Walkability | Planetizen Courses

Walkability is the ability to safely walk between homes and businesses, transit stations, and other amenities in a reasonably short amount of time. Promoting walkable neighborhoods and cities reduces the need for personal vehicles and carbon emissions, gives citizens more freedom to access services and businesses, and encourages high-density infill development that makes use of existing resources and infrastructure. Planners can promote walkable design by incentivizing infill, eliminating parking requirements, and investing in robust public transit and mixed-use development that puts businesses closer to where their customers live and work.

Walkability Courses

leed buildings with green space in foreground

Greening the Neighborhood: LEED-ND Globally and v.4 Update

51 Mins

AICP CM
SACPLAN CPD

bicyclists with city bus in background in santa monica

Incorporating the Sustainable Development Goals into the Planning Process

66 Mins

CIP
AIA CES
AICP CM
SACPLAN CPD

View on pedestrian crossing and bike way in city

Walkable City 4: The Safe Walk (B)

82 Mins

CIP
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

city skyline

A New Era of Downtown Opportunity: The Intersection of Housing and Innovation

65 Mins

AIA CES
AICP CM

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

Bus departs busbay in town center

Planning Communities for Maximum Transit Access

75 Mins

CIP
AIA CES
AICP CM

aerial view of large outdoor parking lot

Parking Reform Made Easy

Richard Willson

72 Mins

AICP CM

three images of New York buildings, Central Park and a man riding a bike

U.S. City Planning 101

46 Mins

Bright walkway inbetween buildings with palm trees and a man walking in the background in Dubai

Walkable City 5: The Comfortable Walk

66 Mins

CIP
AIA CES
AICP CM

aerial image of portland oregon

The American City, Part 3: Learning from the Grid

Mark David Major

53 Mins

AIA CES
AICP CM

Rendering of a mixed use development with a theatre, restaurant, and residential units above

Suburban Remix: Creating the Next Generation of Urban Places

63 Mins

CIP
AIA CES
AICP CM
SACPLAN CPD

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

A grade-separated roundabout in the Netherlands

Introduction to Dutch Network Planning

63 Mins

CIP
AIA CES
AICP CM

street with storefronts and living spaces

Form-Based Codes 101: Introduction

Mary Madden, Victor Dover

74 Mins

AIA CES
AICP CM
CNU-A

aerial view of a large outdoor parking lot with cars

The High Cost Of Minimum Parking Requirements

65 Mins

CIP
AIA CES
AICP CM
CNU-A
SACPLAN CPD

Park on the historic walkable city wall of the Italian city of Lucca in the Pisa region

Walkable City 6: The Interesting Walk

77 Mins

CIP
AIA CES
AICP CM

colorful townhomes

Missing Middle Housing: Meeting the Growing Demand for Walkable Urbanism

72 Mins

AIA CES
AICP CM
CNU-A

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

collage of images with families, a crowded sidewalk, and a farmer's market

Defining Neighborhoods

54 Mins

AIA CES
AICP CM
CNU-A
SACPLAN CPD

car-free modern condominiums

Walking Towards Inclusion

41 Mins

AICP CM

tree lined neighborhood

Form-Based Codes 101: Learning How To Look

Geoffrey Ferrell

71 Mins

AIA CES
AICP CM
CNU-A

cars parked along curb in Old Town Pasadena California

Parking Benefit Districts

56 Mins

CIP
AIA CES
AICP CM
SACPLAN CPD

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

Top Walkability Instructors

David Dixon

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

Richard Willson

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

Jeff Speck

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

Eliot Allen

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

Mark David Major

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

Lennart Nout

Lennart is an urban mobility design consultant, specializing in design and planning of bicycle networks and...

Kristin Faurest

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

Adam Fine

Adam is the Director of experiential graphic design at Nova Scotia-based Fathom Studio and has worked...

Geoffrey Ferrell

Geoffrey is one of the originators of the modern practice of Form-Based Codes. His work ranges...

Jarrett Walker

Jarrett Walker is an international consultant in public transit network design and policy, with 25 years...

John Hersey

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

Katrina Johnston-Zimmerman

Katrina is a lecturer, researcher, and advocate for heart-centered cities. Her work focuses on human behavior...

Donald Shoup

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

Lisa Nisenson

Lisa Nisenson has 20 years of experience and leadership in smart growth, sustainable development and civic...

Daniel Parolek

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

Victor Dover

Victor Dover is a town planner and urban designer with 29 years of leadership in the...

Mary Madden

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

Tim Halbur

Tim Halbur is communications director for the Congress for the New Urbanism (CNU), the leading organization...

Mike Lydon

Mike Lydon is a Principal of The Street Plans Collaborative.

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...

Angie Schmitt

Angie Schmitt is a writer and founder of 3MPH Planning and Consulting, a Cleveland-based firm focused...

Lance Freeman

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

Dave Amos

Dave is an Assistant Professor in the Department of City and Regional Planning at Cal Poly...

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All Walkability Courses

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

Enhancing Public Participation with Generative AI

Instructor: Tom Sanchez

This tutorial shows how generative AI can enhance inclusive and responsive public participation in urban planning by summarizing feedback, tailoring outreach, and visualizing scenarios using real-world tools and examples.

4.37

77 Mins

CIP

AIA CES

AICP CM

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