Looking for education on this topic?
Check Out Our Passport Courses
Passport is your ticket to the training, experiences, and connections that will take you where you want to go in your planning career. Subscribe for unlimited access for one year to APA's extensive learning library of solution-oriented content facilitated by planners, for planners.
-
Connecting Destinations through Pedestrian-Oriented Design
by: Johamary Pena, AICP, Sagar Shah, PhD, AICPThis blog post provides an overview of pedestrian-oriented design as a planning approach to increase physical activity in small and rural communities through everyday destinations. It is part of the Everyday Destinations series. -
New Orleans, LA, Design Guidelines
June 2019These guides outline the design standards for historic buildings in New Orleans. -
Divided by Design
Transportation for America; July 2023This report details how low income communities and communities of color have historically and continue to be disproportionately affected by transportation design and implementation. -
Cleveland, OH, City Planning Design Review: Design Review Applicant Guide
2015The guide offers a process flowchart; appendices include the design review application form, a submittal checklist, and more.Cleveland, OH -
Beaverton, OR, Design Review Handbook
2005The guide provides an extensively illustrated set of design review concepts and examples and explains how the processes work.Beaverton, OR -
Farragut, TN, Ordinance 15-03: Farragut Architectural Design Standards
2015This document provides site design and building design guidelines for the town, specific subareas, and signs.Farragut, TN -
Naperville, IL, Building Design Guidelines
2007These design guidelines for citywide application to nonresidential and mixed use development were developed with public input.Naperville, IL -
Farmland Conservation: Reality or Wishful Thinking?
July 2013by: Serena UngerThis report offers 11 case studies of California counties and regions showcasing successful farmland conservation programs in the state. -
Chesapeake, VA, Design Guidelines Manual
2007This manual provides design guidelines for mixed use and infill development in several overlay districts within the city.Chesapeake, VA -
Olde Schaumburg Centre Design Guidelines
August 2005This design manual specifies that solar roof panels should be installed along rear rooflines to minimize visual impacts.Schaumburg, IL -
Inclusionary Housing Program Design Worksheet
n.d.This inclusionary housing program design worksheet walks users through five steps to designing an inclusionary housing program. -
Green Principles for Residential Design
August 2016This guide outlines the principles of the Whole Building Design Approach to create a Beyond Green home. -
San Luis Obispo, CA, Community Design Guidelines
2010The city's design guidelines address commercial and industrial projects, specific uses, downtown projects, and residential projects.San Luis Obispo, CA -
Montgomery County, MD, Germantown Urban Design Guidelines
These design guidelines written for the Germantown Employment Area Sector Plan emphasize sustainable building design principles, including solar orientation and use of solar panels.Montgomery County, MD -
Amherst, MA, Design Review Board Handbook
2009This guide offers a detailed application process checklist and provides illustrated design review principles and standards.Amherst town, MA -
Design Review Practices: Issues, Options, and Case Studies
2012by: Dyett & BhatiaThis report evaluates Santa Monica's current design review process and explores options for different design review procedures and best practices.Santa Monica, CA -
Westminster, CO, Regulations and Design Guidelines
2013, 2015The city has published multiple design guidelines addressing residential development, retail commercial, and mixed use.Westminster, CO -
Windermere, FL, Town Center Design Guidelines
2004These design guidelines were developed to implement a community vision plan for the downtown business district.Windermere, FL -
Design Review Reviewed Administrative versus Discretionary Methods
Journal of the American Planning Association, 65(1): 424-433, 2007by: Jack Nasar, Peg NoneThis article compared the outcomes of discretionary design review to administrative appearance controls. -
What Is and Is Not Biophilic Design?
by: Stephen KellertThis article gives an overview of the requirements of biophilic design in the built environment. -
San Juan Capistrano, CA, Design Guidelines
2003The city's architectural design guidelines focus on respecting the natural environment and characteristics of the site.San Juan Capistrano, CA -
Bellingham, WA, Multifamily Residential Design Guidelines
These design guidelines address optimizing solar access for multifamily residential development.Bellingham, WA -
Preparing Design Guidelines for a Historic District
by: Mark Williams, David CrassThis guide supports Georgia communities in drafting historic district design guidelines. -
Temecula, CA, City Wide Design Guidelines
2005The city's design guidelines apply to all new construction or remodeling of structures.Temecula, CA -
Design Standards for Pedestrian-Oriented Districts and Corridors
2008This model code offers design standards for pedestrian-oriented districts. -
Sacramento, CA, Historic District Plans Design Guidelines
April 2019This guide outlines design standards for historic districts in Sacramento, California. -
Saco, ME, Historic District Design Guidelines
2010by: Sara MartinThis guide discusses the local historic preservation ordinance and sets design standards for Saco, Maine. -
Burlington, VT, Design Review Guide: Outdoor Lighting
1999This guide describes design issues related to outdoor lighting for development projects. -
Health Issues Related to Community Design
Healthy Community Design Fact Sheet Series, March 2007This fact sheet lists and describes 11 health issues related to community design. -
14 Patterns of Biophilic Design
2016by: William Browning, Catherine Ryan, Joseph ClancyThis report defines the relationship between nature, the built environment, and humans in order to aid in adding biophilia into design applications. -
Scottsdale, AZ, Scenic Corridor Design Guidelines
Scottsdale Sensitive Design Program, February 2003This guide includes design guidelines for scenic corridors in Scottsdale, AZ.Scottsdale, AZ -
Louisville-Jefferson County, KY, Standard Design Guidelines
October 2014These guides set design standards for historic buildings in Louisville-Jefferson County. -
San Antonio, TX, Historic Design Guidelines
November 2012These guides lay out design standards for historic properties in San Antonio, Texas. -
Climate Adaptation, Mitigation, and Urban Design
Public Square, November 2021by: Robert SteutevilleThis article discusses urban planning and design as tools to address climate change. -
Plainfield, IL, Residential Infill Design Guidelines
2009This guide for property owners and developers presents illustrated design principles for residential infill development. -
Planners Manage Conflict Every Day: Here's How to Get Better at It
7 takeaways to help you anticipate challenges, use emotional intelligence, and problem-solve with critical thinking.by: Linda McIntyre, AICP October 12, 20237 takeaways to help you anticipate challenges, use emotional intelligence, and problem-solve with critical thinking. -
Data on Healthy Community Design
November 2015This fact sheet uses data to explain the benefits of healthy community design and shares how the CDC has created strategic partnerships to implement it nationally. -
Sandy, UT, Architectural Design Standards for Commercial, Office, Institutional and Industrial Developments
2004The city's architectural design standards provide design standards applicable to all nonresidential development projects.Sandy, UT -
The Emergence of Age-Friendly Thinking in Community Planning
Policy Profiles 21(1): 1-16, 2024This article explores age-friendly approaches to community planning to address the shifting demographic landscape toward populations 65 years or older. -
Ottawa, ON, Completed Planning and Design Guidelines
2006, 2009The city has developed a number of separate planning and design guidelines for various types of development within the city. -
Grand Forks, ND, Downtown Design Guidelines
n.d.These design guidelines for the city's downtown area are intended to preserve and enhance existing historic character.Grand Forks city, ND -
Route 5 & 20 Corridor Design Guidelines
November 2006by: Elizabeth Cheteny, Nishu SinhaThis guide identifies design guidelines for a scenic corridor overlay district along Route 5 and 20 in New York.Ontario County, NY -
Orange, CA, Infill Residential Design Guidelines
2013This guide for property owners and developers presents illustrated design objectives for context-sensitive residential infill development. -
Sustainable Construction: Green Building Design and Delivery
2013by: Charles KibertThis book outlines the history and science of green building while serving as a guide for their design and construction. -
Blacksburg, VA, Residential Infill Design Guidelines
2011This guide for property owners and developers presents illustrated design principles for small, medium, and large-site residential infill development. -
Newberg, OR, Design Star Program
2013The Design Star program is an annual program between the City of Newberg, Oregon, and local schools for youth to learn about GIS and create their own site plans. -
Long Beach, CA, Community Design Center Youth Engagement Projects
June 2024Long Beach Community Design Center is a nonprofit organization that provides design services and engagement tools for low-income and underserved communities to create their vision. -
NACTO Urban Bikeway Design Guide
2014This guide applies complete street principals to a variety of urban typologies. The NACTO Urban Bikeway Design Guide is drawn from the experience of its members, as well as best practices from around the world. -
Coordinating Capital Planning and Design-Based Standards
Zoning Practice — September 2020by: Michael Lauer, AICPThis edition of Zoning Practice explores the relationship between capital planning and land development regulations that focus on building and site design.List price$10.00ZP subscriber$0.00 -
Stillwater, MN, Design Manual For Commercial Historic District
1989, updated 2006This design manual offers guidelines that preserve the historic and pedestrian character of the city's downtown.Stillwater city, MN