Land Use and Environmental Planning Certificate Program

Gain an understanding of how planning decisions impact the economic feasibility of a proposed project for the public agency and developer.  Learn how money flows into a governmental agency, what they can or can’t do to increase that flow and how debt fits into the whole equation.

Topics in this course include:

• Fiscal impact analysis and its importance
• Local government revenues
• Public debt and its alternatives
• Fiscal and financial analysis and how they fit into the planning process
• A developer's perspective of how planning decisions affect the bottom line 
• The balance between the goals and objectives of public and private-sector participants

Approximately 20 hours of study and full attendance to all course meetings are required. 

Learn the concepts, structures and processes of land use planning and development decisions. This four-day course delivers an overview of general plans, zoning ordinances, subdivision regulation, permit processes, property rights, environmental review, public finance, natural resources and urban design. The instructor and guest presenters place these topics in wider contexts, valuable for both experienced planners who need a review and others who want solid introductions.

By the end of the course, the participants will:

• Understand the basic legal tools of land use planning and decision making
• Be able to apply those tools to specific problems facing California communities
• Understand the connections among land use, public finance and governance
• Demonstrate insight into how public policies affect land uses

Examine the major components of physical planning and site design as they relate to achieving planning objectives. Review regional landscape analysis, physical and man-made factor analysis and watershed and program analysis. Special focus is given to analyzing site suitability and sensitivity for development, site selection and feasibility studies and conceptual design that responds to site conditions.

In this course, you will:

• Develop an understanding of how to conduct site opportunity and constraint analysis that contribute to good land use decisions.
• Understand the basic natural and cultural components of a site and region and how these components are interrelated.
• Achieve basic skills necessary to evaluate and compare the value of mapped data.
• Acquire critical thinking skills to be able to use complex data, synthesize information and select that which is most significant for decision making.
• Learn graphic methods of compiling, recording and displaying information on environmental, cultural and economic factors. 
• Understand the value and importance that analysis of the natural and the manmade environment have in planning, design and environmental decision-making.

This course provides students with the skills and knowledge needed to navigate the legal framework in planning and environmental careers. The course reviews the various legal sources of planning and environmental law, including statutes, regulations, and case law. It provides students with a working understanding of how to apply planning and environmental legal requirements, especially within the context of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the State Planning and Zoning Law, and other local, state, and federal environmental laws. Students will also learn how and when to coordinate with, provide support to, and get support from lawyers throughout the planning process.

• • Students will develop a working knowledge of where to find applicable policy guidance, statutes, regulations, case law, etc. when approaching planning tasks and environmental review in California.
  • Students will be introduced to CEQA, NEPA, State Planning and Zoning Law, and other environmental laws.
  • Students will learn how to review and analyze judicial rulings, discuss salient legal points in a professional manner, and communicate legal principles with members of the public, decision-makers, and other planners and governmental counsel.
  • Students will understand when and how, as part of their chosen profession, to communicate and work with attorneys to ensure compliance with applicable laws and regulations, and to assist attorneys with defending lawsuits.

Approximately 20 hours of project work and regular attendance are required. 

Receive hands-on practice in professional urban planning and design skills in a studio/lecture format. Immerse yourself in planning and design principles, examples and case studies for today's communities. Critique land use plans and site designs, create and prepare site plans, and analyze and develop planning staff reports. Emphasis is placed on urban infill and sustainable community design, and the challenges and complexities of planning and urban design in growing communities. In-class studio work and critique, as well as guest lectures, a hands-on downtown design modeling charrette and field visits are also included. There will be a minimum of 24 hours of planning and design work conducted outside of class.

Learn the theoretical background and the hands-on practice of involving stakeholders in urban planning and design decisions and natural resources policies. Practice selected communication and facilitation techniques that create mutually beneficial solutions. Examine how to assess a case situation and determine what type of public process is right for each situation. Discuss the strengths and weaknesses of techniques used in public involvement. Explore different approaches to communicating complex and technical planning information to community groups. Using several simulated negotiations, engage as stakeholders or facilitators to resolve complex public policy problems in urban planning. Examine case studies and analyze what went well, what went wrong and why.