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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. -
Palo Alto, CA, Single-Family Individual Review Guidelines
2005This guide for property owners and developers presents illustrated design principles for new single-family homes and additions in established neighborhoods. -
Accessory Housing Is Part of the Solution
Breakthroughs, January 2004This short article summarizes a number of common regulatory barriers to affordable housing. These barriers include process requirements, design standards, occupancy standards, and lot size and parking standards. -
Building an ADU
Version 1.0, Summer 2017by: Dana Cuff, Jane BlumenfeldThis guide is designed to help property owners in Los Angeles navigate city requirements to design and build new accessory dwelling units (ADUs). -
Athens-Clarke County, GA, Complete Streets Policy
2022This complete streets policy establishes the need to design and construct roadway projects for all users in Athens-Clarke County, Georgia. -
Iowa City, IA, City Code
Updated July 17, 2018This regulation belongs to the Accessory Dwelling Units, Design Review, Environmentally Sensitive Areas, Food Trucks, Housing Supply Planning, Inclusionary Housing, and Transfer of Development Rights collections. -
Oro Valley, AZ, General Plan: Your Voice, Our Future
The Land Use, Community Design, and Open Space and Natural Resources Conservation elements of the town's general plan include solar-related goals and policies.Oro Valley, AZ -
Cornelius, OR, Municipal Code
Updated July 2019by: City of Cornelius, WAThe city's municipal code provides a solar design requirement for new single-family developments, solar balance point standards, and a solar access permit process. -
Solar Powering Your Community: A Guide for Local Governments
January 2011This guide is designed to help local government staff and officials design and implement a comprehensive strategy for growing the local solar market. -
Cities and Ageing
GCIF Policy Snapshot 2, September 2013This report considers the impact that rapid urbanization and aging will have on cities and introduces the Age Friendly City Policy, Planning & Design framework and its indicators. -
Planning for Children in New Vertical Communities
2017by: City of Toronto Planning DivisionThis guide is meant to ensure that the design plans of dense, multi-unit residential developments in Toronto, Canada are family-friendly. -
Green Building Economic Impact Study
September 2015This report outlines the direct and indirect economic impacts of the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification system and green building construction by state. -
Lighting Quality and Acoustic Quality in LEED-Certified Buildings Using Occupant Evaluation
Journal of Green Building, 6(2): 139-155, 2011by: Young LeeThis article includes a study on the relationship between Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification and lighting and acoustic quality in the workplace. -
Unintended Consequences: How the Use of LEED Can Inadvertently Fail to Benefit the Environment
Journal of Green Building, 1(4): 152-165by: Jeremy Bray, Natasha McCurryThis article discusses how some Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) projects fail to be as environmentally beneficial as intended. -
Improving the Link Between the LEED Green Building Label and a Building’s Energy-Related Environmental Metrics
Journal of Green Building, 3(2): 85-105, 2008by: G. Wedding, Douglas Crawford-BrownThis article offers several recommendations for improving the environmental benefits of the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification system. -
Regional Green Building Case Study Project: A post-occupancy study of LEED projects in Illinois
October 2009This case study analyzes the performance, costs, and benefits of several Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) projects according to several metrics. -
Northbrook, IL, Code of Ordinances
Updated August 2019The village's code of ordinances requires new public buildings, and provides incentives for private buildings to, receive Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification. -
A Local Government Guide to LEED for Neighborhood Development
April 2012This guide presents the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design-Neighborhood Development (LEED-ND) certification system as a resource for municipalities to achieve their sustainability goals. -
Technical Guidance Manual for Sustainable Neighborhoods
2013by: Meg Byerly, Jennie Nolon Blanchard, John NolonThis guide presents several avenues for municipalities to use the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design- Neighborhood Development (LEED-ND) certification to promote sustainable neighborhoods. -
Arlington County, VA, Green Building Density Bonus Incentive Policy
Adopted November 2014This standalone policy describes a voluntary green building incentive that allocates Floor Area Ratio (FAR) density bonuses relative to Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification levels. -
The Built Environment and Health: An Evidence Review
November 2013by: Russell Jones, Gregor YatesThis briefing paper considers the connections between the built environment and health to help guide the design of urban space in the UK. -
Oneida Nation, WI, Reservation Comprehensive Plan
Updated October 2008The Oneida Nation’s comprehensive plan incorporates strategies for improving health into its Health Care, Community Design, Parks and Recreation, Agriculture, and Environmental Protection goals and objectives. -
Louisville-Jefferson County, KY, Code of Ordinances
Updated July 2019The city-county’s codified ordinances create the Louisville/Jefferson County Metro Historic Landmarks and Preservation Districts Commission assigned with designation and design review responsibilities. -
Norfolk, VA, A Green Infrastructure Plan for Norfolk Building Resilient Communities
Adopted July 2018This functional plan assesses natural assets to design green infrastructure for community resilience and effective integration with gray infrastructure in Norfolk, Virginia. -
Driving Down Emissions: Transportation, Land Use, and Climate Change
October 2020This report evaluates the role of car-oriented land use and design on the nation’s transportation emissions and the impact on climate change. -
MarpleTownship, PA, Township Code
The township's subdivision code includes design considerations for mobile home parks encourages an east-west axis orientation offering southern exposure to their longest wall and roof area.Marple township, PA -
Reclaiming the Right of Way: A Toolkit for Creating and Implementing Parklets
2012by: Anastasia Loukaitou-Sideris, Madeline Brozen, Colleen CallahanThis report introduces the concept of parklets, presents case studies of municipal parklet programs, and provides design guidance for parklet projects. -
Guidebook for Creating a Municipal TDR program
1995This guide provides information to municipalities in Montgomery County, Maryland, to help them design and implement transfer of development rights programs.Montgomery County, PA -
Spotsylvania County, VA, Code of Ordinances
2017The county’s zoning code includes rural viewshed preservation as one of four design alternative optionss for development within planned residential rural district.Spotsylvania County, VA -
Santa Barbara, CA, Climate Action Plan
Adopted September 2012The city's climate action plan calls for solar energy system installations and adoption of a solar access ordinance and solar design guidelines.Santa Barbara, CA -
Differences Between Miami's Form-Based Code and Traditional Zoning Code in Integrating Planning Principles
Journal of the American Planning Association, 81(1): 46-66, 2015by: Ajay Garde, Cecilia Joung Un Kim, Oscar TsaiThis article evaluates the extent to which form-based codes adopted by the City of Miami have integrated important planning and design criteria. -
Bringing the Benefits of Solar Energy to Low-Income Consumers: A Guide for States and Municipalities
May 2017by: Bentham PaulosThis guide is designed to help states and local governments design and implement policies and programs to promote solar access for low-income consumers. -
Housing for Older Adults—Location, Location, Location
PlannersWeb, November 2013by: Jennifer Wallace-Brodeur, Stuart AndreasonThis article stresses the importance of coordinating housing and transportation, improving home design, and protecting affordability for building an age-friendly community. -
Chico, CA, 2030 General Plan
Adopted April 2011This comprehensive plan includes goals, policies, and actions to reduce nonrenewable energy resource consumption by supporting renewable energy technologies and passive solar design principles in new development. -
Urban Nature and Biodiversity for Cities
September 2021by: Jeffrey Smith, Anne Guerry, Eric LonsdorfThis briefing paper provides scientific reasoning for why it is important to incorporate urban design, along with how urban areas can do so. -
Kearny County, KS, Environmental Code
Updated September 2014This county code provides standards for the location, design, construction, maintenance, waste disposal and use of on-site wastewater systems in the county. -
Rhode Island Transfer of Development Rights Manual
2015This guide provides recommendations to state and local officials in Rhode Island to help them design and implement transfer of development rights programs. -
St. Paul, MN, Strategic Stormwater Solutions for Transit-Oriented Development
2013This plan presents a series of recommendations to guide policy, design, and public investments related to stormwater infrastructure along a new light-rail line. -
NCDOT Complete Streets Evaluation
July 2018This report evaluates the success of North Carolina Department of Transportation’s (NCDOT) Complete Streets Policy and Complete Streets Planning and Design Guidelines. -
Pennsylvania Land Choices: An Educational Guide
2009by: Estelle RuppertThis guide is intended to help planners, teachers, and other local leaders design and implement educational activities for students and citizens. -
Elmira Town, NY, Municipal Code
Updated October 2018by: Town of Elmira, NYThe town's zoning code establishes a number of design guidelines for siting and maintaining buildings and vegetation to maximize solar access for the use of solar energy systems. -
Irvine, CA, General Plan
The Energy Element of the city's general plan includes goals and a range of specific policies encouraging solar design and solar energy system use.Irvine, CA -
Extended Reality for Planning
PAS QuickNotes 98by: Jennifer MendezThis edition of PAS QuickNotes explores the ways in which planners can use extended reality (XR) for many different aspects of planning work, including visualizations with real-world context, community engagement with vulnerable populations, and planning scenario design.Nonmember price$10.00APA members & PAS subscribers$0.00 -
Los Angeles, CA, Municipal Code
Updated December 2021This regulation belongs to the Active Transportation, Affordable Housing Programs, Design Review, Grayfields Reuse and Redevelopment, Housing Supply Planning, Residential Infill, Solar Energy, and Urban Heat Resilience collections. -
Centerville, OH, Unified Development Ordinance
Updated February 2018by: City of CentervilleThe city's unified development ordinance addresses solar power plants and accessory solar energy systems, providing approval and design standards for both, but prohibits solar panels on landmarked buildings. -
Newark, NJ, Master Plan
The Business and Industry, Energy and Energy Distribution, Utilities and Infrastructure, and Urban Design elements of the city's master plan include solar-supportive actions and strategies.Newark, NJ -
In Praise of the Humble Sidewalk
Nine experts on why accessible sidewalks are the best infrastructure investment communities can make.by: Steve Wright April 27, 2022Nine experts on why accessible sidewalks are the best infrastructure investment communities can make. -
2022 Trend Report for Planners
by: Petra Hurtado, PhD, Sagar Shah, PhD, , Joseph DeAngelis, AICP, Alexsandra Gomez January 18, 2022The 2022 Trend Report for Planners features nearly 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. -
Retrofitting the Suburbs to Increase Walking: Evidence From a Land-Use–Travel Study
Urban Studies (48)1: 129-159, 2011by: Marlon Boarnet, Kenneth Joh, AICP, Walter SiembabThis article found that the urban design of a suburban community affects pedestrian use, and recommends measures to encourage both infill development and increased pedestrian use.