Webinars And Videos

What are “takings”? When does a land use regulation become a constitutional issue? Peter Henn breaks down the concept of takings and why understanding the limits of government power matters for planners. #Planetizen #LandUseLaw #UrbanPlanning

Interested in the future of transportation policy? Our latest YouTube video takes a deeper dive into the Highway Trust Fund and what comes next.

When the government went too far How far can local government regulation go before it crosses the constitutional line into a taking? In this Planetizen Courses video, Peter Henn examines the landmark Loretto case and what it teaches planners about property rights, physical occupations, and the constitutional limits of government action. #Planetizen #LandUseLaw #UrbanPlanning

So why are we still funding transportation as if the mission never changed? Strong Towns President Chuck Marohn sits down with Smart Growth America CEO Beth Osborne to discuss the Highway Trust Fund, the growing cost of maintaining our infrastructure, and why it’s time to rethink our transportation priorities. Watch the full conversation now on our channel.

What if helping kids become part of daily life—through unstructured play on and around sidewalks—is a major benefit not only to them but to everyone else around, too? Jane Jacobs has a whole chapter on this in The Death and Life of Great American Cities. Let us know your thoughts! #urbanism #citylife #janejacobs

Will AI replace planners? As AI becomes more capable, it’s a question many planning professionals are asking. But the future may be less about replacement and more about how the role of the planner evolves. Watch to explore how planners can work alongside AI, adapt their skills, and make the most of new tools as the profession changes. #ArtificialIntelligence #UrbanPlanning #Planetizen

Special thanks to the Urban3 Norfolk project team for collaborating on this project. Project Team: Leah Handwerger Joe Minicozzi Brooke Robinson Phillip Walters

Why does AI matter for planners? AI is already changing how planners research, analyze information, communicate ideas, and manage everyday workflows. The question is how to use it effectively – and responsibly. In this Planetizen Courses video, Tom Sanchez explores why AI literacy is becoming increasingly relevant to the planning profession and what planners should understand as these tools become more capable and widespread. #ArtificialIntelligence #UrbanPlanning #AIForPlanners #Planetizen

A school placed next to a high-speed road wasn’t part of the plan, but it’s the reality families face every day. Rethinking where fast traffic belongs could turn neighborhood streets into safer, people-first spaces instead of risky shortcuts.

Is there a maximum building size? When it comes to buildings, is bigger always better? Or is there a point where scale starts working against the city? In this Planetizen Courses video, urban planner and author Jeff Speck explores building size and what scale can mean for the experience of a city. From the street to the skyline, the dimensions of our buildings can shape how places look, feel, and function. Watch to learn why building scale matters—and what planners should consider when thinking about the relationship between individual buildings and the city around them. #UrbanPlanning #UrbanDesign #JeffSpeck #Planetizen

The interstate system fulfilled its original mission decades ago. Maybe every new expansion should now have to stand on its own merits. For the larger case behind Chattanooga’s $550 million widening project, watch “We Built the Best Interstate System. Now It’s Falling Apart.” on our channel.

Data centers power artificial intelligence, digital services and much of the modern economy. But their rapid expansion across the United States is driving steep growth in electricity demand and putting pressure on water, land and local communities. U.S. energy policies, rules and infrastructure are not set up to handle demand growth of this magnitude and speed. But with smarter planning, we can ease rising energy costs for households, decrease the strain on our aging grid, mitigate emissions and protect local communities. Learn how WRI is working towards these changes: https://www.wri.org/energy/data-centers-and-rising-energy-demand-us

The Interstate Highway mission ended in 1992. The Highway Trust Fund did not. We now face record spending, growing maintenance gaps, and projects that don’t match local realities. Strong Towns President Chuck Marohn is joined by Smart Growth America CEO Beth Osborne as they explore how we got here. To learn what should happen next, check out the Mission Accomplished white paper: https://www.strongtowns.org/missionaccomplished *LEARN MORE* Strong Towns: https://www.strongtowns.org/ Smart Growth America: https://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/ Transportation for America: https://t4america.org/ Animations by Murray Warburton: https://www.murraywarb.com/ 00:00 Introduction 1:09 1. Connecting the Country 1:54 2. Eisenhower’s Vision 3:08 3. The Rise of Inner-City Highways 4:10 4. Mission Accomplished 5:35 5. An Era of Expansion 7:25 6. Myths and Lies 8:25 7. Deficit Spending 10:39 8. Designing to Create Danger 12:15 9: Chester, Pennsylvania 14:33 10. Ribbon-Cutting 15:24 11. The Approach Moving Forward 17:50 12. Looking Back in 100 Years

The everyday interactions that happen by chance as we pass people walking to and from errands matter more than we think. It’s all building a network where our community can lean on each other while still maintaining our own private lives. #janejacobs #urbanism #community #walkable #cityplanning

The gas tax is often called a user fee. But that’s never been the whole story. Highway funding has long involved redistributing money across the country, and even then, gas taxes don’t fully cover the cost of maintaining our road system.

In 1957, Chicago made the decision to ban additional housing units on most residential lots. Nowadays, the city is facing an affordability problem, but it’s beginning to incrementally reverse course by allowing accessory homes in parts of the city. Could your community benefit from the same approach? What kinds of small housing additions are still illegal where you live? Let us know in the comments!

One of the most common planning mistakes is trying to replicate another city’s success without understanding the conditions that made it work. In this Planetizen Courses video, urban designer and author Jeff Speck explains why great places can’t simply be copied and pasted. Effective planning requires responding to local context, culture, geography, and community needs – not importing a one-size-fits-all solution. Watch to learn why the best urban design principles are adaptable, and how planners can create places that are authentic to the communities they serve. #UrbanDesign #CityPlanning #Urbanism #Placemaking #PlanningEducation #CommunityDevelopment #UrbanPlanning #WilliamSpeck #PlanetizenCourses #BetterCities

The state has largely ended mandatory parking minimums, giving businesses and developers more freedom to decide how much parking they actually need. Will this lead to better places—or not? Let me know what you think.

When places are open throughout the day and people are milling about on the sidewalk and city streets, it gives the sense that we’re all looking out for each other. What can we do to help keep streets alive?

Public art does more than beautify blank walls – it can strengthen community identity, activate public spaces, celebrate local culture, and spark important conversations about place and belonging. In this Planetizen Courses video, planning and urban design expert William (Bill) Speck explores the role murals and public art can play in creating vibrant, memorable, and people-centered cities. Watch to learn how thoughtful investments in public art can enhance the public realm and contribute to stronger, more connected communities. #UrbanDesign #PublicArt #CityPlanning #Placemaking #Urbanism #CommunityDevelopment #PublicSpace #PlanetizenCourses #PlanningEducation #WilliamSpeck

When homes are built near transit, reducing parking requirements can lower costs and make more housing possible. IG: We often talk about the need for more housing, but many local rules make housing more expensive than it needs to be. Parking mandates are one example. Near transit, requiring fewer parking spaces can lower development costs and make it easier to build homes people can afford. Sometimes the most effective housing policy is removing barriers that don’t make sense anymore.

We know PARK(ing) Day is still far away (Sept 18th, to be exact). But we love to remember a good removing-parking-minimums win. Does your city have any parking rules that are hold back it’s potential?

Special thanks to the Urban3 team for collaborating on this project. Project Team: Ti Decker Carolyn Frykberg Brooke Robinson Henry Walker Phillip Walters Heather Worthington

Want to improve the accessibility of your planning documents in just a few minutes? Jonathan Katz-Oziel shares a simple tool and practical tips you can start using today to identify and fix common accessibility issues before publishing. See more hands-on guidance in Digital Accessibility for Planners – Documents Edition. #Accessibility #PlanningTools #DigitalAccessibility #UrbanPlanning #InclusivePlanning

Many accessibility issues are surprisingly easy to avoid – once you know what to look for. In this clip, Jonathan Katz-Oziel highlights common mistakes, from poor color contrast to inaccessible formatting, and explains how planners can create content that works for everyone. Learn the full process in Digital Accessibility for Planners. #Accessibility #UrbanPlanning #InclusiveDesign #PlanningPractice #DigitalAccessibility

What does it actually look like to navigate a planning document using assistive technology? In this clip, accessibility expert Jonathan Katz-Oziel explains how people with disabilities experience digital documents – and why thoughtful document design is essential for equitable public engagement. Learn practical techniques to create documents everyone can use in Digital Accessibility for Planners – Documents Edition. #Accessibility #UrbanPlanning #InclusivePlanning #DigitalAccessibility #PublicEngagement

Electric vehicle (EV) adoption is accelerating globally and with it, a new wave of opportunity. EV batteries are typically replaced once they lose 20–30% of their original capacity, but at that point they still retain productive potential. Instead of becoming waste, these batteries can be repurposed for a “second life” in less demanding applications, including microgrids powering communities, charging infrastructure, electric two- and three-wheelers and grid support services. The scale of this opportunity is rapidly approaching. The volume of retired EV batteries is projected to exceed 300 GWh by 2030, with at least half originating from China alone. An estimated 40–70% of these batteries could be suitable for second-life applications, representing a vast reserve of energy storage capacity ready to be deployed. If effectively harnessed, second-life batteries could improve energy access, lower system costs, support grid resilience, and accelerate the clean energy transition.

Costa Rica protects 30% of its marine areas — but what can the ocean do for the rest of the world? From renewable energy and decarbonized shipping to blue food production and 51 million new jobs, a sustainable ocean economy offers powerful solutions to climate change, food security, and economic resilience. Yet less than 1% of global development funding goes to the ocean. With major global convenings in 2026 — including the Our Ocean Conference and COP31 — the time to act is now. Learn more about Sustainable Ocean Plans and the path to a healthy, productive ocean for all.

Costa Rica protects 30% of its marine areas — but what can the ocean do for the rest of the world? From renewable energy and decarbonized shipping to blue food production and 51 million new jobs, a sustainable ocean economy offers powerful solutions to climate change, food security, and economic resilience. Yet less than 1% of global development funding goes to the ocean. With major global convenings in 2026 — including the Our Ocean Conference and COP31 — the time to act is now. Learn more about Sustainable Ocean Plans and the path to a healthy, productive ocean for all: https://go.wri.org/oceandayyoutube

Artificial intelligence is rapidly reshaping planning—but is your agency ready? In this free webinar, Tom Sanchez introduces the Five Dimensions of AI Readiness, a practical framework for helping planning agencies evaluate where they are today and what steps they should take before adopting AI more broadly. You’ll learn: • What AI readiness means for planning organizations • The five dimensions every agency should evaluate • Common challenges preventing successful AI adoption • Practical strategies for implementing AI responsibly • How planners can prepare for the future of AI-enabled practice Whether you’re a planner, manager, department director, or agency leader, this session provides actionable guidance for building an AI strategy that goes beyond experimentation. Continue learning with the full AI for Planning course: https://www.planetizen.com/ai-class?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=video&utm_campaign=description Looking to train your entire team? Explore Planetizen Courses for Organizations: https://zcal.co/katguimapang/AIClass-Demo Browse all Planetizen Courses: https://courses.planetizen.com/