All Writing Courses
The American City, Part 4: Complexity and Pattern in the City
Understand how sustainable urbanism can be a crucial component of the urban pattern, or otherwise subverted by government regulations and business models.
The American City, Part 3: Learning from the Grid
This course demonstrates the well-defined formal composition and spatial processes of how American cities evolve over time.
The American City, Part 2: The Invention of a New Scale
Understand how the physical characteristics of block size and street length distinguish American cities from earlier models of urbanism, and the implications of these physical characteristics for sustainability in the 21st century.
The American City, Part 1: A Brief History of the Regular Grid
Learn why the regular grid has been a standard part of the town planning vocabulary around the world for nearly five millennia.
Economic Impact Analysis in Land Use Planning
This course examines how input-output models contribute to economic impact analyses and presents examples of how economic impact analysis can be applied in a wide range of planning projects.
Understanding Fiscal Impact Analyses
This course will explore the various elements of a fiscal impact analysis, particularly as it relates to residential projects.
Greenhouse Gas Emissions Accounting for Cities
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.
Calculating the Benefits of Parks, Trails, and Open Space
This course provides examples of how to calculate market and non-market values of parks, trails, and open space, as well as how to identify potential revenue-generating opportunities for long-term maintenance and operation.
The Story of Sprawl
This series of historic films, ranging from 1939 until 1965, offers a unique look at the forces that created urban sprawl.
The Story of Sprawl - With Commentary Tracks
This series of historic films, ranging from 1939 until 1965, offers a unique look at the forces that created urban sprawl. Join expert commentators as we go back in time and uncover how America changed shape.
Multi-Family Property Valuation Case Study for Planners
This course will take planners through a case study multi-family property valuation. The course will build upon previous course topics of time discounting, internal rate of return, net operating income, lease structures, debt payments, and risk assessment.
Office Property Valuation Case Study for Planners
This course offers a case study of office property valuation, building upon topics from previous courses, including time discounting, internal rate of return, net operating income, lease structures, debt payments, and risk assessment.
Real Estate Debt for Planners
This course introduces planners to basic concepts of real estate debt, including metrics used in obtaining a mortgage and other concepts like borrowing capacity, and amortization analysis.
Property Valuation for Planners
This course builds on topics covered in the previous two courses from this series, time value of money and property cash flow, to undertake a discounted cash flow analysis of property value.
Property Cash Flow Analysis for Planners
This course will introduce planners to property cash flow analysis, which provides the foundation for real estate pro forma analysis.
Time Value of Money for Planners
This course will introduce planners to the concept of time value of money that will provide the foundation for real estate pro forma analysis.
Form-Based Codes 101: Corridors
Corridors have historically been a key element of the urban fabric of every American town and city, yet they are also commonly problematic. This course looks at the roots of the problem for examples of how corridors can be designed and coded.
Form-Based Codes 101: Learning How To Look
This course will teach you the skills to appreciate and analyze the measures and functions of good urbanism.
Economic Thinking for Planners: Local Government and Governance
This course uses economic thinking to investigate local government. The course includes discussions of public goods, market failure, private communities, and homevoter cities.
Economic Thinking for Planners: Cities, Externalities, and Governance
Through history, people have become better off as they urbanized. This course investigates how and why the quality of life has improved in cities.