AICP Certification Exam Selected Resources

Planners preparing for the AICP Certification Exam should study the content outline and make note of the topical areas in which they need additional information. The following list is designed to be a guide to identifying those resources that can help the planner fill in the gaps in their knowledge based on their review of the content outline.

The following list is not an exhaustive list of all appropriate readings for certified planners. It is also not the complete citation list for questions on the exam. Rather, the list should be used as a study guide that can help the planner fill in the gaps in their knowledge based on their review of the content outline.

Please note the following:

Many readings are available to borrow from any well-stocked planning office library or university library. Many of the books are available as e-books, as well.
Those choosing to purchase should consider purchases that not only help in preparing to take the exam but also serve as long-lasting references for professional practice.
Your APA Chapter Professional Development Officer will have other tips on resources you can use as well and may have access to a lending library of classic books.
This resource list was compiled in January 2022.

The following resources are useful for accessing multiple topics from the general to the specific. Once you have your list of topics, start looking here:

APA Policy Guides
PAS Reports, PAS Memo, and PAS QuickNotes; Specific suggestions listed by topic below.
Planning magazine from the past 3 years
In 2009, to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the American planning movement, the American Planning Association created a list of the books essential to planning, organized by decade: 100 Essential Books of Planning.
Journal of the American Planning Association (JAPA) has a number of special issues, which are included under Areas of Practice topics below.
APA Podcasts, Blogs, and Videos from the past 3 years

Below are some suggestions under each of the exam content areas. The specific suggestions are examples and are not meant to be the only resource on that particular topic. The best route to success is to look at the content areas, look for areas you should improve upon and then go back to the overall resource list, search those resources, and pick out some readings, books, podcasts, or videos that would be of most help to your situation.

Research and Assessment Methods (11%)

Ewing, Reid, Keunhyun Park, ed. 2020. Basic Quantitative Research Methods for Urban Planners. Routledge.

Fundamental Planning Knowledge (15%)

Hack, Gary, Eugenie L. Birch, Paul H. Sedway, and Mitchell J. Silver, FAICP. 2009. Local Planning: Contemporary Principles and Practice. Washington, D.C.: ICMA. [The latest edition of what is commonly known as the "green book" (it is now yellow). Earlier editions also contain useful information.]
APA Policy Guide: Water. 2016. American Planning Association.

HISTORY

Special Issue of the Journal of the American Planning Association - One Hundred Years of Planning Volume 75, Issue 2, 2009, pages 113-255.

EQUITY, DIVERSITY, AND INCLUSION

Rothstein, Richard (2017). The Color of Law: A Forgotten History of How Our Government Segregated America. New York: Liveright.
García, Ivis, AICP, Ph.D., Andrea Garfinkel-Castro, and Deirdre Pfeiffer, AICP, Ph.D.. 2019. Planning with Diverse Communities. PAS Report 593. American Planning Association.

law

Planning and Law Division. 2018. "Foundational Land Use Law Cases."
Fisher, Gerald A. 2021. Local Government Law: A Practical Guidebook for Public Officials on City Councils, Community Boards, and Planning Commissions. Routledge.
Juergensmeyer, Julian Conrad, Thomas E. Roberts, Patricia E. Salkin, and Ryan Max Rowberry. 2018. Land Use Planning and Development Regulation Law, Fourth Edition. St. Paul, Minn.: Thompson/West.

THEORY

Brooks, Michael. 2002. Planning Theory for Practitioners. Chicago: APA Planners Press.

patterns of human settlement

Ewing, Reid and Shima Hamidi. 2017. Costs of Sprawl. Routledge Press.

Communication and Interaction (13%)

American Planning Association. n.d. "Planners’ Communication Guide."

EQUITY, dIVERSITY, AND INCLUSION

Smith, Kendra L. 2019. "More and Better: Increasing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Planning." PAS Memo. American Planning Association.
APA Policy Guide: Planning For Equity. 2019. American Planning Association.
Morley, David, AICP. 2019. "Inclusive Planning Processes." PAS QuickNotes. American Planning Association.
García, Ivis, AICP, Ph.D., Andrea Garfinkel-Castro, and Deirdre Pfeiffer, AICP, Ph.D.. 2019. Planning with Diverse Communities. PAS Report 593. American Planning Association.

Plan and Policy Development (15%)

Mendenhall, Allyson, Claire Hempel, AICP CUD, Emily Risinger, and Stephanie Grigsby, AICP. 2017. Creating Planning Documents. PAS Report 589. American Planning Association.

Equity, Diversity, and inclusion

Rouse, David, AICP, and Rocky Piro. 2022. The Comprehensive Plan: Sustainable, Resilient and Equitable Communities for the 21st Century. New York: Routledge Press.

Plan Implementation (12%)

Solnit, Albert. 1988. Job of the Practicing Planner. Routledge.

Administration and Management (6%)

Willson, Richard, FAICP. 2018. A Guide for the Idealist. Routledge.
Willson, Richard, FAICP. 2018. "Moving into Planning Management." American Planning Association Blog. July 10, 2018.

Leadership (6%)

Levine, Jeff. 2021. Leadership in Planning: How to Communicate Ideas and Effect Positive Change. Routledge.
Glenn, Ezra Haber. 2022. "So You Want to Be an Effective Leader." Planning. January 27, 2022.

Areas of Practice (12%)

Look through the APA Research KnowledgeBase for curated resources on planning topics.

urban design

Multiple authors. 2018. Special Issue of the Journal of the American Planning Association – Celebrating the Legacy of Kevin Lynch Volume 84, Issue 3-4: 213-314.
Hinshaw, Mark, FAICP and Marya Morris, FAICP. 2018. Design Review: Guiding Better Development. PAS Report 591. American Planning Association.

Historic Preservation

Multiple authors. 2016. Special Issue of the Journal of the American Planning Association – Historic Preservation and Planning Volume 82, Issue 2: 69-216.

HAZARDS AND CLIMATE CHANGE

APA Applied Research. "Hazards Planning."
APA Policy Guide: Climate Change. 2021.
APA Policy Guide: Hazard Mitigation. 2020.

Housing

Multiple authors. 2012. Special Issue of the Journal of the American Planning Association – American Public Housing at 75: Policy, Planning, and the Public Good Volume 78, Issue 4: 357-ebi.
APA Policy Guide: Housing. 2019.
Phillips, Shane. 2020. The Affordable City: Strategies for Putting Housing Within Reach (and Keeping It There). Island Press.

Land Use

Multiple authors. 2012. Special Issue of the Journal of the American Planning Association – Sprawl and Smart Growth Volume 78, Issue 1: 5-116.
Hurtado, Petra, Ph.D., Benjamin G. Hitchings, FAICP, and David C. Rouse, FAICP. 2021. Smart Cities: Integrating Technology, Community, and Nature. PAS Report 599. American Planning Association.

Health

APA Applied Research. "Planning and Community Health."
APA Policy Guide: Healthy Communities. 2017.

Regional and multijurisdictional planning

Piro, Rocky, PhD, FAICP, and Robert A. Leiter, FAICP (eds.), with Sharon Rooney, AICP. 2017. Emerging Trends in Regional Planning. PAS Report 586. American Planning Association.

Sustainability and resilience planning

DeAngelis, Joseph, AICP, Haley Briel, and Michael Lauer, AICP. 2019. Planning for Infrastructure Resilience. PAS Report 596. American Planning Association.