PlannersWeb - City & Regional Planning Resources

What’s New on the PlannersWeb

– The Segedys weigh in on the top 10 mistakes to avoid when holding public hearings or meetings.

– Have you taken a look at Elaine Cogan’s latest columns on PlannersWeb? See “On Commitment” and “Dealing with Commissioners Who Have Too Much to Say.”

– Worth reading: Florida planner Wendy Grey’s two-part series on considerations in locating commercial development close to existing residential neighborhoods.

– Not familiar with the Planning Comm’rs Journal? We’ve uploaded ten sample articles you can download at no charge.

WHAT'S NEW ON THE PLANNERS WEB

What Are MOOCs and Why Should They Matter to Planners and Commissioners?

by Stuart Andreason

How would you like to take a course at a top-notch university, with some outstanding planning professors, for free? Now, you can do just that through a “MOOC.” Stuart Andreason explains.

Top 10 Mistakes to Avoid When Holding Public Hearings or Meetings

by Jim Segedy, FAICP, and Lisa Hollingsworth-Segedy, AICP

With our apologies to David Letterman, and in the spirit of helping you avoid the holes in the rocky road of being a planning commissioner, we present the Top Ten Mistakes to Avoid When Holding Public Hearings or Meetings.

The Art of Ross Racine

by PlannersWeb Editor Wayne Senville

“My images of aerial views are totally fictional, although in the beginning I used aerial photographs as references for the overall appearance of the landscape. … What occurs in my pictures could be emblematic for society as a whole.”

Preservation Can Be Inspiring — this month (and every month)

by Amy Facca

May is National Historic Preservation Month, a time when people across America celebrate their history, culture, and special places. Sponsored annually by the National Trust for Historic Preservation since 1973, it is designed to raise awareness about the power historic preservation has to protect and enhance our historic communities.

On Commitment

by Elaine Cogan

How do we motivate commissioners to realize being on the planning commission requires a “commitment”? The more I thought about it, the more complex the answer seems to be.

A Look at Urban Interactive Studio’s “Engaging Plans” Web Tool

Della Rucker interviews Chris Haller of Urban Interactive Studio

PlannersWeb columnist Della Rucker’s first video cast is a conversation with Chris Haller of Urban Interactive Studio about the new world of planning project web site development — and a look at his firm’s “Engaging Plans” web site tool.

Dealing with Commissioners Who Have Too Much to Say

by Elaine Cogan

Last month, we discussed how to handle planning commissioners who have little to say. This time, we are writing about the reverse … those who are overly assertive. By their very nature: loud, obstreperous, interruptive, sometimes rude, boisterous, or garrulous, these people are more likely to disrupt your meeting than the quiet ones we wrote of last month.

The Return of Downtown?

Did you see a recent article in Forbes Magazine, “Downtowns: What’s Behind America’s Most Surprising Real Estate Boom”? See related articles we’ve published and join us on LinkedIN to discuss: Are there barriers in your community to having more downtown housing? Are there programs to encourage it?

Bringing Commercial Uses Closer to Existing Residential Neighborhoods, Part II

by Wendy Grey, AICP

Commercial uses can best mesh with adjoining residential neighborhoods when they are have attractive streetscapes and are pedestrian-oriented.

As a follow up to her previous column on approaches to bringing commercial uses closer to residential neighborhoods, Wendy Grey outlines some basic development standards for neighborhood commercial zoning districts.