Sustainability | Planetizen Courses

Sustainability planning involves strategies and practices that reduce carbon emissions and the reliance on fossil fuels, conserve natural resources, promote infill development and density, and support renewable energy. Sustainable urban planning ensures the long-term ecological, economic, and social health of cities through policies and regulatory mechanisms that focus on energy efficiency and smart growth.

Sustainability Courses

solar panels on roof with large buildings in the background

Introduction to Corporate Sustainability

45 Mins

AICP CM

smoke and air pollution from smokestack

Economic Thinking for Planners: Economics of the Environment

56 Mins

AICP CM
SACPLAN CPD

Denver union station with city skyline aerial photo

Introduction to Transit Oriented Development

51 Mins

CIP
AIA CES
AICP CM
SACPLAN CPD

exterior and interior of tiny home for urban planning course

Regulatory Implications of Tiny Homes

58 Mins

AIA CES
AICP CM
CNU-A

A busy street in Vienna, Austria.

Landscape Design for Social Sustainability, Part 2

Kristin Faurest

53 Mins

CIP
AICP CM

closeup map of texas showing weather conditions

Developing a Fact Basis for Hazard Planning

Shannon Van Zandt

62 Mins

SACPLAN CPD

materiality determination graphic

Principles of Materiality, Responsiveness, Inclusivity, and Impact

61 Mins

CIP
AICP CM

child playing with bubbles in park

Introduction to Healthy Communities

72 Mins

AIA CES
AICP CM
CNU-A
SACPLAN CPD

aerial of denver with buildings and transit

Equitable Transit Oriented Development

57 Mins

CIP
AIA CES
AICP CM
SACPLAN CPD

3d model created in cityengine for urban planning course

CityEngine for Planners 3: Integration and GIS

70 Mins

AICP CM
SACPLAN CPD

A city with digital icons.

Planning in an Era of Disruptive Change

47 Mins

AICP CM

homes being rebuilt from natural disaster

Disaster Resilience and Recovery Through Land Use Planning

Walter Gillis Peacock

78 Mins

SACPLAN CPD

wide angle shot of Austin Texas with a freeway and city skyline

Environmental and Sustainability Standards

61 Mins

CIP
AICP CM

runners and bicyclists in park

Comprehensive Planning for Healthy Communities

78 Mins

AIA CES
AICP CM
CNU-A
SACPLAN CPD

aerial of los angeles with apartment buildings

Prospects for Zoning Reform

96 Mins

CIP
AIA CES
AICP CM

cars in traffic emitting pollution

Transportation Planning: Effects on the Environment, Health, and Social Justice

Richard Willson

57 Mins

AIA CES
AICP CM
CNU-A
SACPLAN CPD

Philadelphia Neighborhood

Green Infrastructure

56 Mins

CIP
AIA CES
AICP CM

bike lane

Bicycle-Friendly Streets: Design Standards

Michelle DeRobertis

41 Mins

SACPLAN CPD

people working in a warehouse surrounded with boxes

Sustainable Supply Chains

59 Mins

CIP
AICP CM

neighborhood with buildings and metro train

Introduction to Urban Sustainability Appraisal Tools

69 Mins

AIA CES
AICP CM
CNU-A
SACPLAN CPD

mixed-use development with people walking, retail stores

Walkable Density: Building Livable, Equitable, and Resilient Communities

60 Mins

CIP
AIA CES
AICP CM
SACPLAN CPD

metro train with buildings in background

Transportation Planning: Land Use and Transportation Systems

Richard Willson

62 Mins

AIA CES
AICP CM
CNU-A
SACPLAN CPD

Waves impact breakwater

Resilience Planning for Coastal Hazards

81 Mins

CIP
AICP CM

vegetables at farmers market

Healthy Urban Food Systems: Planning Retail Facilities

55 Mins

AICP CM
CNU-A
SACPLAN CPD

Top Sustainability Instructors

Eliot Allen

Eliot Allen, certified, LEED AP-ND, is an urban planner and Principal with Criterion Planners of Portland...

Chris Holtkamp

Chris Holtkamp is a certified planner and is an Assistant Professor of Environmental Planning at the...

Carlos Zapata

Carlos Zapata is a Sustainability and ESG professional who is a graduate of Yale's MBA in...

Kristin Faurest

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

Seema Thomas

Seema is an urban development professional focused on developing and expanding innovative and inclusive initiatives to...

Michael R. Boswell

Michael R. Boswell is a Professor of City & Regional Planning at California Polytechnic State University...

Richard Willson

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

Tammy Seale

Tammy Seale is a principal with Michael Baker International and director of the Sustainability and Climate...

Jeff Speck

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

David Rouse

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

David Dixon

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

John Hersey

John is a planner with two decades of experience critically evaluating and advancing transit-oriented development as...

Matt Raimi

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

Lauren Dunning

Lauren Dunning is a lawyer and public health practitioner whose work has focused on developing strategies...

Jonathan Ochshorn

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

Lindsay Malbon

Lindsay is an urban lighting and dark sky educator. Her lighting research has been featured in...

Jenny Schuetz

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

Jason Neville

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

Donald Shoup

Donald Shoup is Distinguished Research Professor in the Department of Urban Planning at UCLA. His research...

James Brasuell

James Brasuell is the managing editor of Planetizen.

William Fulton

William Fulton is the director of the Kinder Institute for Urban Research and the former mayor...

Scott Frazier

Scott Frazier is one of the hosts of the L.A. Podcast. Scott is also Director of...

Mariela Alfonzo

Mariela Alfonzo is the founder and CEO of State of Place. Mariela also has a PhD...

Allison Arieff

Allison Arieff is the editorial director of SPUR and a columnist for The New York Times.

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All Sustainability Courses

What Is Generative AI and Why It Matters for Urban Planning

Instructor: Tom Sanchez

This course introduces urban planners to Generative AI (GenAI), covering its fundamentals and demonstrating how it can create text, images, videos, and designs to enhance planning practices.

4.37

61 Mins

CIP

AIA CES

AICP CM

Free

Regional Planning Workflows in the UrbanSim Cloud Platform

Instructor: Sam Blanchard

This course reviews the basic land use forecasting workflows that can be completed using the UrbanSim Cloud Platform, as illustrated by a set of case studies.

4.29

57 Mins

Free