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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street with storefronts and living spaces
Form-Based Codes 101: Introduction
Mary Madden, Victor Dover
74 Mins
  • AIA CES
  • AICP CM
  • CNU-A

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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

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storefronts with different building heights
Right-Sizing Zoning for Better Outcomes
Christy Dodson
129 Mins
  • AIA CES
  • AICP CM

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child playing with bubbles in park
Introduction to Healthy Communities
Matt Raimi
72 Mins
  • AIA CES
  • AICP CM
  • CNU-A
  • SACPLAN CPD

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aerial view of boston with housing and city skyline in background
Constitutional Limitations on Planning and Zoning
61 Mins

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Two hands holding up a digital globe.
The 21st Century Comprehensive Plan
David Rouse
64 Mins
  • CIP
  • AIA CES
  • AICP CM

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rendering of city streets and buildings
The DIY Form-Based Code: An Introduction
Norman Wright
28 Mins

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sketchup model of cityblocks for urban planning course
Urban Design for Planners 5: Density
Emily Talen
64 Mins
  • AIA CES
  • AICP CM
  • CNU-A
  • SACPLAN CPD

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aerial view of a large outdoor parking lot with cars
The High Cost Of Minimum Parking Requirements
Donald Shoup
65 Mins
  • CIP
  • AIA CES
  • AICP CM
  • CNU-A
  • SACPLAN CPD

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tree lined neighborhood
Form-Based Codes 101: Learning How To Look
Geoffrey Ferrell
71 Mins
  • AIA CES
  • AICP CM
  • CNU-A

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church surrounded by city buildings
Federal and State Religious Land Use Statutes
Alan Weinstein
61 Mins
  • AIA CES
  • AICP CM

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Building exteriors downtown dixon illinois
Zoning for Incremental Development
Christy Dodson
101 Mins
  • CIP
  • AIA CES
  • AICP CM

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electronic church sign on street corner
Regulating Electronic Message Centers
James Carpentier
49 Mins
  • AICP CM
  • CNU-A
  • SACPLAN CPD

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aerial of residential streets
How Does Zoning Work?
Brad Neumann
49 Mins

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aerial view of houses
U.S. Housing Policy: What Every Planner Needs to Know
Jennifer Raitt
59 Mins
  • AIA CES
  • AICP CM

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rendering of neighborhood
The DIY Form-Based Code: Research and Development
Norman Wright
66 Mins

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photo of st augustine florida for urban planning course
Introduction to Planning: The Comprehensive Plan
Eric Damian Kelly
56 Mins
  • AIA CES
  • AICP CM
  • SACPLAN CPD

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cars parked along curb in Old Town Pasadena California
Parking Benefit Districts
Donald Shoup
56 Mins
  • CIP
  • AIA CES
  • AICP CM
  • SACPLAN CPD

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frontal view of different colored apartments lined on street
Form-Based Codes 101: Neighborhoods
Geoffrey Ferrell, Daniel Parolek
68 Mins
  • AIA CES
  • AICP CM
  • CNU-A
  • LA CES

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map view of mixed housing types
The YIMBY Movement: Opportunities and Challenges for Planners
Mark Vallianatos
66 Mins
  • AIA CES
  • AICP CM
  • CNU-A
  • SACPLAN CPD

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Denver union station with city skyline aerial photo
Introduction to Transit Oriented Development
John Hersey
51 Mins
  • CIP
  • AIA CES
  • AICP CM
  • SACPLAN CPD

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storefronts lined on sidewalk
Frontage Types and the Public Realm
72 Mins
  • AIA CES
  • AICP CM
  • CNU-A
  • SACPLAN CPD

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closeup of a hand holding a pencil and architectural drawings on a desk
The Site Plan
Brad Neumann
55 Mins

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Bus departs busbay in town center
Planning Communities for Maximum Transit Access
Jarrett Walker
75 Mins
  • CIP
  • 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...

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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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David Dixon

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

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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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Richard Willson

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

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Norman Wright

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

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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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Mary Reilly

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

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Donald Shoup

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

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Geoffrey Ferrell

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

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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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Peter Henn

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

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Jeff Speck

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

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Nolan Gray

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

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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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Jason Neville

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

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Lance Freeman

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

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Meredith Johnson

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

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Chris Holtkamp

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

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Alan Weinstein

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

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Malak Hakim

Malak Hakim is a nationally accredited urban planner.

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James Carpentier

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

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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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All Zoning Codes Courses

Urban Design for Planners 2: Getting Started with QGIS and SketchUp Sign Up

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Urban Design for Planners 2: Getting Started with QGIS and SketchUp

Instructor: Emily Talen

Course instructor Emily Talen guides viewers through the process of transferring a shapefile of building outlines into SketchUp and processes of basic manipulation necessary to create a 3D model. Learn how to load data into QGIS, set the coordinate reference system, and change the graphic display of data layers.

4.26
46 Mins
AIA CES
AICP CM
CNU-A
SACPLAN CPD
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools Sign Up

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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

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