mixed-use urban districts (in both cities and suburbs)...

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Jason Neville

Jason is an experienced urban planner, redevelopment professional, and affordable housing developer.

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All Civic Engagement Courses

UN Sustainable Development Goals: The Role of Cities in Implementation Sign Up

UN Sustainable Development Goals: The Role of Cities in Implementation

Instructor: Chris Holtkamp

This course will introduce the 17 Sustainable Development Goals as a framework for planning at the local level.

4.36
75 Mins
CIP
AIA CES
AICP CM
SACPLAN CPD
Hand Drawing Master Plans Sign Up

Hand Drawing Master Plans

Instructor: Daniel Garcia

This course provides an introduction to urban design sketching by teaching how to draw urban design sketches and master plans using a mix of colored and black ink. These drawing techniques can be used to create plans that are detailed and expressive enough to use both in academic and professional presentations.

4.31
70 Mins
AIA CES
AICP CM
SACPLAN CPD
AutoCAD for Site Planning Sign Up

AutoCAD for Site Planning

Instructor: Jaymes Dunsmore

This course establishes a workflow for an illustrative site plan, including how to represent existing conditions and create detailed plans for specific areas within a larger project. Building on AutoCAD 101, learn to draw  more complex plans using aerial imagery, photography, and hand-drawn sketches as the base layer.

4.11
74 Mins
AICP CM
CNU-A
SACPLAN CPD

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