Webinars And Videos

Walkable and bikeable cities aren’t just for single people of a certain age or political demographic, but they’re for families too. Here are some glimpses of family life in Chicago and Chattanooga.  #family #urbanism #chicago #chattanooga #kidsonbikes

And what if removing a freeway doesn’t create the traffic nightmare everyone expects?

If it takes crashes, deaths and years of waiting to fix a street we already know is dangerous, can we really call that a success?

As translators of policy, talking with the public is such an essential part of a planner’s job. Yet degree programs often don’t address this crucial topic. In this course, Corrin Wendell covers essential tips to have effective communication with the public and how to make the public feel heard. #planetizen #corrinwendell #publicspeaking

The Highway Trust Fund was created in 1956 to build the Interstate Highway System. That system was completed decades ago. What’s next?

Engineers should be able to speak openly about their profession without fearing action from a state licensing board.

Writing staff reports can feel overwhelming to begin with. Having the right structure for an effective staff report is key to starting your career off in the right direction. Corrin Wendell walks through this structure and what to cover in this course to guide young planners towards success. #planetizen #corrinwendell #staffreport

We used to just call tiny homes “homes.” Maybe it’s time to start building them again.

Unsure how your role fits in? The first few years in planning can feel like drinking from a firehose. New planners are expected to understand zoning codes, answer public questions, process development applications and present to decision-makers — often with little formal or on-the-ground training. This course provides an essential toolbox that explains how core planning processes actually work in practice, from permits and development review to public meetings and everyday counter interactions. It covers key topics new planners encounter on the job such as conditional use permits, development agreements, tax increment financing, tax abatement and development review processes. Participants will also explore how planners communicate with the public, respond to difficult questions and present technical information clearly to elected officials and community members. Through real-world examples and practical guidance, participants will leave with a clearer understanding of how planning decisions move from application to approval — and how new planners can contribute confidently and effectively. #planetizen #corrinwendell #urbanplanning

If this conversation got you thinking, check out our latest YouTube video exploring the future of the Highway Trust Fund.

Where did Miranda rights come from? A landmark Supreme Court case reshaped how constitutional protections work during police questioning. Peter Henn explains the case behind the warning nearly everyone recognizes today. #Planetizen #ConstitutionalLaw #LegalHistory

Bias can enter through training data, prompts, and the assumptions built into how AI is used. Knowing where bias comes from helps planners catch it before it shapes real-world decisions. #Planetizen #UrbanPlanning #AI

City-building games are an interactive way to see basics of how towns work. Ancient civilizations utilized things like walkability, multi-family housing, mixed-use zoning, and more to optimize their cities because they had to! We can get back to these principles starting on our own blocks.

From ChatGPT to ArcGIS, AI can help planners research, automate tasks, and work through ideas more efficiently. The value comes from knowing which tool fits the job – and keeping human judgment in charge. #Planetizen #UrbanPlanning #AI

Using AI well means creating clear processes for human review, transparency, and accountability. Build workflows that make AI useful without outsourcing professional judgment. #Planetizen #UrbanPlanning #AI

The curb might be the most overlooked asset in your city. Instead of using it almost exclusively to store parked cars, cities can turn curb space into places that support local businesses, outdoor dining, deliveries, and safer streets.

AI can help planners pull key themes, concerns, and action items from hours of community discussion. Spend less time sorting notes and more time responding to what residents said. #Planetizen #UrbanPlanning #AI

This aging highway ramp is due for repair or replacement. But before spending millions rebuilding it, what if Richmond asked a different question: do we still need it? Reconfiguring the area as an urban street could remove the flyover, reconnect the street grid, and create a more compact, city-friendly design.

AI can turn planning ideas into before-and-after visuals, helping communities better understand what proposed changes could actually look like. Make planning concepts easier to see, compare, and discuss. #Planetizen #UrbanPlanning #AI

Public engagement can generate hundreds – or thousands – of comments. LLMs can help planners quickly identify themes and synthesize large volumes of feedback. See how AI can make public input easier to analyze and act on. #Planetizen #UrbanPlanning #AI

Looking for more on transportation policy? Our newest YouTube video explores where the Highway Trust Fund goes from here.

Generative AI can produce compelling ideas – but also inaccuracies, bias, and outputs that look more trustworthy than they are. Learn why planners still need to critically evaluate AI-generated work. #Planetizen #UrbanPlanning #AI

Over the past ten weeks, we’ve learned a lot from what Jane Jacobs had to say about the uses of sidewalks. Hope Henchey tried out some of those insights as in a neighborhood in Chattanooga. What will you observe as you walk around your own city?

AI can help planners explore scenarios, visualize alternatives, and make complex planning ideas easier to engage with. See how generative AI can create more interactive planning workflows. #Planetizen #UrbanPlanning #AI

☀️🥗What if farms could produce food and clean energy at the same time? Agrivoltaics involves incorporating solar panels onto agricultural land, enabling the simultaneous production of energy alongside crops or livestock. Places like the community farm at Roundabout Meadows in rural Virginia are already generating clean, affordable power through this emerging practice. Read their story and learn about other #SolutionsInFocus happening around the world: https://go.wri.org/solutions-in-focus

Generative AI learns patterns from large amounts of data and uses them to produce new content from a prompt. Understand the core concepts behind the tools planners are starting to use. #Planetizen #UrbanPlanning #AI

When people hear “more housing,” they often imagine massive apartment buildings. That’s not what we’re talking about.

Generative AI is quickly becoming part of the professional toolkit, but using it effectively requires understanding what it can – and can’t – do. Explore where AI fits into modern planning practice. #Planetizen #UrbanPlanning #AI

One of the biggest reasons people don’t use transit is simple. They’ve already looked it up and realized it doesn’t work for them. When transit gets people where they need to go in a time that fits their lives, people ride. The goal isn’t convincing people to take the bus. It’s building a system that’s useful enough that they want to.

Prompt engineering isn’t just about asking AI a question – it’s about giving it the context and direction needed to produce useful results. Learn how planners can write stronger prompts for real-world planning tasks. #Planetizen #UrbanPlanning #AI