Looking for education on this topic?
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.
-
Regulating Medical and Recreational Marijuana Land Use
Zoning Practice — August 2016by: Lynne Williams August 01, 2016This issue of Zoning Practice reviews local approaches to regulating medical and recreational marijuana land uses through zoning and business licensing requirements. It discusses how these options are being implemented both in jurisdictions that have legalized recreational marijuana as well as in those that have only legalized medical marijuana.List Price$10.00ZP Subscriber$0.00 -
Water Conservation Strategies
PAS QuickNotes 63by: Anna Read August 01, 2016This edition of PAS QuickNotes highlights a number of strategies communities can use to curb wasteful water consumption.List Price$10.00Member$0.00 -
All Parks on Deck
Freeway deck park projects are trending across the U.S.November 01, 2018A number of cities are at the forefront of a trend to reunite neighborhoods by building parks over the freeways that separated them decades ago. -
Zoning for Small Business
Zoning Practice — July 2016by: Arista Strungys July 01, 2016This issue of Zoning Practice discusses how use classifications and permissions and development standards affect small business opportunities. It summarizes key zoning considerations for a range of types of small businesses.List Price$10.00ZP Subscriber$0.00 -
People Over Parking
Planners are reevaluating parking requirements for affordable housing.October 01, 2018There is an evolving understanding that urban lifestyles are changing, traditional parking ratios are outdated, and too much supply can be as harmful as too little. -
Parking Price Therapy
The High Cost of Free Parking diagnosed the malady and prescribed a treatment. Parking and the City examines how it worked.October 01, 2018An excerpt from the new book, Parking and City, takes a look at changes in parking policies since 2005 when The High Cost of Free Parking was published. -
Neighborhood Planning
PAS QuickNotes 62by: David Morley, AICP June 01, 2016This edition of PAS QuickNotes provides a brief overview of neighborhood planning and highlights key steps in the neighborhood planning process.List Price$10.00Member$0.00 -
Become a Group Home Guru
Zoning Practice — June 2016by: Dwight Merriam, FAICP June 01, 2016This issue of Zoning Practice discusses how federal and state laws, as well as social justice goals, affect local zoning for group housing. It reviews key considerations for defining and regulating group homes and highlights the importance of incorporating reasonable accommodation provisions into local codes.List Price$10.00ZP Subscriber$0.00 -
Planning for Solar Energy
PAS Report 575April 01, 2014Whether you're clearing the way for solar panels on residential roofs or identifying the right location for a large-scale solar farm, this PAS Report sheds light on the issues you need to understand today.List Price$10.00PAS Subscriber$0.00 -
Planning for Post-Disaster Recovery: Next Generation
PAS Report 576by: James Schwab, FAICP April 01, 2014This updated PAS Report lays out a no-nonsense explanation of the benefits — and limitations — of planning for unpredictable events.List Price$0.00Member$0.00 -
Coping With Loss
Louisiana’s Strategic Adaptations for Future Environments adapts to the reality of a vanishing coast.August 01, 2018Louisianans are coming to terms with a hard truth: The landscape, their property, and places that sometimes many generations have called home are increasingly at risk from rising water. -
Nature-Based Solutions
Parks — from green urban oases to sandy waterfront beaches — play a big role in making communities more resilient to climate change.August 01, 2018Park agencies and the parks they operate play a vital role in building climate-resilient communities. -
Bike Sharing
PAS QuickNotes 61by: Anna Read April 01, 2016This edition of PAS QuickNotes is a primer on how cities are using bike-share systems to support transportation choice and build last-mile connections.List Price$10.00Member$0.00 -
Minimizing Reliance on Discretionary Approvals
Zoning Practice — April 2016by: Lane Kendig April 01, 2016This issue of Zoning Practice explains how communities can use existing zoning tools to minimize reliance on discretionary approvals. It explains how discretionary approvals came to be widespread in zoning codes before unpacking specific alternatives to variances, conditional use approvals, and discretionary planned unit development (PUD) processes.List Price$10.00ZP Subscriber$0.00 -
Accounting for Flood Hazards in the Subdivision Approval Process
Zoning Practice — March 2016by: Chad Berginnis, James Schwab, FAICP March 01, 2016This 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 -
Comprehensive Planning and Geodesign
PAS Memo — March-April 2016by: David Rouse, FAICP, Shannon McElvaney March 01, 2016The March/April 2016 issue of PAS Memo discusses the evolution of the comprehensive planning process and explores how geodesign can take it to the next level.List Price$10.00Member$0.00 -
Great Urban Parks: Green Infrastructure in Underserved Communities
Background Research for March 2016 Convening of Thought Leaders in Atlanta, GAMarch 01, 201640 thought leaders from across the country gathered at Southpoint Energy Institute in Atlanta to discuss how to maximize social and environmental benefits of green infrastructure in parks in underserved communities. To inform the discussion, APA prepared a brief summary of existing research and case studies on the topic. -
The Commissioner — February 2019
February 01, 2019In The Commissioner's February 2019 issue: "Planning's Role in Wildfire Mitigation," "The 100-Year Influence of the Bauhaus," "Starting Small in Milwaukee," and "Zoning and Housing Segregation."List Price$5.00Member$0.00Cmsr Subscriber$0.00Cmsr Subscriber$0.00Cmsr Subscriber$0.00 -
Staying Local, Online and Off
How three small towns are crafting solutions to keep businesses and revenue in the community.July 01, 2018As bricks-and-mortar retail continues to struggle, three small towns are working to help their local businesses thrive. -
Temporary Sign Regulations in a Post-Reed America
Zoning Practice — February 2016by: Wendy Moeller, FAICP, Alan Weinstein February 01, 2016This article summarizes the U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Reed v. Town of Gilbert, Arizona, and explores how it impacts local temporary sign regulations. It presents a series of recommended practices for regulating temporary signs in a post-Reed America.List Price$10.00ZP Subscriber$0.00 -
Planning to Support Small Businesses
PAS QuickNotes 60by: David Morley, AICP February 01, 2016This edition of PAS QuickNotes explains the economic importance of small businesses, describes the three basic stages of small business development, and highlights three broad strategies for supporting small businesses through local planning efforts.List Price$10.00Member$0.00 -
Going Rogue Goes Mainstream
Planners are using tactical urbanism strategies to stretch rules and dollars to make big impacts in small and rural communities.June 01, 2018Tactical urbanism is not for hipsters only. Rural and small town planners are exploring its potential as a cost-effective way to boost civic engagement. -
Supporting a Regional Green Infrastructure Network Through Local Policy and Action
Best Practices for Using Green Infrastructure to Enhance Resilience to Coastal Storms and Climate Changeby: David Morley, AICP, Anna Read January 01, 2016Supporting a Regional Green Infrastructure Network Through Local Policy and Action outlines numerous potential green-infrastructure tools localities can use to enhance resilience to coastal storms and climate change. It includes noteworthy examples from within the Coastal Resilience for Greater Baltimore project area and across the country to illustrate each tool. -
Connected
Promising low costs and high safety, connected vehicles are even closer to reality than AVs. Some are here today.May 01, 2018Connected vehicles are not autonomous vehicles but they have plenty of implications for planners. -
Best-Case Scenario Planning
Incorporating AV and other technology into plans.May 01, 2018Change and uncertainty — from technology to climate change to shifts in the economy — are disrupting the planning tradition of mid- and long-range forecasts. Scenario planning can be a powerful tool for incorporating uncertainty. -
The Commissioner — December 2018
December 01, 2018In The Commissioner's December 2018 issue: "Putting a Resiliency Plan in Place," "Making an Industrial City Walkable," "Behind the Scenes at a Training Session," and "Doing Right: Evolution of Ethics at APA."List Price$5.00Member$0.00Cmsr Subscriber$0.00Cmsr Subscriber$0.00Cmsr Subscriber$0.00 -
Planning and Drought
PAS Report 574by: James Schwab, FAICP October 01, 2013Droughts often catch communities unprepared. This PAS Report helps planners, public agencies, and local officials see the crisis on the horizon and get ready to meet it.List Price$25.00Member$0.00 -
Codifying Zoning's Little Helpers
Zoning Practice — December 2015by: David Morley, AICP, Nicholas Walny December 01, 2015This issue of Zoning Practice looks at the intersections between zoning and other specialized local regulations that affect the use of land. It discusses several types of non-zoning provisions that occasionally get incorporated into local zoning codes and proposes a framework for making codification decisions about land-use related ordinances.List Price$10.00ZP Subscriber$0.00 -
Fair Housing at 50
We’ve had a half-century to fulfill this promise. How have we done?April 01, 2018Half a century after the Fair Housing Act was passed, can the Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing rule get the U.S. closer to the goal? -
Tiny Houses, and the Not-So-Tiny Questions They Raise
Zoning Practice — November 2015by: Donald Elliott, FAICP, Peter Sullivan November 01, 2015This issue of Zoning Practice reviews how tiny houses fit into the general U.S. system of land-use control through building codes, zoning ordinances, subdivision regulations, and private restrictive covenants. And it addresses how zoning can enable small communities of tiny homes.List Price$10.00ZP Subscriber$0.00 -
Community Food System Assessments
PAS Memo — November-December 2015by: Kara Martin, Tammy Morales November 01, 2015This PAS Memo article addresses the limitations of the food desert concept and provides guidance for planners on conducting a community food system assessment.List Price$10.00Member$0.00 -
The Geography of Loss
GIS and planning have joined the fight against the opioid epidemic.March 01, 2018Geographic Information Systems are a new tool for planners and others who have joined the struggle against the opioid crisis. -
An Rx for Resiliency
Faced with increasing hazards associated with climate change, health care systems are finding that an ounce of planning prevention is worth a pound of cure.March 01, 2018Resiliency — the ability to withstand and quickly recover from a disruptive event like a hurricane — is now essential for health care facilities. -
Planning for Climate Readiness — And Growth
Using climate vulnerability assessments and long-range master planning, Boston and Cambridge address the dual demands of climate change and economic development.March 01, 2018Web-only expanded version: Boston and its neighbor, Cambridge, are taking seriously the need to connect the results of their climate vulnerability assessments with emerging master planning efforts. -
Peering into the Peer Economy: Short-Term Rental Regulation
Zoning Practice — October 2015by: Dwight Merriam, FAICP October 01, 2015This issue of Zoning Practice explains the connection of short-term rental regulation to the larger sharing economy and offers key considerations for new approaches to licensing and zoning for home sharing. It highlights the importance of addressing permissible activities, rental management, and limits on use.List Price$10.00ZP Subscriber$0.00 -
Tactical Urbanism
PAS QuickNotes 58by: David Morley, AICP October 01, 2015This edition of PAS QuickNotes provides an overview of tactical urbanism and explains why a growing number of local governments are using a tactical urbanism approach to demonstrate alternatives, test designs or programs, and implement plan recommendations.List Price$10.00Member$0.00 -
The Commissioner — October 2018
October 01, 2018In The Commissioner's October 2018 issue: "Seattle Fine-Tunes Backyard Cottages," "On Quasi-Judicial Decision Making," "A New Approach to Redistricting," and "History at Your Fingertips."List Price$5.00Cmsr Subscriber$0.00Cmsr Subscriber$0.00Member$0.00Cmsr Subscriber$0.00 -
Water-Smart Development Regulations
Zoning Practice — September 2015by: Elizabeth Garvin, AICP September 01, 2015This 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 -
Harnessing the Power of Tactical Urbanism for Planning Success
PAS Memo — September-October 2015by: Sarah Showalter, AICP, Steven Chester, AICP September 01, 2015This PAS Memo article focuses on three major ways to apply tactical urbanism — low-cost, short-term interventions in the built environment — to the planning profession: visioning, testing, and implementation.List Price$10.00Member$0.00 -
Inclusive Mobility
Applying universal design to how people get around.February 01, 2018Supporting the mobility of all people, regardless of ability, is arguably one of the most important urban planning issues facing public- and private-sector professionals. -
Harnessing the Economic Power of Short-Term Rentals for Growth in 2021
Sponsored Content from Granicus: Whether because of COVID concerns or in spite of them, the growth of the short-term rental market was rapid in 2020, and it looks like that trend will continue in 2021. -
Effective Zoning Methods for Implementing Plans
Zoning Practice — August 2015by: Douglas Hammel, AICP August 01, 2015This issue of Zoning Practice introduces several considerations that can help planners bridge the gap between community vision and the realized built environment. It identifies the best ways to amend or replace a zoning ordinance through calibration, modernization, and transformation.List Price$10.00ZP Subscriber$0.00 -
Planning and Local Revenue Sources
PAS QuickNotes 57by: Anna Read August 01, 2015This edition of PAS QuickNotes provides a general overview of potential local revenue sources and briefly touches on how revenue structure influences land-use mix, the spatial distribution of development, and economic development decisions in a given community.List Price$10.00Member$0.00 -
The Water Within
Rain poses a more regular threat than hurricanes in New Orleans — but it’s also an untapped asset.January 01, 2018Most agree that a fundamentally different approach is needed to manage New Orleans's stormwater. A 2013 water plan envisions a dramatically different-looking city. -
Planning Resilient Urban Forests with i-Tree Landscape
by: Adam Gormani-Tree Landscape is a free geographic tool that uses tree information to aid local and regional planning for more resilient communities. -
Driving the Smart, Just City
Smart cities aren’t just about technology; they’re about making cities work better for all residents.December 01, 2017To ensure a future that is equitable and sustainable, smart cities need planners to apply their traditional talents for creating consensus and facilitating collaboration to smart city design. -
The Detroit River Renaissance
The Motor City is redeveloping its waterfront — and letting its residents lead the way.December 01, 2017A new vision of an inclusive, attractive Detroit River for all people was the result of asking Detroiters — rather than developers — what they wanted. -
Regulating Short-Term Rentals
PAS QuickNotes 56by: David Morley, AICP June 01, 2015This edition of PAS QuickNotes provides some background on the short-term rental market and explores a series of important policy considerations for communities experiencing rising demand for short-term rentals.List Price$10.00Member$0.00 -
Multihazard Planning Framework for Communities in the Wildland-Urban Interface
July 01, 2018This planning framework and the accompanying planning systems audit tool are designed for use by planners working in or with communities located in the wildland-urban interface (WUI). -
Nurturing Neighborhoods
Making urban parks sustainable and equitable delivers benefits well past their edges.November 01, 2017Los Angeles County's effort to create plans for six of its most park-poor unincorporated communities is bearing fruit.

