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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aerial view of cars at large intersection
Transportation Planning: Travel Behavior Principles and Modelling Approaches
Richard Willson
55 Mins
  • AIA CES
  • AICP CM
  • CNU-A
  • SACPLAN CPD

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tall trees and mountains with a night sky of stars
Lighting Regulations and Dark Sky Places
Lindsay Malbon
66 Mins
  • CIP
  • AIA CES
  • AICP CM

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bright neon signs in las vegas
Defensible Sign Regulations
Eric Damian Kelly
63 Mins
  • AICP CM
  • CNU-A
  • SACPLAN CPD

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stores and buildings on main street
Introduction to Planning
Mary Reilly
46 Mins

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Image of International Symbol of Access next to weighing scales
US Disability Access Laws for Planners
Jonathan Katz-Ouziel, Thomas Hamed
109 Mins
  • AIA CES
  • AICP CM

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colorful townhomes
Missing Middle Housing: Meeting the Growing Demand for Walkable Urbanism
Daniel Parolek
72 Mins
  • AIA CES
  • AICP CM
  • CNU-A

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Panel of five speakers on webcams
Housing and Racial Justice: Current Events Urban Resilience
59 Mins
  • CIP
  • AIA CES
  • AICP CM
  • SACPLAN CPD

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wood carved letters spelling out ethics
Ethics: Balancing a Business Friendly Planning Environment
Carol D. Barrett
59 Mins
  • AICP CM
  • CNU-A
  • SACPLAN CPD

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aerial view of cars on highway
Transportation Planning: Strategies for Working with Roadway Capacity
Richard Willson
63 Mins
  • AIA CES
  • AICP CM
  • CNU-A
  • SACPLAN CPD

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person standing in front of a colorful mural
Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design
Kayla Hunter
59 Mins
  • CIP
  • AIA CES
  • AICP CM

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skyline of LInkcoln Park Chicago
Economic Thinking for Planners: Cities, Externalities, and Governance
Peter Gordon
56 Mins
  • AICP CM
  • SACPLAN CPD

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handshake
Planning Official Ethics 101
Wayne Beyea
62 Mins

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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

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wildfire on a hill behind a row of suburban homes
Resilience Planning for Wildfires
Chris Holtkamp
58 Mins
  • CIP
  • AIA CES
  • AICP CM

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zoning law books
Code Drafting and the Law
Mark White
66 Mins
  • AICP CM
  • CNU-A
  • SACPLAN CPD

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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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A crumbling residential building with collapsed floors
Building Bad, Part 1: How Architectural Utility is Constrained by Politics
Jonathan Ochshorn
57 Mins
  • CIP
  • AIA CES
  • AICP CM

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government building
Economic Thinking for Planners: Local Government and Governance
Peter Gordon
53 Mins
  • AICP CM
  • SACPLAN CPD

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Austin comprehensive plan graphic
What is a Comprehensive Plan?
Mary Reilly
60 Mins

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exterior photo of home for urban planning course
Exploring the Regulation of Short-Term Rentals
Malak Hakim
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
Lance Freeman
46 Mins
  • CIP
  • 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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interior of marijuana dispensary
Local Regulation of Marijuana Businesses
Alan Weinstein
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
Nolan Gray
67 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...

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Daniel Parolek

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

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Eric Damian Kelly

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

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Peter Gordon

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

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Peter Henn

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

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Mary Reilly

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

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Alan Weinstein

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

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Jennifer Raitt

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

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Nolan Gray

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

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Álvaro Huerta

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

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Lance Freeman

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

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Brad Neumann

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

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Wayne Beyea

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

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Malak Hakim

Malak Hakim is a nationally accredited urban planner.

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James Carpentier

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

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Lisa Wise

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

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Thomas Hawkins

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

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Mark White

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

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Carol D. Barrett

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

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Thomas Hamed

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

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Jonathan Katz-Ouziel

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

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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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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

Measuring Neighborhood Segregation and Diversity Sign Up

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Measuring Neighborhood Segregation and Diversity

Instructor: Emily Talen

This course reviews the various ways to measure both segregation and diversity at the neighborhood scale.

4.17
56 Mins
AIA CES
AICP CM
CNU-A
Greenhouse Gas Emissions Accounting for Cities Sign Up

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Greenhouse Gas Emissions Accounting for Cities

Instructor: Michael R. Boswell

Greenhouse gas emissions accounting is a core tool for developing, implementing, and monitoring climate actions and strategies. This course provides a basic overview of concepts that can be supplemented with training in specific software.

4.31
60 Mins
AIA CES
AICP CM
CNU-A
SACPLAN CPD
Urban Design for Planners 8: Parking and Traffic Sign Up

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Urban Design for Planners 8: Parking and Traffic

Instructor: Emily Talen

The final course in the Urban Design for Planners series addresses the automobile as part of the urban fabric. The storage of cars and high levels of congestion can be very detrimental to neighborhoods, but good design can mitigate those negative effects. 

4.20
90 Mins
AICP CM
CNU-A
LA CES

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