Preparing plans is at the heart of the planning field, but the tools and skills needed to do so are always changing. Keep up to date with the latest concepts and software for creating effective, clear, and goal-oriented plans for all types of planners.

Plan Making Courses

aerial photo of atlanta georgia skyline
Form-Based Codes 101: Citywide and Countywide Code Updates
Lisa Wise, Daniel Parolek, Mary Madden, Peter Park
59 Mins
  • AIA CES
  • AICP CM
Two people using a measuring wheel on the side of a road
How to Scope for Plan Implementation
Kelly Porter
44 Mins
  • CIP
  • AICP CM
buildings, cars, people on Halsted Street in Chicago in 1900
History of City Planning 2: Modern Ideas of City Planning (1900-1939)
Jason Luger
49 Mins
  • AIA CES
  • AICP CM
  • CNU-A
  • SACPLAN CPD
detached accessory dwelling unit ADU in backyard
Accessory Dwelling Units: Understanding America’s Newest Housing Typology
Jason Neville
57 Mins
  • CIP
  • AIA CES
  • AICP CM
  • SACPLAN CPD
papers books references on desk
Writing for Planners: Documents that Work
Claudia Kousoulas
74 Mins
  • AICP CM
sculpture in an urban plaza
Design for Peace and Democracy
Kristin Faurest
50 Mins
  • CIP
  • AICP CM
A B-29 over Osaka, Japan on 1 June 1945
History of City Planning 3: Midcentury Modern (1940-1979)
Jason Luger
64 Mins
  • AIA CES
  • AICP CM
  • CNU-A
  • SACPLAN CPD
Boston buildings and bridge
The Elements of Citymaking: Design, Policy, and Finance
Jason Neville
57 Mins
  • CIP
  • AIA CES
  • AICP CM
  • SACPLAN CPD
runners and bicyclists in park
Comprehensive Planning for Healthy Communities
Matt Raimi
78 Mins
  • AIA CES
  • AICP CM
  • CNU-A
  • SACPLAN CPD
Construction inside a large two-story mall.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
David Dixon
48 Mins
  • CIP
  • AICP CM
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
New Orleans neighborhood with city skyline in background
Methods for Neighborhood Scale Revitalization
Jason Neville
68 Mins
  • CIP
  • AIA CES
  • AICP CM
  • SACPLAN CPD
aerial view of ancient city grid
The American City, Part 1: A Brief History of the Regular Grid
Mark David Major
47 Mins
  • AIA CES
  • AICP CM
Car crashed into interstate wall with firefighters and people pointing.
Walkable City 3: The Safe Walk (A)
Jeff Speck
77 Mins
  • CIP
  • AIA CES
  • AICP CM
view of Shanghai, China skyline
History of City Planning 4: Planning in the Postmodern Age (1980-Today)
Jason Luger
74 Mins
  • AIA CES
  • AICP CM
  • CNU-A
  • SACPLAN CPD
site plan layout created in adobe indesign
InDesign for Planners - An Introduction
Mike Ernst
103 Mins
  • CNU-A
storefronts with different building heights
Right-Sizing Zoning for Better Outcomes
Christy Dodson
129 Mins
  • AIA CES
  • AICP CM
aerial view of los angeles at night
The American City, Part 2: The Invention of a New Scale
Mark David Major
50 Mins
  • AIA CES
  • AICP CM
A collage of four megacities
History of City Planning 5: The City of Tomorrow
Jason Luger
56 Mins
  • AIA CES
  • AICP CM
  • CNU-A
  • SACPLAN CPD
map created in indesign
InDesign for Planners - Intermediate
Mike Ernst
73 Mins
  • AICP CM
  • CNU-A
chicago skyline and lincoln park
How Zoning Shapes Cities, Communities, and Regions
Jenny Schuetz
84 Mins
  • AIA CES
  • AICP CM
  • SACPLAN CPD
aerial image of portland oregon
The American City, Part 3: Learning from the Grid
Mark David Major
53 Mins
  • AIA CES
  • AICP CM
portrait of Daniel Burnham
Make No Little Plans: Daniel Burnham and the American City
58 Mins
  • AICP CM
illustratin of street with buildings and trees
Design in Planning: An Overview
Jason Kambitsis
58 Mins
  • SACPLAN CPD

Top Plan Making Instructors

Emily Talen

Emily Talen is Professor of Urbanism at the University of Chicago. Her research is devoted to...

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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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Jason Luger

Jason Luger is a lecturer in City and Regional Planning at UC Berkeley, College of Environmental...

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Mark David Major

Dr. Mark David Major, AICP, CNU-A is a Professor of Urban Design at the Savannah College...

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Jason Neville

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

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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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Mike Ernst

Mike Ernst is an urban planner and designer whose work has focused on participatory planning, community...

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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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Mary Reilly

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

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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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Lisa Wise

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

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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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Jeff Speck

Jeff Speck is a city planner who advocates internationally for more walkable cities.

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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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David Dixon

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

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Jenny Schuetz

Jenny is a Senior Fellow at Brookings Metro and an expert in housing policy.

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Christy Dodson

Christy is an Urban Designer at Code Studio, with a background in architecture and planning.

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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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Daniel Garcia

Daniel Garcia is a freelance urban designer. His most important works deal with the auto-constructed city...

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Matt Raimi

Matt Raimi is the president and founder of Raimi + Associates, a Berkeley-based planning, design and...

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Peter Park

Peter J. Park is a city planner with more than 20 years experience specializing in innovative...

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Mary Madden

Mary Madden has nearly 20 years of experience in the fields of urban planning and design...

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Richard Willson

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

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Brittany Kubinski

Brittany is a graduate student at the Ohio State University studying City & Regional Planning. She...

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All Plan Making Courses

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools Sign Up

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

Instructor: Emily Talen

Urban planners and urban designers are interested in building places that embody beauty and hope. In this course, Emily Talen, PhD, FAICP, presents free urban design software tools that can help urban planners and urban designers visualize changes in the built environment to support the overarching goal of creating better places.

4.28
59 Mins
AIA CES
AICP CM
CNU-A
SACPLAN CPD
CommunityViz Introduction Sign Up

CommunityViz Introduction

Instructor: Doug Walker

In this course you will learn practical applications for CommunityViz, one of the world's premiere GeoDesign and planning scenario tools. Planners, resource managers, local and regional governments, and others use CommunityViz to help them make decisions about development, land use, transportation, conservation and more. 

4.21
72 Mins

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