Check Out Our Passport Courses
Passport is your ticket to the training, experiences, and connections that will take you where you want to go in your planning career. Subscribe for unlimited access for one year to APA's extensive learning library of solution-oriented content facilitated by planners, for planners.
-
Conservation Subdivision Design Handbook
2006This guide explores how conservation design can protect open space while keeping the density of a conventional subdivision design. -
Biophilic Design
by: Judith HeerwagenThis web page explains the biophilia, the importance of nature, and how biophilic design can be implemented in buildings in urban settings. -
Sacramento, CA, Citywide Design Guidelines
1998 - 2012The city offers several sets of citywide design guidelines that address site planning and building design.Sacramento, CA -
Roseville, CA, Community Design Guidelines
1995, revised 2008These design guidelines are the primary implementing measure for the city's general plan community design element.Roseville, CA -
Plainfield, IN, Residential Design Guidelines
2008These design guidelines are intended to address issues of monotony and poor design in residential subdivisions.Plainfield, IN -
Wheaton, IL, Downtown Design Guidelines
2001These design guidelines apply within the Downtown Design Review Overlay District. -
Rancho Cordova, CA, Design Guidelines
The city's design guidelines promote solar site design and the use of rooftop solar energy systems.Rancho Cordova, CA -
18F Methods
March 2023This toolkit provides links to descriptions of various methods project leaders can use for specific human-centered design processes or process steps. -
Overland Park, KS, Design Guidelines and Standards
2009The city has adopted design guidelines and standards that address mixed use, site design, and architectural design. -
Peoria, AZ, 2008 Design Review Manual: Design Principles and Guidelines
2008The city's design guidelines address nonresidential and multifamily residential development.Peoria, AZ -
Sumner, WA, Design Guidelines
2008The city's design review process applies to new multifamily, commercial, and industrial developments. -
Affordable Housing Design Advisor
Updated 2020This web page offers guidance regarding the design of affordable housing. -
Healthy Community Design
Healthy Community Design Fact Sheet Series, June 2008This fact sheet defines healthy community design and shares some of its benefits and principles. -
An Introduction to Urban Design
Planning Commissioners Journal, Summer 2001by: Ilene WatsonThis article discusses eight basic urban design concepts. -
Newburgh, NY, Design Guidelines
2007These design guidelines were developed to assist in implementation of the town’s 2007 comprehensive plan.Newburgh town, NY -
Center for Universal Design
2008by: North Carolina State UniversityThis web page includes links to resources that explain universal design principles. -
Apache Junction, AZ, Commercial Design Guidelines
n.d.These design guidelines for commercial development highlight small-town character and Southwestern design.Apache Junction, AZ -
APHA: Healthy Community Design
2019This web page features resources related to healthy community design from the American Public Health Association. -
Stormwater Design Manual
November 2019This guide provides design criteria and recommendations for several green infrastructure tactics and stormwater management strategies. -
Affordability by Design
City of the Future, September 2019by: Eric Jaffe, Vanessa QuirkThis podcast episode discusses innovations in housing design that could help promote affordability. -
Paso Robles, CA, Industrial Design Guidelines
2005These design guidelines apply to site and building design for all manufacturing, storage, and wholesale uses.El Paso de Robles (Paso Robles), CA -
Sebastopol, CA, Design Review Guidelines
The city's design review guidelines address solar orientation.Sebastopol, CA -
Santa Ana, CA, Citywide Design Guidelines
2006The city's design guidelines provide consistent and comprehensive design guidance for development within the city.Santa Ana, CA -
Goodyear, AZ, Design Guidelines Manual
Adopted June 2014The city's design guidelines encourage solar site design and solar energy system rooftop installations and parking lot shade structures. -
Lincoln, NE, Design Standards
Adopted in 2008, updated in 2018The city’s design standards addressing outdoor lighting were adopted in 2008 and amended in 2018. -
DeSoto County, MS, Design Standards Ordinance
2008This ordinance sets design review standards to preserve and promote good quality design within the county.DeSoto County, MS -
Louisville, CO, Industrial Development Design Standards & Guidelines
2000These design guidelines establish design criteria and standards for industrial development within the city.Louisville, CO -
Conservation Design in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed
November 2000This guide summarizes conservation design and reviews case examples of conservation subdivision design projects. -
Developing Downtown Design Guidelines
1988by: Janice PregliascoThis guide offers an older but thorough look at the process of developing historic downtown design guidelines in small communities. -
Northborough, MA, Design Guidelines
2012These design guidelines apply to nonresidential and multifamily structures in the town's business and downtown neighborhood districts.Northborough town, MA -
Moraga, CA, Design Guidelines
January 2010The town's design guidelines focus on maintaining its semi-rural character, preserving scenic corridors, and encourages solar energy use.Moraga, CA -
Worthington, OH, Design Guidelines
n.d.The design guidelines apply to the architectural review district and new construction and renovation throughout the community.Worthington, OH -
McCall, ID, Design Guidelines
The city's design guidelines address solar access to buildings and recommend unobtrusive locations for solar panel placement.McCall, ID -
Atlanta City Design Housing
December 2020This report explores how Atlanta's historical land-use policies for housing have effected the design of the city. -
Williams, CA, Design Review Manual
The city's design guidelines promote solar orientation and solar panel installations integrated into roof design for both residential and nonresidential development.Williams, CA -
Kirkland, WA, Design Guidelines for Pedestrian-Oriented Business Districts
2004, updated 2012These design guidelines are used for administrative design review and full project review by the city's Design Review Board.Kirkland, WA -
An Introduction to Design Guidelines
2001by: Ilene WatsonThis five-page article from the Planning Commissioners Journal summarizes the importance of design guidelines. -
Bennington, VT, Planned Commercial District Design Standards
2004These design guidelines apply to the town's planned commercial district, which was established as a design review district in 2004.Bennington town, VT -
Fremont, CA, Multifamily Design Guidelines
2013The city's design guidelines for multifamily development are extensively illustrated and include a glossary.Fremont, CA -
Warwick, NY, Town Design Guidelines
2002The town's design guidelines are provided for rural areas, nonresidential development, and hamlets. -
Islamorada, FL, Administrative Design Review Standards Manual
2010This manual describes why and where design review is necessary and offers illustrated design standards and a definitions list.Islamorada, Village of Islands, FL -
San Marcos, TX, Downtown Design Guidelines
2012These design guidelines supplement the city's downtown SmartCode.San Marcos, TX -
Antioch, CA, Citywide Design Guidelines
2009These citywide design guidelines are based on a community visual preference survey.Antioch, CA -
The Practice of Biophilic Design
2015by: Stephen Kellert, Elizabeth CalabreseThis report provides an overview on biophilia and the principals and benefits of biophilic design. -
Citizen’s Guide to Urban Design
2012by: Philip DenningThis guide provides a general-audience introduction to urban design concepts. -
Connecting Destinations through Pedestrian-Oriented Design
by: Johamary Pena, AICP, Sagar Shah, PhD, AICPThis blog post provides an overview of pedestrian-oriented design as a planning approach to increase physical activity in small and rural communities through everyday destinations. It is part of the Everyday Destinations series. -
McHenry, IL, Downtown Design Guidelines
2004These design guidelines seek to maintain the traditional historic character of the downtown overlay district.McHenry, IL -
Growing Greener: Conservation Subdivision Design
Planning Commissioners Journal, Winter 1999by: Randall ArendtThis article explores subdivision design with a focus on protection of open space and natural areas. -
Design for Health: Resources Library
Updated 2015This clearinghouse provides links to resources developed by Design for Health as well as outside sources. -
Bird-Friendly Building Design
2014by: Christine Sheppard, Glenn PhilipsThis report explains the threat that glass poses to birds and how that threat can be mitigated via bird-friendly design.