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
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

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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
Mary Reilly
40 Mins

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exterior and interior of tiny home for urban planning course
Regulatory Implications of Tiny Homes
Malak Hakim
58 Mins
  • AIA CES
  • AICP CM
  • CNU-A

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aerial of Houston with houses and buildings
Planning for Racial Equity
Lance Freeman
55 Mins
  • CIP
  • AIA CES
  • AICP CM

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shelf with legal books
Legal Issues for Form-Based Codes
Mark White
80 Mins
  • AICP CM
  • CNU-A

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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
Nolan Gray
46 Mins
  • CIP
  • AICP CM

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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
Wayne Beyea
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
Álvaro Huerta
66 Mins
  • AIA CES
  • AICP CM

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constitution of the united states we the people preamble
Planning and the Law: The Takings Clause
Thomas Hawkins
69 Mins
  • AICP CM
  • CNU-A

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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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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
Álvaro Huerta
65 Mins
  • AIA CES
  • AICP CM

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columns in front of government building
Planning and the Law: Procedural Due Process
Thomas Hawkins
69 Mins
  • AICP CM
  • CNU-A

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

Zoning Code Reform: Legal and Practical Considerations When Making “Quick Fixes” to Your Zoning Code Sign Up

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Zoning Code Reform: Legal and Practical Considerations When Making “Quick Fixes” to Your Zoning Code

Instructor: Peter Henn

This course helps both public and private sector planners update and streamline their Zoning Code Standards of Review using legally sound best planning practices.

4.34
102 Mins
AIA CES
AICP CM
Federal Takings Law: Balancing Private Property Rights with the Public Interest Sign Up

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Federal Takings Law: Balancing Private Property Rights with the Public Interest

Instructor: Peter Henn

This course explores how the U.S. Constitution and federal takings law shape local planning, helping planners understand property rights, recognize legal risks, and advance the public interest within constitutional limits.

4.65
55 Mins
AIA CES
AICP CM
Legal Issues in Sign Codes

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Legal Issues in Sign Codes

Instructor: James Carpentier

This course provides basic knowledge of the legal issues involved in sign codes, focusing on constitutionally-compliant sign codes in the aftermath of U.S. Supreme Court's recent decision in Reed v Town of Gilbert

4.17
59 Mins
AICP CM
Free

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