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.
-
San Francisco, CA, Better Roofs Ordinance: A Better Roof Project Guide
April 2017This guide explains the Better Roofs Ordinance found in San Francisco’s Planning Code and its applicability for new developments. -
Value of Urban Green Spaces in Promoting Healthy Living and Wellbeing: Prospects for Planning
Risk Management and Healthcare Policy, 8:131-137, 2015by: Andrew Lee, Hannah Jordan, Jason HorsleyThis article presents the value urban green spaces has on healthy living and wellbeing and the implications for urban planners. -
Urban Biodiversity Inventory Framework
January 2017by: Samara GroupThis guide was created to help cities assess biodiversity information in urban areas in order to make decisions and policies to protect biodiversity and ecological assets. -
American Bird Conservancy Model Bird-Friendly Building Guidelines
December 2020The model ordinance provides a template to help communities create policies to reduce bird collisions with glass. -
Biophilic Cities: Design for Planetary Health and Human Flourishing
May 2020by: Timothy BeatleyThis online training discusses the importance of biophilic elements for human wellbeing and the resilience of cities. -
Promoting Opportunity Through Equitable Transit-Oriented-Development (eTOD): Making the Case
2015by: John Hersey, AICP, Michael SpottsThis report explains the importance of preserving and creating permanent affordable housing as a component of transit-oriented development (TOD). -
Vertical Greenery – Moving Upwards
December 2021This web page highlights vertical greenery, which is a new type of green infrastructure involving plants growing on a vertical surface. -
Biophilia Beyond the Building: Applying the Tools of Urban Biodiversity Planning to Create Biophilic Cities
Sustainability, 13(5), 2021by: Stephanie Panlasigui, Erica Spotswood, Erin BellerThis article highlights the overlap between urban biodiversity planning and biophilic cities. -
Green Infrastructure and Biophilic Urbanism as Tools for Integrating Resource Efficient and Ecological Cities
Urban Planning, 6(1):75-88, 2021by: Peter Newman, Giles ThompsonThis article focuses on using biophilic practices to integrate nature into dense urban areas while also implementing green infrastructure in areas that are not as dense. -
How to Turn Cities into Pollinator Sanctuaries
Next City, October 2019by: Jodi HelmerThis article outlines strategies some cities have taken in order to increase the number of pollinators, such as bees and butterflies, in the urban environments. -
What Can Bees Teach Us about Building Better Urban Ecosystems?
Next City, May 2018by: Jen KinneyThis article discusses how cities can improve biodiversity to help promote pollinators such as bees. -
Field Guide for Creative Placemaking and Parks
2017by: Matthew ClarkeThis guide explores how creative placemaking encourages parks and open spaces that serve communities. -
Planting the Living City: Best Practices in Planning Green Infrastructure—Results From Major U.S. Cities
Journal of the American Planning Association, 77(4): 368-381, 2011by: Robert YoungThis article belongs to the Biophilic Planning, Green Stormwater Infrastructure, and Urban Heat Resilience collections. -
Seven Lessons for Planning Nature-Based Solutions in Cities
Environmental Science & Policy, 93:101-111, 2019by: Niki FrantzeskakiThis article analyzes 15 different nature-based solution cases studies in Europe to determine seven lessons for using nature-based solutions to improve infrastructure. -
Biophilic Cities Are Sustainable, Resilient Cities
Sustainability,5(8),3328-3345,2013by: Timothy Beatley, Peter NewmanThis article argues that biophilic design needs to be utilized on an urban scale to create biophilic cities, which are sustainable and resilient. -
Conceptualising a Biophilic Services Model for Urban Areas
Urban Forestry and Urban Greening,27:399-408,2017by: Omniya el-Baghdadi, Cheryl DeshaThis article looks at the economic impact of biophilic services to adapt the existing Ecosystem Services model for biophilic urbanism to provide a decision-making flow. -
Ecosystems and Human Well-Being: A Framework for Assessment
2003by: Millennium Ecosystem AssessmentThis book focuses on the impact humans have had on the ecosystem, and the resulting change’s impact on human well-being. -
Pollinators and Pollination: A Resource Book for Policy and Practice
2016by: Connal Eardley, Dana Roth, Julie ClarkeThis book discusses the importance of pollinator conservation and provides a guide for creating policies and programs that aim to increase pollinator conservation within a community. -
Urban Nature and Biodiversity for Cities
September 2021by: Jeffrey Smith, Anne Guerry, Eric LonsdorfThis briefing paper provides scientific reasoning for why it is important to incorporate urban design, along with how urban areas can do so. -
biodiverCities: A Handbook for Municipal Biodiversity Planning and Management
2015by: Aravind Kundurpi, Nicole MarzokThis guide provides an example of a milestone framework for creating a Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP) and the planning, development and implementation needed to successfully create a BAP. -
Trees for a Cool City: Guidelines for Optimised Tree Placement
November,2017by: Andrew Coutts, Nigel TapperThis guide provides recommendations for urban tree placement based on street type and orientation in order to maximize the benefits of trees. -
San Francisco, CA, Standards for Bird-Safe Buildings
2019This guide provides examples of bird-safe building treatments such as glass glazing and building and fenestration strategies. -
Guidance for National Biodiversity Indicator Development and Use
March 2011by: Philip Bubb, Rosamunde Almond, Anna CheneryThis guide focuses on the creation of biodiversity indicators for policy-making, reporting and environmental management. -
Handbook on the Singapore Index on Cities’ Biodiversity
2021by: Lena ChanThis guide acts as a tool for cities to evaluate and monitor their biodiversity conservation efforts. -
Guide to Passing Wildlife-Friendly Property Maintenance Ordinances
2021by: Samantha MillerThis guide provides case studies of property maintenance ordinances that incentivize property owners to create wildlife habitats on their land. -
Native Plants for Wildlife Habitat and Conservation Landscaping: Chesapeake Bay Watershed
2003by: Britt Slattery, Kathryn Reshetiloff, Susan ZwickerThis guide provides information on conservation landscaping to reduce pollution and improve the environment in the Chesapeake Bay watershed area. -
Model Lighting Ordinance
June 2011by: Nancy Clanton, Jim Benya, Naomi MillerThis model ordinance will allow communities to develop standards that reduce light pollution. -
Edmonton, AB, Open Space Policy
C596, Adopted August 2017This standalone policy intends to supplement Edmonton’s open space planning, design, and management to create a multifunctional green network. -
CityLab University: Zoning Codes
August 2019by: Benjamin SchneiderThis article provides an overview of zoning codes in the United States, as part of the "CityLab University" series, a resource for understanding some of the most important concepts related to cities and urban policy. -
Ten Urban Planning Principles Every Humanitarian Should Know
Urban Matters, November, 10, 2015by: Samer SalibaThis blog post links humanitarian efforts in urban areas with the core principles of urban planning. -
An Introduction to Zoning
January 2017This video summarizes the basics of zoning, the pros and cons of zoning, and describes some of the ways nonplanners can influence zoning in their communities. -
How Do Cities Grow?
November 2018This video explains the influence of transportation networks on the growth of cities in the United States. -
Rationale for Smart Growth Fiscal Impact Analysis and Model Fiscal Impact Assessment Ordinance
June 2022by: Arthur Nelson, FAICP, James Nicholas, Julian JuergensmeyerThis guide provides insight on the fiscal impacts in areas with Smart Growth and adapts the fiscal impact analysis to better fit smart growth development. -
How Do the Layers of Government Affect City Planning?
February 2017This video describes the layers of government in the United States that have an influence on local planning, the relationships between these layers, and their effect on local planning. -
Urban Planning, Explained
November 2019by: James BrasuellThis video describes the profession of urban planning, what urban planners do, and how they interact with related disciplines, such as local government and engineering. -
The Arsenal of Exclusion
April 2012This audio summarizes some of the design elements that have been utilized in cities to keep people separate, and discusses their role in preventing integrated and equitable cities. -
Planning is Easy, Zoning is Hard
July 2017This audio explores land use codes, the future of zoning, and housing movements across the United States. -
The City is a Painting You Walk Into
April 2016This audio includes a discussion on Latino urbanism, planning meetings, and the negotiation and collaboration aspect of urban planning. -
Critiquing the Language of Planners
August 2017This audio explores how nonplanners can navigate, and hold planners accountable for, the use of jargon and overly-technical language in the planning profession. -
Can Computers Plan Our Cities? The Art and Science of Planning
Vienna Series, July 2018by: Jennifer KeesmaatThis audio explores how technology is affecting the practice of planning. -
Planning While Black
January 2017This audio contains a presentation that discusses diversity, equity and planning with historically disadvantaged communities. -
Urban Planning for City Leaders
November 2012by: Pablo VaggioneThis guide clarifies the technical and policy aspects of urban planning for local officials, in order to give them the ability to effectively collaborate with local planning departments. -
Grey vs. Great Density
April 2016This audio defines density in the city, addresses misconceptions about high levels of density, and discusses how tools like infill development can help planners achieve livability. -
CityLab University
October 2019by: Benjamin SchneiderThis web page contains five articles in a special report collection by CityLab, covering important concepts in city design and urban planning. -
Parachute, CO, Municipal Code
Adopted 2004This town's code creates a watershed district to protect the town’s waterworks and water supply. It establishes prohibited activities and permit requirements within the district. -
Ottawa, ON, Planning Primer
October 2021This web page contains information about a community member training program and links to tcourse materials. -
Indianapolis, IN, People's Planning Academy
July 2021This web page contains information about a community member training program that explains basic planning concepts. -
Los Angeles, CA, City Planning: Planning 101
November 2020This web page contains links to a series of webinars explaining basic planning concepts. -
Port Wentworth, GA, Code of Ordinances
Updated August 2021Port Wentworth’s code ensures the provision of a safe and sanitary drinking water supply for the city through establishment of wellhead protection zones surrounding the wellheads for all wells which supply the city water system. -
Auburn, GA, Zoning Code
Updated February 2022This City's code establishes a groundwater recharge area district an an overlay zone with groundwater protection standards and requirements.