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San Gabriel, CA, Municipal Code
Updated December 2017The city's building regulations provide installation standards for solar energy collectors, and the zoning regulations support passive solar design opportunities.San Gabriel, CA -
West Brandywine Township, PA, Municipal Code Outdoor Lighting
Updated February 1, 2018The township addresses outdoor lighting in the development design standards article of its subdivision and land development ordinance. -
Cottage Grove, MN, City Code
Updated February 2022by: City of Cottage Grove, MNThe city's code permits accessory solar energy systems in all districts, promotes solar access design, and incentivizes solar site planning. -
Lancaster, CA, General Plan 2030
Updated October 2013The city's comprehensive plan includes several policies and action statements that encourage solar site design and solar energy system use. -
California Building Code
California Building Code, 2016by: State of CaliforniaThis statute by the State of California, establishes building construction and design regulations for developments in the WUI areas.California -
Reno, NV, Master Plan
The city's master plan includes objectives, recommendations, and actions promoting solar energy development and solar orientation and design.Reno, NV -
West Chester, PA, Municipal Code
The borough's subdivision and land development ordinance includes design standards that require solar orientation for lots, streets, and facilities.West Chester, PA -
Ventura, CA, 2005 General Plan
Adopted August 2005The Natural Resources and Planning and Design chapters of this general plan include policies and action items that address solar.San Buenaventura (Ventura), CA -
Philadelphia, PA, Code of Ordinances
Updated October 2021This regulation belongs to the Affordable Housing Programs, Design Review, Housing Supply Planning, Solar Energy, and Urban Agriculture collections. -
5 Practical Zoning Hacks for Missing Middle Housing
These thoughtful tweaks can help promote housing diversity and density in communities of all sizes.by: Kati Woock March 21, 2022These thoughtful tweaks can help promote housing diversity and density in communities of all sizes. -
The Leap to Zero Carbon and Zero Emissions: Understanding How to Go Beyond Existing Sustainable Design Protocols
Journal of Green Building, 3(4): 64-77, 2008by: Terri BoakeThis article explores how carbon neutral standards can be incorporated into green building certification systems. -
Land Use Planning for Public Health: The Role of Local Boards of Health in Community Design and Development
2006by: Atlanta Regional Health Forum, Atlanta Regional CommissionThis guide outlines the role of local boards of health in the land use planning process. -
Assessing the Economic Benefits and Resilience of Complete Streets in Orlando, FL: A Natural Experimental Design Approach
Journal of Transport & Health, 8: 169–178, 2018by: Chia-Yuan Yu, Minjie Xu, Samuel TowneThis article presents the results of a study of the effects of complete streets on single-family property values. -
Orange, CT, Municipal Code
The town's subdivision regulations require solar lot design and address solar access considerations in street tree plantings.Orange town, CT -
Park City, UT, General Plan
The city's general plan includes Community Planning and Greenhouse Gas Reduction strategies that encourage solar design and solar energy development.Park City, UT -
Rancho Palos Verdes, CA, Municipal Code
The city's codes allow for renewable energy system installations and require solar-accommodating design for new construction.Rancho Palos Verdes, CA -
2023 Trend Report for Planners
by: Petra Hurtado, PhD, Sagar Shah, PhD, AICP, Joseph DeAngelis, AICP, Alexsandra Gomez January 24, 2023The 2023 Trend Report for Planners features more than 100 existing, emerging, and potential future trends that APA identified as relevant to planning. The trends are structured within three timeframes (Act Now, Prepare, Learn and Watch), which indicate the urgency of planners’ action. -
Red Wing, MN, Zoning Ordinance
2017The city's zoning code addresses design review regulations for commercial, office, industrial, and warehouse buildings in business, industrial, and mixed use districts.Red Wing, MN -
Planning for Equitable Development: Social Equity by Design
PAS Memo — March-April 2017by: Carlton EleyThe March/April 2017 issue of PAS Memo highlights the importance of equitable development in creating strong and sustainable communities for all and provides principles and guidance to help planners implement social equity in their communities.List Price$10.00APA members & PAS subscribers$0.00 -
How Planning for Birds Makes Our Communities and Economies Healthier
A new book from biophilic design advocate and sustainability expert Tim Beatley takes a global tour of cities reinventing the status quo to support birdlife.by: Lindsay Nieman July 15, 2021A new book from biophilic design advocate and sustainability expert Tim Beatley takes a global tour of cities reinventing the status quo to support birdlife. -
Hawaii Pedestrian Toolbox
May 2013This guide is a stand-alone companion to Hawaii’s Statewide Pedestrian Master Plan. It offers design, operations, and education guidance, in the context of planning for Hawaii. -
The Baltimore Planning Academy: Community Empowerment Through Civic Education
PAS Memo 112by: Elina BravveThis PAS Memo explains the vision and goals of the Baltimore Planning Academy, its structure and design, and its impacts thus far, and offers guidance for planners seeking to create similar civic education and empowerment programs in their communities.Nonmembers$10.00APA members & PAS subscribers$0.00 -
Franklin, TN, Code of Ordinances
Updated March 2019The city’s zoning code mandates universal design standards for affordable, workforce, or moderately priced housing that receives financial assistance from the city. -
Old Saybrook, CT, Zoning Regulations
Updated March 2019The town’s zoning code establishes standards for sidewalks along public roads that facilitate alternatives to driving and sets design standards that signal pedestrian areas. -
Two Houses in One For a Home Within a Home
AARP Livable Communities, October 2016by: Melissa StantonThis article profiles an award-winning design for a multigenerational home, which includes an integrated accessory dwelling unit with a kitchenette. -
Complete Streets Toolkit
March 2015This guide is designed to help cities and counties in metropolitan Chicago apply complete streets principles to planning, design, and construction processes and documents. -
Baltimore, MD, Complete Streets
March 2021This guide is for Baltimore, Maryland, residents, municipal staff, design professionals, private developers, community groups, and stakeholders to reference when implementing complete streets. -
Glassboro, NJ, Municipal Code
Updated May 2019This municipal code provides standards for accessory solar energy systems and encourages solar design in the Traditional Neighborhood Development overlay district. -
Virginia Beach, VA, Oceanfront Resort District Form-Based Code
This form-based code allows accessory solar panels to exceed setback and height requirements and includes design guidelines that address solar access.Virginia Beach, VA -
Superior, CO, Municipal Code
The town's green building program offers up to 12 points for various active and passive solar design and energy system installations.Superior, CO -
Wellington, KS, Code of Ordinances
The city's subdivision code includes design standards that encourage solar orientation and solar energy use, and it provides for the establishment of solar skyspace easements.Wellington, KS -
The Arsenal of Exclusion
April 2012This audio summarizes some of the design elements that have been utilized in cities to keep people separate, and discusses their role in preventing integrated and equitable cities. -
Comprehensive Plan Review Checklists
2007by: Design for HealthThis guide and model policy tool from the University of Minnesota's Design for Health project includes a checklist and audit tool designed for communities to evaluate comprehensive plans. -
Livable Communities: Model Comprehensive Plan Objectives and Policies
2007by: Pinellas County Planning DeptThis guide and model policy document from the Pinellas County Metropolitan Planning Organization in Florida presents the four principles for creating livable communities: Density, Diversity, Design, and Destinations. -
Stormwater Case Studies By State
2019This case study contains design specifications, cost and job analyses, and performance measures for over 500 green infrastructure projects from 44 states and Canada. -
Massachusetts Smart Parking Model Bylaw
2007This model bylaw provides a template to help municipalities in Massachusetts draft parking area design standards that use low-impact development (LID) tactics. -
Taking Action on Complete Streets: Implementing Processes for Safe, Multimodal Streets
July 2013by: Barbara McCann, Stefanie SeskinThis guide is designed to help planners, engineers, and public officials reform transportation planning and design processes to embrace a complete streets approach. -
4 Tools to Empower Data-driven Planning for Climate and Transportation Equity
Planners can take advantage of the national focus on infrastructure investments to enhance mobility and climate resilience for underserved communities.by: Kelly Dunn, David Wasserman, AICPPlanners can take advantage of the national focus on infrastructure investments to enhance mobility and climate resilience for underserved communities. -
Glendale, CA, Municipal Code
2016The city's municipal code establishes an urban art fund that encourages creative placemaking, establishes a design review process, addresses wireless telecommunications facilities in the public right-of-way. -
Northville, MI, Outdoor Dining Platform Requirements and Guidelines
Adopted by the Northville City Council on April 19, 2010This standalone policy establishes design and operational requirements for the temporary conversion of on-street parking spaces to outdoor dining areas.Northville, MI -
Pima County, AZ, Pima Prospers: Comprehensive Plan Initiative
Adopted 2017The county’s comprehensive plan includes a Housing and Community Design section that addresses the need to “create livable, viable, multi-generational communities.” -
Biophilic Cities Are Sustainable, Resilient Cities
Sustainability,5(8),3328-3345,2013by: Timothy Beatley, Peter NewmanThis article argues that biophilic design needs to be utilized on an urban scale to create biophilic cities, which are sustainable and resilient. -
CityLab University
October 2019by: Benjamin SchneiderThis web page contains five articles in a special report collection by CityLab, covering important concepts in city design and urban planning. -
Model Conservation Subdivision Ordinance
2012This model ordinance provides a template for cities and counties in Georgia draft conservation subdivision design regulations to protect sensitive natural resources. -
Equitable Development Guidelines
March 2018by: Jocelyn Drummond, Victoria Lawson, Elizabeth DeWolfThis guide aims to make equitable development the industry standard by sharing strategies for the planning process, employment and procurement, designed space, housing, and design standards. -
Manifesto for an Intercultural Urbanism
Planetizen, July 17, 2014by: Dean SaittaThis blog post defines intercultural urbanism and shares how it can help address the lack of diversity in urban planning and design. -
LEED-ND Planners Guide & Model Ordinance
March 2011This model ordinance provides a template to help cities and counties promote Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design-Neighborhood Development (LEED-ND) certification standards. -
Model Municipal Green Building Ordinance
October 2010by: Marne Sussman, Jason JamesThis model ordinance provides a template to help cities utilize several Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification categories and the Energy Star Rating System. -
Bar Harbor, ME, Municipal Code
Updated August 2019The city’s municipal code provides an additional dwelling unit for planned unit developments (PUD’s) that are Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certified. -
"Go Big and Go Green"
April 2014This audio discusses the United States Green Buidling Council’s efforts to promote green building’s benefits and successes through the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification system.