Planning professionals address an array of community needs, including land use, transportation, parks and recreation, environmental resources, housing, commercial and industrial development, economic development, and infrastructure. As a result, planners must have at least a working understanding and ability to analyze a variety of subjects. They will encounter terminology and technical information from a variety of disciplines. Even planners that are highly specialized, such as transportation planners, must understand the interaction between transportation and land use, environment, economic, social, fiscal, legal, and other considerations. In some communities, especially small towns with small budgets, the person responsible for planning is not trained as a planner. Survival as a planner requires the ability to become quickly conversant on new issues and tools. That requires quick access to relevant reference materials and resources.
In an era of tight budgets, few planning offices can afford in-house libraries of all reference materials or significant on-the-job training. Fortunately, there are a growing number of useful resources available on the Internet. This webpage locates and presents selected reference materials useful to professional and lay planners. It is intended to provide quick access to glossaries and government acronyms, online tutorials, legal reference material, useful technical tools and calculators (for area conversion, cost estimation and similar tasks) handbooks and models.
Why Plan? What's it All About?
- What is Planning? What Do Planners Do?, American Planning Association
- Introduction, Frederick Law Olmsted, Jr. - Basic Principles of City Planning - Although the language is old-fashioned, this is a thoughful discussion from a visionary planner
- What is Planning? and Planning as a Career, Canadian Institute of Planners
- Comprehensive Plan (What is it?) , excerpted from Planning ABCs: An Overview of 26 Planning Topics, Lawrence Gerckens, Planning Commissioners Journal (scroll down to "Comprehensive Plan")
- Why Prepare a Comprehensive Plan, Tug Hill (NY) Commission, 2005 - Useful and concise explanation
Selected Reference Shelf
- Access Washington, Washington State - Links to state agencies and contacts, state facts, budget information, laws and rules,and other information
- USA.gov Reference Center - Links to information on U.S. laws, bills in Congress, regulations, statistical information, contacts, maps, governmental publications and other government databases
- USA.gov Resources for Local Government - Local government directories, links to useful local government statistics, organizations
- Virtual Reference Shelf, Library of Congress - Offers an intriguing collection of resources ranging from business, economic indicators, calculators, grants, and politics to encyclopedia mythica, quotations, and Farmer’s Almanac
- Ipl2 – Reference website hosted by a consortium of colleges and universities offers wealth of resources by subject including a law, government & political science category, and a computers & Internet one
- National Transportation Library Information, Resources and Tools, U.S. Department of Transportation - Includes transportation directories, search engines, thesaurus, statistics, and pocket guide
- Geospatial Data Gateway, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service - National Atlas, USGS maps, U.S. Census Bureau geography, rural development information, natural resources data including soils
- Environmental Design Library, Berkeley - Listing of many resources and help with how to find information related to planning, urban design, architecture, and landscape architecture
Glossaries and Acronyms
Land Use and Planning
- A Glossary of Land Use and Planning Terms, Institute for Local Government, 2010. Also see Glossary of Land Use and Planning Terms: Acronyms and Abbreviations
- Appendix A: Glossary of Terms and Phrases (At end of publication), from Beginner's Guide to Land Use Law , Pace University School of Law, Land Use Center
- Land Use Planning Dictionary, Greenbelt Alliance
Population
- American FactFinder Glossary, U.S. Bureau of Census
- U.S. Census Bureau Decennial Management Division Glossary
- U.S. Census Bureau Abbreviations/Acronyms
- U.S. Census Bureau Current Population Survey (CPS) - Definitions and explanations
Agency Acronyms and Abbreviations
- Washington State Agencies, Boards, and Commissions Acronyms
- Abbreviations and Acronyms of the U.S. Government
- Puget Sound Regional Council Acronyms and Abbreviations
Environment
- Terms and Acronyms, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency - Includes acronyms
- Glossary, Northwest Salmon Recovery - Acronyms
- Acronyms, SEPA Online Handbook, Washington Department of Natural Resources
- Stormwater Manager's Resource Center Glossary
- FloodSmart.Gov Glossary - FEMA Flood Insurance Definitions
- U.S. Geological Service USGS
- Dictionaries and Glossaries of Interest - A large collection of glossaries including geology, climate change, volcanoes, glaciers, GIS, environment, forestry crop, wetlands, marine science and many more
- Landslide Hazards Program Glossary
- Earthquake Glossary
- Geologic Glossary
- USGS Water Washington Science Center Glossary
- GIS Dictionary, ESRI
- GIS Terms, Common ERSI terms, Ft. Collins, CO - The short list
Transportation
- Bureau of Transportation Statistics Dictionary, Bureau of Transportation Statistics, U.S. Department of Transportation
- Planning Glossary, Federal Highway Administration - Transportation planning terms
- The Language of Traffic, by Steven J. Dush, AICP and Gregory P. Muhonen, The Commissioner, APA, Spring 2002 - A short list of commonly used acronyms and terminology
Housing
- Housing Glossaries, MRSC
- The Name of the Game: Housing Related Acronyms and Terms, Institute for Local Government
- Construction Glossary, Contractor School Online - Also links to related glossaries such as plumbing, electrical landscaping, green building, painting and more
Economic and Financial Terms
- Glossary of Economic Terms, Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco
- Congressional Budget Office Glossary
- Freddie Mac of Financial and Economic Terms
- A Glossary of Political Economic Terms, by Dr. Paul M. Johnson, Auburn University Department of Political Science
- Campbell R. Harvey's Hypertextual Finance Glossary
Legal Terms
- Glossary of Terms, Washington State Courts
- Find Law Search the Dictionary - Definitions of legal terms
- Law.com Dictionary
- Legal Dictionaries & Glossaries - UCLA School of Law - Links to some of the most useful legal dictionaries
- Nolo's Free Dictionary of Law Terms and Legal Definitions - Plain English definitions
- Links to Legal Dictionaries, and Glossary for Administrative Hearings, Washington State Office of Administrative Hearings
Other
- Public Health Terms for Planners and Planning Terms for Public Health Professionals, APA Fact Sheet, American Planning Association
- Outdoor Lighting Glossary
The Players
- Planning Universe, Planner's Web - The players in the planning process
Trainings and Tutorials
Planning and Land Use
- Washington Department of Commerce
- Basic Short Course on Local Planning - Series of videos including the legal basis for planning in Washington, comprehensive planning and implementation, and planning roles/citizen participation
- Special video short courses on local planning - Includes economic development and urban forestry
- American Planning Association (APA) Education Center - Online interactive training/workshops, self-directed study, and audio conferences on a variety of planning topics. Most are fee based and require registration
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Smart Growth Webinars, Videos, and Podcasts - Location efficiency, green infrastructure, essential smart growth fixes for rural communities, and many others
- Smart Growth Speaker Series, National Building Museum - Free noontime speaker series, live and archived, with interesting list of topics such as Happy City, Ian McHarg Reconsidered, smart growth in rural communities, intelligent cities, essential zoning fixes, tactical urbanism, great public squares, and more
- Scotie Planning in the West Webinars: Lessons from Local Government - (Scotie received APA’s 2012 award for best education/participation program.) Topics include climate change preparedness, water resources planning, sustainable agriculture and others. Also see Scotie Partner Webinars including Zombie Subdivisions
- Land Use Videos, Institute for Local Government - very short clips on topics such as nonconforming uses
- National Park Service Technical Preservation Services, Online Education - Historic preservation tutorials
- American FactFinder Tutorials, U.S. Bureau of Census
Environment, Energy, GIS
- Getting Started with a GIS, United States Geological Survey - Tutorials on GIS and ArcView
- Learn GIS, ERSI - ERSI offers many low cost or free tutorials
- OnlineTutorials, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) - Including flood insurance maps, coastal hazard analysis and GIS
- Energy Tutorial, National Fuel Cell Research Center - Tutorials on a variety of alternative energy subjects including solar, wind, biomass, nuclear and fuel cells, as well as fossil fuel topics
- Wind Energy Curricula, Tutorials, and Teaching Materials, U.S. Department of Energy
- Wind Energy Videos including Energy 101: Wind Turbines, Wind Powering America
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
- Water:Training Opportunities - Including Watershed Academy, Drinking Water Academy, NPDES Training Courses and Workshops, and others - NPDES Training Courses and Workshops
- Air Pollution Training Institute - On Demand Video Training
Technical Tools
- AskNumbers.com Unit Conversions - Did you forget how many square feet in an acre? Check here for various area equivalents.
- The Quality Portal Unity Calculators - Calibrates or Calculates units of measure
- Online Conversion - Convert just about anything to anything else: acres to square feet, metric conversion tables, temperature, energy, time zones around the world
- BEG's GIS Tools Online, Bureau of Economic Geology, University of Texas - Map scale calculator, length and area conversions
- Technical Maps/Arial Views, MRSC
- Planning Illustrated, MRSC - Graphics, maps, understanding density
- RS Means - Quick Cost Calculator
- Zillow.com - Rough estimate of real estate value for specific properties that you enter
- Renewable Resource Data Center - Access to an extensive collection of renewable energy resource data, maps, and tools
- Sun Angle Calculator
- Climatic Design Resources
Land Use Toolbox
- Buildout Analysis: A Valuable Planning and Mitigation Tool, David Godschalk, Zoning Practice, American Planning Association, 03/2006 - Describes useful tool to look ahead and to project the amount and location of growth allowed under existing or proposed community development policies
- Planning Tool Kit, Southeast Michigan Council of Governments, and Michigan Association of Planning, and Washtenaw County 2009 - Implementation tools, illustrated with case examples to address different land use objectives
- Project Management Tools, MindTools - Useful how-to information for project management, leadership, team management, time management, decision-making, strategic planning, creativity techniques, and others.
- Florida Planning Toolbox, Florida Atlantic University Center for Urban and Environmental Solutions - Tools to address climate change, infill and redevelopment, fiscal analysis and financing, land use, housing and many other issues of the day
- Best Practices for Quality Communities, Georgia Department of Community Affairs
- Tool Kit for Integrating Land Use and Transportation Decision-Making, Federal Highway Administration
- New Jersey FIT - Future in Transportation Toolbox - For integrating transportation and land use
- Community Planning Toolbox, Smart Growth Vermont
- Tools and Key Resources for Sustainable Communities, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Smart Growth - Many useful toolkits on planning, climate change, green building, smart growth and affordable housing, and more
- Guides and Tool-kits, Smart Growth BC - Includes smart growth, affordable housing and healthy communities toolkits
Planning Law Reference Shelf
- Legal and Practical Objectives of Planning, Chapter 1, Planning Short Course, Washington Department of Commerce/Planning Association of Washington (PAW) - Summary of planning-related statutes in Washington
- Revised Code of Washington/Washington Administrative Code
- Washington State Constitution.
- Growth Management Laws and Rules, Washington Department of Commerce, Growth Management Services
- Washington City Codes, MRSC
- Washington County Codes, MRSC
- Legal Topics, MRSC - Includes Legal topics of interest to Washington local governments and links to Washington State Supreme and Appellate Court Decisions, Growth Management Hearings Boards Decisions, Attorney General Opinions, and other resources
- Law Links, Environmental and Land Use Law Section, Washington State Bar Association - Federal and State Laws
- Legal Research on the Internet, Washington State Office of Administrative Hearings - Listing of legal research resources, especially related to administrative hearings
- Washington Law Help - Directory for self-help information on a variety of legal topics, including housing (but not land use)
- Beginner's Guide to Land Use Law, Land Use Law Center, Pace University School of Law
- Laws & Regulations, U.S Environmental Protection Agency - Includes federal codes, federal register, major environmental laws
- Environmental Law Net - Comprehensive legal reference site including federal laws by subject, state and tribal law, federal and other agency documents, brownsfield redevelopment
- Congress.gov (Thomas) - Searchable, on-line legislation and issues before the current session of Congress
- Land Use, Cornell University Law School, Legal Information Institute - Includes federal codes, regulations, and judicial decisions on land use, environment, energy and natural resources
Model Codes and Plans
- Model Development Code and User's Guide for Small Cities, Oregon Transportation and Growth Management Program - Includes zoning, community design standards, procedures and approval criteria. Design standards includes useful graphics. Also model flood damage prevention ordinance, and transportation demand model code module.
- Model Land Use Codes, Colorado Community Development Office - County Model Code and Municipal Model Code developed for smaller to medium-sized communities
- Model Code (for Plan Implementation), Georgia Department of Community Affairs - Includes "starter" code offering basic levels of regulation, and a well-done model code that addresses a comprehensive range of conditions such as hillside and ridgeline protection, infill development, rural clusters, affordable housing, downtowns, and more
- Ordinances collected by Daniel Mandelker, Washington University School of Law, updated 04/20/2014 - Includes many models
- Model Subdivision and Land Development Ordinance, Lancaster County Planning Commission, Updated 01/2012 - Includes standards for rural areas, conservation subdivisions, urban growth areas, infill areas, supplemental requirements for tests and studies, and assurance for completion and maintenance of improvements
- Sustainable Community Development Code Framework, Rocky Mountain Land Use Institute, University of Denver Law School - Contextual and place-based code framework, enabling communities to customize their land use and development rules according to their own particular political, economic and environmental circumstances
- Models and Guidelines, Maryland Department of Planning - Older, but well-done model codes for infill development, adequate public facilities, big box development and much more
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
- Examples of Codes that Support Smart Growth
- Model Ordinances to Prevent and Control Nonpoint Source Pollution - Stormwater control, open space, erosion control development, aquatic buffers, and more
- Model Ordinances for Aquatic Resource Protection, Stormwater Manager's Resource Center
- New Jersey's Rehabilitation Subcode - Award winning code for the building rehabilitation without imposing excessive costs
- Landscaping Model Ordinance, Scenic America
Manuals and Handbooks
- Department of Commerce Growth Management Services - Recently updated and very helpful guidebooks for comprehensive plan updates:
- Growth Management Services - Publications List by Topics, Department of Commerce, 2007 - Includes handbooks on critical areas regulation, parks and recreation planning, economic development and other topics
- Growth Management, Puget Sound Regional Council - Links to best practices publications (Tools and Resources) and publications on Centers, Growing Transit Communities, Housing Innovations, Regional Food Policy and others
- Understanding the Basics of Land Use and Planning: A Guide to Local Planning, Institute for Local Government, 2010 - Covers subjects such as why plan, participants in the process, and explanation of the general plan and zoning
- An Introductory Guide to Land Use Planning for Small Cities and Counties in Oregon, Oregon Department of Land Conservation and Development, 01/2007
- Innovative Land Use Planning Techniques: A Handbook for Sustainable Development, New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services, 2008 - Provides guidance and model code language for many aspects of sustainable development
- Creating Sustainable Communities: A Guide for Developers and Communities, New Jersey Office of Planning and Sustainable Communities, 2010 - Provides guidance for buildout analysis, water supply and wastewater capacity, analysis, low impact site design, energy reduction, access to green space and other regulations
- Land Use Planner's Guide to Salmonid Protection and Recovery, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, 10/2009
- Online SEPA Handbook - Helpful information about the Washington State Environmental Policy Act
Recommended Resource Books
- Top Books, Planetizen - Includes the ten best for each of the years between 2002 and the present year, and also a top 20 all-time list
- 100 Essential Books of Planning, American Planning Association - Books that shaped the direction of planning in the U.S.
- The Essential Planning Library Revisited, PAS Memo, March/April 2007, APA - Must be a member and log in to view (Also available through MRSC Library Loan)
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