Lessons

How planners gather, analyze, and interpret evidence: research design, data sources, statistics, projections, and spatial analysis.

1. 1Lesson 1: Research design and data sourcesResearch designs, community-based methods like asset mapping, the Census, ACS, and other data sources, survey design and sampling, and valid, reliable evidence.30 min
2. 2Lesson 2: Statistics and quantitative evaluationLevels of measurement, central tendency and spread, correlation, significance and error types, rates and constant dollars, margins of error, and discounting.30 min
3. 3Lesson 3: Population projections and economic analysisCohort-component and trend projections, households and housing need, dependency ratios, location quotients, shift-share, and measures of inequality.27 min
4. 4Lesson 4: Spatial analysis and GISVector and raster data, map scale and projections, data sources like LiDAR, overlay and suitability analysis, map types, the modifiable areal unit problem, and gravity models.24 min

4 lessons · about 111 minutes

The history, theory, and legal foundations of the profession, and the forces that shaped American cities and regions.

1. 5Lesson 5: A history of American planningFrom colonial town plans and sanitary reform through the City Beautiful, the Garden City, the New Deal, urban renewal, the quiet revolution, New Urbanism, and Smart Growth.34 min
2. 6Lesson 6: Planning theoryRational-comprehensive planning, incrementalism, mixed scanning, advocacy, equity, radical and insurgent, transactive and communicative planning, and the just city.26 min
3. 7Lesson 7: Patterns of human settlement and urban formClassic models of urban structure, bid-rent and central place theory, suburbanization, redlining and segregation, neighborhood change, and how cities are perceived.27 min
4. 8Lesson 8: Foundations of land use lawThe police power, enabling acts, Dillon’s Rule and home rule, due process, equal protection, the First Amendment, cell tower siting, and the landmark zoning cases.32 min
5. 9Lesson 9: Takings, exactions, and property rightsEminent domain and public use, regulatory takings tests, per se takings, and the nexus and proportionality rules for exactions.28 min
6. 10Lesson 10: Federal laws and programs that shaped planningHousing acts, the Interstate highway program and the transportation laws that followed, NEPA, civil rights, fair housing and fair lending law, and the federal grant programs planners still use.25 min

6 lessons · about 172 minutes

Engaging the public, communicating clearly and equitably, building consensus, and advising decision-makers.

1. 11Lesson 11: Designing public engagementArnstein’s ladder, the IAP2 spectrum, stakeholder analysis, choosing outreach and deliberative techniques, and evaluating whether engagement actually worked.27 min
2. 12Lesson 12: Equitable, inclusive, and accessible engagementReaching people who are usually left out, equity analysis, language access, culturally appropriate communication, and accessible digital media.23 min
3. 13Lesson 13: Facilitation, consensus building, and negotiationRunning fair meetings, active listening, group dynamics, structured group techniques, conflict styles, interest-based negotiation, opposition, mediation, and arbitration.28 min
4. 14Lesson 14: Staff reports, hearings, and the mediaWriting staff reports, presentations and honest visuals, the roles of staff and officials, meeting procedure, hearings and ex parte contacts, evidence-based arguments, and working with the press.26 min

4 lessons · about 104 minutes

Turning community values and analysis into plans: the planning process, plan types and elements, policy writing, and evaluating alternatives.

1. 15Lesson 15: The planning process, from scoping to adoptionPreparing to plan, the steps of a plan-making process, policy analysis, existing conditions, adoption, and when a plan needs an amendment or a full update.26 min
2. 16Lesson 16: Comprehensive plans, elements, and consistencyWhat a comprehensive plan is (and isn’t), typical elements, area and functional plans, and the consistency doctrine.22 min
3. 17Lesson 17: Vision, goals, objectives, and policiesThe plan hierarchy from vision to action, writing measurable objectives, drafting policy, building in an equity framework, and setting priorities.22 min
4. 18Lesson 18: Scenario planning, fiscal impact, and consequence analysisComparing alternatives, scenario planning under uncertainty, buildable lands, fiscal impact methods, greenhouse gas inventories, impact assessments, and funding versus financing.28 min

4 lessons · about 98 minutes

The regulatory, financial, and administrative tools that turn an adopted plan into what actually gets built.

1. 19Lesson 19: Zoning fundamentalsHow a zoning ordinance is built: districts, the map and text, permitted and conditional uses, dimensional standards, overlays, enforcement, and newer uses such as short-term rentals.27 min
2. 20Lesson 20: Variances, rezonings, and nonconformitiesArea and use variances, rezonings and spot zoning, contract zoning, quasi-judicial decisions, nonconforming uses, amortization, moratoria, and appeals and judicial review.27 min
3. 21Lesson 21: Subdivision and development reviewPlats, improvement guarantees, site plan review, consistency findings, vested rights, development agreements, the official map, and private covenants and HOAs.23 min
4. 22Lesson 22: Growth management and innovative land use toolsForm-based codes, PUDs, performance zoning, cluster subdivisions, TDR and PDR, inclusionary zoning, urban growth boundaries, and concurrency.26 min
5. 23Lesson 23: Implementation math: FAR, density, parking, and moreWorked examples of the calculations the exam asks for: floor area ratio, net and gross density, parking, trip generation, and affordability.20 min
6. 24Lesson 24: Capital planning and public financeThe capital improvements program, bonds, tax increment financing, special assessments, impact fees, business improvement districts, and life-cycle costs and debt capacity.27 min
7. 25Lesson 25: Implementation programs, partnerships, and monitoringAction plans with owners and timelines, strategic partnerships, redevelopment tools such as land banks, removing obstacles, logic models and indicators, and keeping a plan current.23 min

7 lessons · about 173 minutes

Running projects, budgets, contracts, and people inside a public agency or consulting practice.

1. 26Lesson 26: Project, procurement, and contract managementScopes of work, schedules and the critical path, risk, earned value, RFQs and RFPs, qualifications-based selection, managing consultants and partners, and quality control.27 min
2. 27Lesson 27: Managing a planning agencyForms of government, organizational structures, budget formats and fees, performance measures, hiring and supervising staff, public records and open meetings, and internal controls.27 min

2 lessons · about 54 minutes

Leading with and without formal authority: serving the public interest, advocating ethically, and developing the next generation of planners.

1. 28Lesson 28: Leadership in planningLeadership styles, influence without authority and sources of power, the public interest, ethical advocacy, leading change, and promoting the value of planning.25 min
2. 29Lesson 29: Mentoring, teams, and professional developmentDelegation, resolving staff conflict, motivation theories, coaching and mentoring, succession planning, institutional accountability, and certification maintenance.21 min

2 lessons · about 46 minutes

The specialized fields planners work in: transportation, housing, environment and hazards, economic development, urban design, preservation, health, and regional planning.

1. 30Lesson 30: Transportation planningMPOs and their plans, the four-step model, level of service versus VMT, induced demand, complete streets, Vision Zero, transit service, parking, access management, TOD, and TDM.30 min
2. 31Lesson 31: Housing and community developmentAffordability and cost burden, area median income, LIHTC and vouchers, CDBG, fair housing, fair share, missing middle and manufactured housing, rent regulation, and displacement.29 min
3. 32Lesson 32: Environmental planning, hazards, and resilienceEnvironmental review, brownfields, the Endangered Species Act and water quality law, floodplains and the NFIP, hazard mitigation and disaster recovery, climate mitigation and adaptation, and green infrastructure.31 min
4. 33Lesson 33: Economic developmentEconomic base theory and multipliers, location quotients in practice, clusters, retail analysis, economic impact analysis, incentives, and place-based tax programs.24 min
5. 34Lesson 34: Urban design and historic preservationPrinciples of urban form, placemaking, CPTED, the transect, the National Register, Section 106, local historic districts, other preservation tools, and rehabilitation tax credits.29 min
6. 35Lesson 35: Health, food systems, parks, and regional planningHealth impact assessment, food access, park classification and level of service, planning for all ages, smart-city data, and planning across jurisdictions.26 min
7. 36Lesson 36: Rural, small-town, and tribal planningPlanning with limited capacity, protecting farmland and rural character, directing rural growth, rural economies in transition, and working with tribal nations as sovereign governments.22 min
8. 37Lesson 37: Infrastructure, energy, and water planningHow infrastructure steers growth, asset management, water supply and water rights, wastewater and stormwater, solid waste, energy siting, broadband, and fair siting.23 min

8 lessons · about 214 minutes

The AICP Code: its aspirational principles, its enforceable Rules of Conduct, how it is enforced, and how to reason through ethics scenarios.

1. 38Lesson 38: How the AICP Code of Ethics is organizedAspirational principles versus enforceable rules, the three responsibilities, advisory opinions, charges, and sanctions.20 min
2. 39Lesson 39: Conflicts of interest and the Rules of ConductGifts, financial interests, disclosure and recusal, confidential information, competence, honest claims about qualifications, prior relationships, and government ethics laws.25 min
3. 40Lesson 40: Working through ethics scenariosA repeatable method for ethics questions, with worked cases on political pressure, client advocacy, objective analysis, and social media, data, and AI tools.23 min

3 lessons · about 68 minutes