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Cities Are for the Birds
February 01, 2015Bird-friendly advocates have questioned the design of the new Minneapolis Vikings’ stadium, which will use immense amounts of clear glass in its design and pose a risk to birds flying in the area. -
Model Regulations: Alternative Energy
Sustainable Land Use Code Project, February 2013This model ordinance from the Capitol Region Council of Governments covers alternative energy sources including solar energy, offering model code provisions for small accessory rooftop systems, accessory and primary-use ground-mounted arrays, and solar design and solar-ready home requirements. -
Enlightening Students Through the Built Environment: Active Transportation
by: Benjamin MartinezThe Built Environment Education Program (BEEP) in San Diego, led by Benjamin Martinez, educates its students on how street design and active transportation shape their communities. -
User-Centered Planning
Whether you’re designing an application form, creating a departmental web page, or implementing a digital solution, it should all start with the user.February 01, 2020A framework intended to help planning departments become more user-centered as a strategy to achieve their missions. This journey starts with — you guessed it — the user. -
Green Stormwater Infrastructure
Green stormwater infrastructure uses (or mimics) natural processes to reduce or treat stormwater runoff. This collection catalogs resources that provide background and policy or design guidance, as well as examples that demonstrate how localities are using plans, regulations, and programs to minimize dependence on gray infrastructure for stormwater management. -
More and Better: Increasing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Planning
PAS Memo — May/June 2019Overcoming old-school institutional and structural practices used to design cities requires new approaches to urban planning with intentional approaches to seeking diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I). There are many ways to approach this work, but the primary — and perhaps the most critical — is within the profession. -
Mother Nature, Designer
Using biomimicry for planning and urban design.March 01, 2014This article explores the concept of biomimicry and how it can translate to city and neighborhood design. -
The Commissioner — June 2014
In The Commissioner's June 2014 issue: "Smart Growth’s Lasting Impact," "Managing Change with Urban Design," "Site Visits Done ... Legally," and more.List price$5.00Members & subscribers$0.00 -
The Commissioner — August 2014
In The Commissioner's August 2014 issue: "Well-Being Meets Planning," "Shaping Change with Design Guidelines," "Recusal Ethics and Your Right to Free Speech," and more.List price$5.00Members & subscribers$0.00 -
Simplify That Code!
Drawing from the new edition of his book, Rural by Design, an experienced observer of rural and small town design reports that "lighter" form-based codes and design standards are being used to great effect.June 01, 2015Planner Randall Arendt, and author of Rural by Design, argues for community adopted form-based codes to help renew depressed downtown sectors. -
The Benefits of Street-Scale Features for Walking and Biking
by: Anna Read, AICP, Lindsay BraunThis report provides background information and supportive data for planners, transportation professionals, advocates, and policy makers working to encourage community design that promotes active transportation. -
Density and the Planning Edge
Zoning Practice — August 2012by: Lisa NisensonThis issue of Zoning Practice initiates a conversation about design solutions for the planning edge, the space where new density meets the neighborhood, and it presents a framework for planning, design, and regulatory solutions.List Price$10.00ZP subscriber$0.00 -
Accounting for Flood Hazards in the Subdivision Approval Process
Zoning Practice — March 2016by: Chad Berginnis, James Schwab, FAICPThis issue of Zoning Practice highlights specific areas of concern for updating subdivision standards and review processes to improve the management of flood risk. It focuses on geographic features, layout and design, infrastructure, platting, and watershed management.List Price$0.00ZP subscriber$0.00 -
Sustainable Development Metrics
An excerpt from a new book, Sustainable Development Projects, describes how to assess project feasibility with design, development, and regulation in mind.February 01, 2014An excerpt from the book, Sustainable Development Projects, describes how to assess project feasibility with design, development, and regulation in mind. -
Sweden, the Green Giant
A place where "sustainability" means collaboration.February 01, 2014Sweden takes a collaborative approach between developers and cities to achieve leading-edge integrated sustainable design projects in the country's major urban areas. -
Transforming the Built Environment in Support of Aging
PAS QuickNotes 45by: Deborah Howe, FAICP August 01, 2013This edition of PAS QuickNotes describes the aging challenge, how the built environment can impact the quality of the aging experience, and offers suggestions on how to design aging friendly communities.List price$10.00APA member & PAS subscriber$0.00 -
Incentive Zoning: Meeting Urban Design and Affordable Housing Objectives
PAS Report 494by: Marya Morris, FAICP November 01, 2000Incentive zoning isn't new, but using it to achieve the objectives of smart growth is. This PAS Report looks at successful projects, discusses legal issues, and offers principles for developing legislation.List Price$25.00APA member & PAS subscriber$0.00 -
Complete Streets
PAS QuickNotes 5The edition of PAS QuickNotes explores the concept, design consideration, and benefits of designing streets for all potential users.List price$10.00APA member & PAS subscriber$0.00 -
Water-Smart Development Regulations
Zoning Practice — September 2015by: Elizabeth Garvin, AICPThis issue of Zoning Practice explores how communities can better address the use of water through local regulations. It briefly explores how water use can be influenced by pricing and then looks at the range of regulations, particularly in the areas of lot design and landscaping, available at the local level to encourage and require water conservation.List Price$10.00ZP subscriber$0.00 -
Integrating Health into the Comprehensive Plan
PAS QuickNotes 34by: David Morley, AICPThis edition of PAS QuickNotes provides a primer on opportunities each community has to address the connections between community design and public health through comprehensive plan goals and policies.List price$10.00APA member & PAS subscriber$0.00 -
Leveraging Affordable Housing Through Upzoning
Zoning Practice — April 2015by: Robert Hickey April 01, 2015This issue of Zoning Practice profiles five localities that have adopted affordable housing incentives or requirements in upzoned areas and explores how market context, zoning context, and policy design may affect the success of inclusionary upzoning policies. Each profile discusses how the policy is structured and how effective it has been to date.List Price$10.00ZP subscriber$0.00 -
Hazard Mitigation in Disaster Recovery
Planning for Post-Disaster Recovery Briefing Paper 11This Planning for Post-Disaster Recovery briefing paper outlines studies documenting that every dollar spent on mitigation correcting the past mistakes of building and planning saves society $4, on average. Studies indicate that higher design standards have a far greater payback than 4–1. -
Inclusionary Housing
PAS QuickNotes 7This edition of PAS QuickNotes provides an overview of inclusionary housing and includes discussion about types of programs, developer incentives, design strategies, control periods, and program benefits.List price$10.00APA member & PAS subscriber$0.00 -
The Use of Scenarios in Land-Use Planning
Environment and Planning B, 30(6): 885-909, 2003by: Wei-Ning Xiang, Keith ClarkeThis article examines the concepts, functions, credentials, and efficacy of land-development scenarios. -
Street Vending: A Survey of Ideas and Lessons for Planners
PAS Report 509by: Jennifer Ball August 01, 2002Some citizens and business owners criticize street vending as an unsightly activity. This PAS Report looks at issues of economic development, urban design, operations, and permitting and enforcement.List Price$25.00APA member & PAS subscriber$0.00 -
Town House Standards
Zoning Practice — February 2010by: Mary Fishman, Tom SmithThis issue of Zoning Practice takes a look at some of the regulatory and design problems that prompted Chicago to add special zoning provisions to address town house development and concludes with a short analysis of how well these provisions have stood the test of time.List Price$10.00ZP subscriber$0.00 -
Driving Growth Through Transit-Oriented Development
Zoning Practice — August 2004by: Hank Dittmar, Ellen Greenberg, FAICPThis issue of Zoning Practice defines multiple terms related to planning for TOD and discusses lessons learned from TOD design and how zoning can be effectively used as a tool in shaping successful TOD projects.List Price$10.00ZP subscriber$0.00 -
Cleveland, OH, Connecting Cleveland 2020 Citywide Plan
July 2007The city's comprehensive plan includes an arts and culture chapter that discusses the importance of creative placemaking in improving livability.Cleveland city, OH -
Top 10 Misconceptions About Form-Based Codes
Public Square, May 2016by: Tony PerezThis article examines the 10 misconceptions that surround the discussion of form-based codes. -
Boston Takes on Climate Change
Among the world's most prepared but also the most vulnerable, the city is making big plans to protect itself.by: Anthony Flint April 21, 2021Planners, engineers, and others in Boston have been working for years to prepare for the inevitable impacts of climate change – a projected 40 inches of sea level rise, and the creeping storm surge and high-tide flooding that comes with it. -
Planning March 2016
In Planning's March 2016 issue, a special report on the 21st century comprehensive plan. Also in this issue, designing the built environment with accessibility in mind, and the challenges of increasing density in the suburbs. -
Immerse Yourself! Youth and XR Master Planning
Explore Mesa, Arizona's use of VR/MR to create new engagement strategies, starting with youth and civic planning. These immersive technologies bring abstract concepts like TOD and climate-adaptation to life, allowing for experiential understanding and participatory decision-making across diverse groups.- Sarah Bassett
- Nicholas Pilarski
- Bruce Meighen, AICP
#9293807CM | 0.75Enhancing Strategic Planning with Massive Scenario Generation
2007by: Paul Davis, Steven Bankes, Michael EgnerThis report discusses new methods for generating a large number of scenarios for geopolitical scenario planning.The Future of Age-Friendly Communities - Research on Aging
Stein Institute for Research on Aging, November 2015by: Laurence WeinsteinThis recorded lecture defines and discusses the dual concepts of livable communities and livable homes.Online Collaboration Tools
March 2020This toolkit provides a large list of online collaboration tools and their description, cost, and link to the platform.
Planning With Artificial Intelligence
PAS Report 604by: Thomas Sanchez June 01, 2023Artificial intelligence can help planners by enhancing current planning procedures, increasing efficiency, and allowing them to refocus their work on the human components of planning.Nonmembers$25.00APA members & PAS subscribers$0.00
Data Centers Evolved: A Primer for Planners
From zoning to permitting and everything in between, here's what you need to know to set your community up for success for the next generation of digital infrastructure.by: Jacques Fluet July 22, 2021As our lives and cities become more connected, a combination of traditional and new "edge" data centers will be required. How can planners prepare for this next generation of digital infrastructure?
The New Rules of Urban Reforestation
How ReLeaf Cedar Rapids is rebuilding an urban canopy from scratch after a weather disaster with a focus on data and environmental justice.by: Patrick Alvord August 15, 2022How ReLeaf Cedar Rapids is rebuilding an urban canopy from scratch after a weather disaster with a focus on data and environmental justice.
YouTube Influencer Dave Amos Brings Urban Planning to the People
The planner and professor explains how social media can be an informal classroom, how San Luis Obispo uses Instagram effectively, and how his video about Gary, Indiana, went viral.by: Meghan Stromberg June 22, 2023The planner and professor explains how social media can be an informal classroom, how San Luis Obispo uses Instagram effectively, and how his video about Gary, Indiana, went viral.
Intergenerational Community Planning
PAS Report 603by: Irv Katz, Matthew Kaplan December 01, 2022Intergenerational community planning brings together children and youth and older adults for the mutual benefit of both groups and for the community as a whole.Nonmembers$25.00APA members & PAS subscribers$0.00
Mayor Victoria Woodards Is Making Tacoma a Place to Come Home To
How the local leader uses partnerships, missing middle infill, and the Housing Supply Accelerator to put more roofs over more heads.by: Lindsay Nieman May 02, 2023How the local leader uses partnerships, missing middle infill, and the Housing Supply Accelerator to put more roofs over more heads.What Is Planning?
While architects often focus on a single building, a planner's job is to work with residents and elected officials to guide the layout of an entire community or region. Planners take a broad viewpoint and look at how the pieces of a community — buildings, roads, and parks — fit together like pieces of a puzzle.
Hazard Mitigation Policy Guide
by: American Planning AssociationAPA's Hazard Mitigation Policy Guide positions planners to champion a new approach to mitigation, adaptation, and recovery centered on equity and established research.
Ending Zoning’s Racist Legacy
Zoning Practice — January 2022by: Jennifer Raitt January 01, 2022This issue of Zoning Practice summarizes how exclusionary zoning practices reinforce patterns of segregation originally established by illegal racial zoning, racially restrictive covenants, and federal policies in the first half of the 20th century. And it highlights steps Boston and Louisville, Kentucky, have taken to begin to rectify these inequities through zoning reforms.List price$0.00ZP subscriber$0.00Resilience Strategies along the Rural-Urban Transect
2015This report provides guidance for identifying and prioritizing actions using a “rural-to-urban transect” planning tool.Suwanee, GA, Suwanee's 20/20 Vision
2020This standalone policy is the guiding vision leading city officials and the projects that are considered or implemented.
Increased Remote Work Could Mean Big Changes for Cities
The pandemic has accelerated the digitalization of work. How can cities faced with excess commercial office space adapt?by: Brian Barth January 01, 2021The COVID-19 crisis has merely accelerated a transformation of work life that has been decades in the making.
Land-Use Policy Could Help Solve the American West’s Water Crisis
As the twin pressures of water shortages and massive growth run the Colorado River dry, planners explore innovative solutions.by: Patrick Sisson June 15, 2023As the twin pressures of water shortages and massive growth run the Colorado River dry, planners explore innovative solutions.
Advancing Active Living Through Adaptive Reuse
Planning Approaches to Encourage Physical Activity in Small and Rural Communitiesby: Johamary Pena, AICP, Sagar Shah, PhD, AICPThis blog post provides an overview of adaptive reuse as a planning approach to increase physical activity in small and rural towns. It is part of the Everyday Destinations series.
Building Resilience with Scenario Planning: An Interview with Dr. Robert Goodspeed
Sponsored content from University of Michigan: Q&A with Dr. Robert Goodspeed, University of Michigan Associate Professor of Urban and Regional Planning, who is launching a 3-day course on Scenario Planning for Urban Futures.