Zoning Codes | Planetizen Courses

One of the cornerstones of urban planning in many cities, zoning codes are sets of regulations used by local governments to control land use by defining what can and cannot be built in specific neighborhoods, what buildings can look like, and what uses can coexist in the same areas. Use-based zoning is an important tool for guiding development in most U.S. cities, but more recently, cities are turning to form-based codes, which focus on design rather than use. Local jurisdictions often push back when states attempt to preempt local control of zoning through statewide regulations that mandate higher density.

Zoning Codes Courses

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rendering of city aerial

The DIY Form-Based Code: Testing and Refining

81 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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Housing and Racial Justice: Current Events Urban Resilience

59 Mins

CIP
AIA CES
AICP CM
SACPLAN CPD

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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 of downtown colorado springs

Incremental Code Reform: Enabling Better Places

Lynn Richards, Susan Henderson

59 Mins

AIA CES
AICP CM
CNU-A
SACPLAN CPD

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chicago skyline and lincoln park

How Zoning Shapes Cities, Communities, and Regions

84 Mins

AIA CES
AICP CM
SACPLAN CPD

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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

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aerial view of rural farm land

Overview of the Zoning Process

38 Mins

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black and white image of a crosswalk light with a green walking man and a red hanging man

Walkable City 2: The Useful Walk

82 Mins

CIP
AIA CES
AICP CM

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city created in sketchup

The DIY Form-Based Code: Publishing and Expanding

87 Mins

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mixed use space fishers indiana for urban planning course

Introduction to Planning: Zoning as an Implementation Tool

Eric Damian Kelly

50 Mins

AIA CES
AICP CM
SACPLAN CPD

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sandbags aligned horizontally with a flooded street and houses in the background

Introduction to Resilience Planning

69 Mins

CIP
AIA CES
AICP CM
SACPLAN CPD

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downtown salt lake city skyline

Form-Based Codes 101: Downtowns

Mary Madden, Victor Dover

66 Mins

AIA CES
AICP CM
CNU-A
LA CES

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busy street with cars and pedestrians in India

The Human Scale

81 Mins

AICP CM
SACPLAN CPD

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aerial of los angeles with apartment buildings

Prospects for Zoning Reform

96 Mins

CIP
AIA CES
AICP CM

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sign placed in grass next to street

Legal Issues in Sign Codes

James Carpentier

59 Mins

AICP CM

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Lewis Mumford on the City 4: The Heart of the City

29 Mins

AICP CM

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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

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constitution of the united states we the people preamble

Planning and the Law: The Takings Clause

69 Mins

AICP CM
CNU-A

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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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wildfire on a hill behind a row of suburban homes

Resilience Planning for Wildfires

58 Mins

CIP
AIA CES
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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portrait of Daniel Burnham

Make No Little Plans: Daniel Burnham and the American City

58 Mins

AICP CM

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city skyline

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

65 Mins

AIA CES
AICP CM

Top Zoning Codes Instructors

Eric Damian Kelly

Eric Damian Kelly is a lawyer and planner with more than 35 years of experience working...

Daniel Parolek

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

David Dixon

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

Mark David Major

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

Richard Willson

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

Norman Wright

Norman Wright is the Director of Neighborhood Services for Adams County, Colorado. In his career as...

Brad Neumann

Brad Neumann is a MSU Senior Extension Educator who serves as an educational resource for local...

Mary Reilly

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

Donald Shoup

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

Geoffrey Ferrell

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

Mary Madden

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

Peter Henn

PETER J. HENN, Esq., AICP, is a land use attorney at Jones Foster in West Palm...

Jeff Speck

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

Nolan Gray

M. Nolan Fray is the Research Director for California YIMBY, an expert in urban land-use regulation...

Jenny Schuetz

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

Christy Dodson

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

Jason Neville

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

Lance Freeman

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

Meredith Johnson

Meredith is the owner of Johnson Planning and Preservation LLC, a boutique firm that works to...

Chris Holtkamp

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

Alan Weinstein

Alan Weinstein holds a joint faculty appointment at Cleveland State University’s Cleveland-Marshall College of Law and...

Malak Hakim

Malak Hakim is a nationally accredited urban planner.

James Carpentier

James Carpentier is State and Local Government Affairs Manager with the International Sign Association (ISA).

Lisa Wise

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

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All Zoning Codes Courses

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Building Bad, Part 2: How Architectural Utility is Damaged by Expression

Instructor: Jonathan Ochshorn

Join Jonathan Ochshorn on a captivating exploration of his theory "Building Bad" in Part Two of this course. Discover the fascinating interplay between artistic expression and the functionality of buildings, and how they can sometimes clash.

4.33

59 Mins

CIP

AIA CES

AICP CM

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Building Bad, Part 1: How Architectural Utility is Constrained by Politics

Instructor: Jonathan Ochshorn

Discover the theory of “Building Bad”: an examination of the costs and benefits that can limit the functionality of buildings in exchange for profits.

4.38

57 Mins

CIP

AIA CES

AICP CM

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Environmental and Sustainability Standards

Instructor: Carlos Zapata

This course explains the different and most relevant sustainability standards—such as GRI, CDP, SASB, ISO, B-Corp, and others—as well as the differences between process and performance standards.

4.18

61 Mins

CIP

AICP CM