Law and Policy | Planetizen Courses

Understanding laws and regulations is key to implementing effective planning policies and ensuring compliance with federal, state, and local statutes. Planetizen Courses offers classes on a wide range of regulations and legal issues that planners routinely come up against. Learn about code drafting, ethics, land use regulation, and how to navigate legal processes.

Law and Policy Courses

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exterior photo of home for urban planning course

Exploring the Regulation of Short-Term Rentals

67 Mins

AIA CES
AICP CM
CNU-A

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examples of universal design which include bus stop sign with large letters, public transit space for wheelchair bound people

Planning for Universal Design

46 Mins

CIP
AICP CM

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interior of marijuana dispensary

Local Regulation of Marijuana Businesses

56 Mins

AICP CM

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Sprawling residential neighborhoods with many single family houses.

Arbitrary Lines: How Zoning Broke the American City and How to Fix it

67 Mins

AIA CES
AICP CM

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closeup of ethics defintion

Ethics: Balancing a Business Friendly Planning Environment, Part 2

Carol D. Barrett

56 Mins

AICP CM
CNU-A
SACPLAN CPD

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street with buildings and trees

Form-Based Codes 101: Corridors

Geoffrey Ferrell, Kaizer Rangwala

55 Mins

AIA CES
AICP CM
CNU-A
LA CES

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aerial view of a city

Overview of the Planning Process

40 Mins

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exterior and interior of tiny home for urban planning course

Regulatory Implications of Tiny Homes

58 Mins

AIA CES
AICP CM
CNU-A

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aerial of Houston with houses and buildings

Planning for Racial Equity

55 Mins

CIP
AIA CES
AICP CM

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aerial view of houston freeways

Transportation Planning: Making Transportation Plans—Rationality and Politics

Richard Willson

60 Mins

AIA CES
AICP CM
CNU-A
SACPLAN CPD

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A woman sitting at a sewing machine

Making Room for Home-Based Businesses

46 Mins

CIP
AICP CM

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shelf with legal books

Legal Issues for Form-Based Codes

80 Mins

AICP CM
CNU-A

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aerial view of suburban homes

Form-Based Codes 101: Preparing a Form-Based Code

Lisa Wise, Daniel Parolek

61 Mins

AIA CES
AICP CM
CNU-A

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panoramic image of city buildings along a waterfront

Basic Legal Framework for Planning Officials

47 Mins

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aerial view of city buildings

Introduction to Planning: Implementation of the Plan

Eric Damian Kelly

38 Mins

AICP CM
SACPLAN CPD

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redlining map

Race, Space, and Planning

66 Mins

AIA CES
AICP CM

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freeway with Dallas skyline in background

Transportation Planning: Principles and Practices of Transportation Finance

Richard Willson

62 Mins

AIA CES
AICP CM
CNU-A
SACPLAN CPD

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The I-5 in Portland, Oregon.

Roadways for People, Part 1

Lynn Peterson, Elizabeth Doerr

79 Mins

CIP
AIA CES
AICP CM

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constitution of the united states we the people preamble

Planning and the Law: The Takings Clause

69 Mins

AICP CM
CNU-A

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government building with columns

Form-Based Codes 101: Legal Aspects

Daniel Parolek, Daniel K. Slone

85 Mins

AIA CES
AICP CM
CNU-A

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aerial view of boston with housing and city skyline in background

Constitutional Limitations on Planning and Zoning

61 Mins

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map of building types

Form-Based Codes: Using Building Types, Part 1

63 Mins

AIA CES
AICP CM
CNU-A
SACPLAN CPD

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vintage photo of a boat with migrants near ellis island

A Brief History of Immigration and Planning

65 Mins

AIA CES
AICP CM

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church surrounded by city buildings

Federal and State Religious Land Use Statutes

61 Mins

AIA CES
AICP CM

Top Law and Policy Instructors

Richard Willson

Richard Willson is a professor in the Department of Urban and Regional Planning at California State...

Daniel Parolek

Daniel Parolek is a nationally recognized thought leader in architecture, design, and urban planning, specifically in...

Eric Damian Kelly

Eric Damian Kelly is a lawyer and planner with more than 35 years of experience working...

Peter Gordon

Peter Gordon is Professor Emeritus at the University of Southern California Price School of Public Policy...

Peter Henn

PETER J. HENN, Esq., AICP, is a land use attorney at Jones Foster in West Palm...

Mary Reilly

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

Alan Weinstein

Alan Weinstein holds a joint faculty appointment at Cleveland State University’s Cleveland-Marshall College of Law and...

Jennifer Raitt

Jennifer Raitt is the Executive Director of the Northern Middlesex Council of Governments. She has nearly...

Nolan Gray

M. Nolan Fray is the Research Director for California YIMBY, an expert in urban land-use regulation...

Álvaro Huerta

Dr. Álvaro Huerta is a Religion and Public Life Organizing Fellow at Harvard Divinity School and...

Lance Freeman

Lance Freeman is a Professor in the Urban Planning Program at Columbia University in New York...

Brad Neumann

Brad Neumann is a MSU Senior Extension Educator who serves as an educational resource for local...

Wayne Beyea

Wayne Beyea is a faculty member and senior specialist - outreach within the MSU School of...

Malak Hakim

Malak Hakim is a nationally accredited urban planner.

James Carpentier

James Carpentier is State and Local Government Affairs Manager with the International Sign Association (ISA).

Lisa Wise

As a planner and Certified Public Accountant, Ms. Wise has 20 years of professional experience in...

Thomas Hawkins

Thomas Hawkins, a Florida licensed attorney, has represented parties on all sides of the planning and...

Mark White

S. Mark White is recognized as an expert in zoning and planning/land use law.

Carol D. Barrett

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

Thomas Hamed

Thomas Hamed, AICP is a transportation planner who specializes in commuter transportation and mobility for all...

Jonathan Katz-Ouziel

Jonathan Katz-Ouziel is an autistic planner, an independent accessibility consultant, and the founder of Opossum House...

Elizabeth Doerr

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

Lynn Peterson

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

Jonathan Ochshorn

Jonathan is a registered architect with an academic background in structural engineering and urban design as...

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All Law and Policy Courses

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Generative AI, Ethics, and the Future of Urban Planning

Instructor: Tom Sanchez

Explore the ethical and equity implications of using generative AI in urban planning. This course addresses bias, transparency, public trust, emerging tools like digital twins, and offers practical guidance for responsible adoption.

4.30

66 Mins

CIP

AIA CES

AICP CM

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The Ethics of Disruptive Transportation Technologies

Instructor: Carol D. Barrett

This course discusses the process for making ethical decisions as part of planning for disruptive technologies.

4.38

83 Mins

AICP CM

CNU-A

SACPLAN CPD