Planner's Pocket Reference

Introduction
Why Plan/What's it All About?
Selected Online Reference Shelves
Speaking in Tongues - Online Glossaries and Acronyms
The Players
Training/Tutorials
Technical Tools
Land Use Toolbox
Planning Law Reference Shelf
Model Codes and Plans
Online Manuals/Handbooks
Recommended Resource Books
Planning Chronology

Introduction

Planning professionals address an array of community needs, including land use, transportation, parks and recreation, environmental resources, housing, commercial and industrial development, economic development, and infrastructure. As a result, planners must have at least a working understanding and ability to analyze a variety of subjects. They will encounter terminology and technical information from a variety of disciplines. Even planners that are highly specialized, such as transportation planners, must understand the interaction between transportation and land use, environment, economic, social, fiscal, legal, and other considerations. In some communities, especially small towns with small budgets, the person responsible for planning is not trained as a planner. Even a planner who is an exceptionally "quick study" will probably not have tools and knowledge to handle the variety of changing issues that planners encounter. Survival as a planner requires the ability to become quickly conversant on new issues and tools. That requires quick access to relevant reference materials and resources.

In an era of tight budgets, few planning offices can afford in-house libraries of all desirable reference materials. Time for on-the-job training is limited. Fortunately, there are a growing number of useful resources available on the Internet. This Web page locates and presents selected reference materials useful to professional and lay planners. It is intended to provide quick access to glossaries and government acronyms, online tutorials, legal reference material, useful technical tools and calculators (for area conversion, cost estimation and similar tasks) handbooks and models.

If you have information to share, or are aware of other sites we should link to, please contact Sue Enger, Planning Consultant, or call (206) 625-1300.

Why Plan/What's it All About? - Ammunition for Answering a Frequently Asked Question

Mindtools Bookstores - Why Should You Plan/The Planning Cycle (a concise explanation).
What is Planning? What Do Planners Do? American Planning Association.
Introduction (Basic Principles of City Planning), Frederick Law Olmsted, Jr.
Planning Is..., and Planning as a Career, Canadian Institute of Planners.
Comprehensive Plan (What is it?) Excerpted from Planning ABCs: An Overview of 26 Planning Topics, Lawrence Gerckens, Planning Commissioners Journal (scroll down to "Comprehensive Plan).

Selected Online Reference Shelves

About Planning - Internet clearinghouse for planning information.
USA.gov Reference Center - Links to information on U.S. laws, bills in Congress, regulations, statistical information, contacts, maps, governmental publications and other government databases).
USA.gov Resources for Local Government - Local government directories, links to useful local government statistics, organizations).
University of Maryland Library Online Reference Resources for Architecture, Landscape Architecture, and Urban Planning (an exceptionally useful collection).
National Transportation Library Information, Resources and Tools. U.S. Department of Transportation - Includes transportation directories, search engines, thesaurus, statistics, and pocket guide.
Washington State Government Information and Services (Access Washington).
City Planning Online, and Basic Research Resources for City and Regional Planning - University of California Berkeley Library - One of the most comprehensive listings of resource materials for planners).

Speaking in Tongues - Online Glossaries and Acronyms

Appendix A: Glossary of Terms and Phrases, from Beginner’s Guide to Land Use Law, Pace University School of Law, Land Use Center (At end of publication), Pace University School of Law.
Land Use Lingo: A Glossary of Planning and Zoning Terms, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.
City Design Glossary, City of Seattle, WA.
GovSpeak: A Guide to Government Acronyms & Abbreviations.
U.S. Census Bureau Decennial Management Division Glossary.
U.S. Census Bureau Abbreviations/Acronyms.
U.S. Census Bureau Current Population Survey (CPS) (definitions and explanations).
Abbreviations and Acronyms of the U.S. Government.
Puget Sound Regional Council Acronyms and Abbreviations.
Terms of the Environment, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (includes acronyms).
Ultimate Environment Glossary, EnviroEducation.com.
Northwest Salmon Recovery Acronyms.
Glossary from Governor's Salmon Recovery Office, State of Washington.
Acronyms, SEPA Online Handbook, Washington Department of Natural Resources.
Stormwater Manager's Resource Center Glossary.
FloodSmart.Gov Glossary – FEMA Flood Insurance Definitions.
USGS Water Washington Science Center Glossary.
GIS Terms, Ft. Collins, CO.
Bureau of Transportation Statistics Dictionary, and Transportation Acronym Guide, Bureau of Transportation Statistics, U.S. Department of Transportation.
The Language of Traffic, Steven J. Dush, AICP & Gregory P. Muhonen, The Commissioner, APA, Spring 2002 – A short list of commonly used acronyms and terminology.
Housing Glossaries.
Construction Terms - National Contractors Referral and License Bureau.
Glossary of Economic Terms – Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco.
Congressional Budget Office Glossary of Economic and Budgetary Terms.
Freddie Mac of Financial and Economic Terms.
Bloomberg Financial Glossary – A particularly comprehensive financial glossary.
A Glossary of Political Economic Terms – Dr. Paul M. Johnson, Auburn University Department of Political Science.
Campbell R. Harvey's Hypertextual Finance Glossary.
Find Law Search the Dictionary (definitions of legal terms).
Everybody's Nolo Legal Glossary (plain English but may also be less precise legal definition).
Links to Legal Dictionaries, and Glossary for Administrative Hearings, Washington State Office of Administrative Hearings.
Public Health Terms for Planners and Planning Terms for Public Health Professionals, APA Fact Sheet, American Planning Association.
Glossaries of Lighting Terms.

The Players

"A Quick Tour of the Planning Universe," Planner's Web - (The players in the planning process).

Training/Tutorials

Smart Growth Speaker Series (listen on your computer with real player), Smart Growth Online.
Land Use Training Program for Local Officials, New York Municipal Insurance Reciprocal - (although tailored for New York officials, provides a good general understanding of land use controls such as zoning, subdivision, variance, conditional (special) use.
GIS Online Tutorial Pages, Ft. Collins, CO.
Curriculum and Training Modules, Massachusetts Citizen Planner Training Collaborative.
Biodiversity and Conservation, Peter J. Bryant, University of California at Irvine.
American Planning Association Education Center – Online interactive training/workshops, self-directed study, and audio conferences on a variety of planning topics. Most are fee based and require registration, but there are some free offerings.
National Park Service Technical Preservation Services, Online Education – Historic preservation tutorials.
Using the U.S. Census Bureau Web Pages - A tutorial prepared by Baltimore County Office of Planning, December 2006.
How to Read a Flood Insurance Map Tutorial, FEMA, updated 2003.
Tutorial: Fundamentals of Remote Sensing Applications: Land Cover & Land Use, Natural Resources Canada.
Land Trust Alliance Toolbox of Techniques – Training – Training programs available to develop skills in conservation.

Technical Tools

AskNumbers.com Unit Conversions - Did you forget how many square feet in an acre? Check here for various area equivalents.
The Quality Portal Unity Calculators - Calibrates or Calculates units of measure.
Online Conversion - Convert just about anything to anything else - acres to square feet, metric conversion tables, temperature, energy, time zones around the world.
BEG's GIS Tools Online, Bureau of Economic Geology, University of Texas - Map scale calculator, length and area conversions.
Buildout Analysis, University of Vermont Center for Rural Studies (Free downloadable software and user manual - requires registration).
Technical Maps/Arial Views.
Planning Illustrated - Graphics, maps, understanding density.
Estimated Remodeling and Repair Costs, Freddie Mac.
RS Means – Quick Cost Calculator.
Zillow.com - Rough estimate of real estate value for specific properties that you enter.
Renewable Resource Data Center - Access to an extensive collection of renewable energy resource data, maps, and tools.
Sun Angle Calculator.
Climatic Design Resources.

Land Use Toolbox

Land Use and Planning Toolbox, Michigan Society of Planning Annual Conference, 2004 – Table recommends effective tools for addressing various land use problems.
Planning Tool Kit, Southeast Michigan Council of Governments, and Michigan Association of Planning, and Washtenaw County 2009 - Implementation tools, illustrated with case examples to address different land use objectives.
Florida Planning Toolbox, Florida Atlantic University Center for Urban and Environmental Solutions – Tools to address climate change, infill and redevelopment, fiscal analysis and financing, land use, housing and many other issues of the day.
Land Use Planning Tools, Smart Community Network – Specific tools and software designed to facilitate smart growth planning.
Quality Growth Toolkit, Georgia Department of Community Affairs.
Local Tools for Smart Growth, Practical Strategies and Techniques to Improve our Communities, National Association of Counties – Collection of implementation tools illustrated with case studies.
Tool Kit for Integrating Land Use and Transportation Decision-Making, Federal Highway Administration.
Community and Economic Development Toolbox, Community and Rural Economic Development Institute, Cornell University and Pennsylvania State University - Links to resources for using tools to address community issues.
New Jersey FIT – Future in Transportation Toolbox for integrating transportation and land use.
Community Planning Toolbox, Smart Growth Vermont.

Planning Law Reference Shelf

"Legal and Practical Objectives of Planning," Chapter 1, Planning Short Course, Department of Commerce/Planning Association of Washington (PAW) - Summary of planning-related statutes in Washington.
Revised Code of Washington/Washington Administrative Code.
Washington State Constitution.
Laws and Rules, Including WA GMA and Related Laws, Community Trade and Economic Development.
Washington Municipal and County Codes.
Legal Tools and Resources for Washington State - Washington State Supreme and Appellate Court Decisions, Growth Management Hearings Boards Decisions, and Legal Topics - MRSC webpage on legal topics of interest to Washington local governments.
Web Links - Environmental and Land Use Law Section, Washington State Bar Association - Federal and State Laws.
Legal Research on the Internet, Washington State Office of Administrative Hearings – Listing of legal research resources, especially related to administrative hearings.
Beginner’s Guide to Land Use Law, Land Use Law Center Pace University School of Law.
Federal Laws and Regulations, U.S Environmental Protection Agency (includes federal codes, federal register, major environmental laws).
Environmental Law Net - Comprehensive legal reference site including federal laws by subject, state and tribal law, federal and other agency documents, brownsfield redevelopment.
Thomas - The Library of Congress -- searchable, on-line legislation and issues before the current session of Congress.
Land Use Law Materials, Cornell Law School - Includes federal codes, regulations, and judicial decisions on land use, environment, energy and natural resources.

Model Codes and Plans

Smart Communities Network Land Use Codes, U.S Department of Energy, and Green Development Codes.
Model Plans and Ordinances collected by Daniel Mandelker, Washington University School of Law.
Land Development Regulations Codes, Smart Growth Online - Links to other great collections of codes including Maryland, Oregon, Montana and Envision Utah.
Model Codes to Protect Local Resources, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Model Ordinances for Aquatic Resource Protection, Stormwater Manager's Resource Center.
Making Your Plan Happen, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources - Plan Implementation Tools
New Jersey's Rehabilitation Subcode - award winning code for the building rehabilitation without imposing excessive costs.
Models and Guidelines for infill development, adequate public facilities, big box development and much more. Maryland Department of Planning.
"Model Code: Alternatives to Conventional Zoning," Georgia Department of Community Affairs - Includes land use guidance system based on the Hardin County model.
University of Massachusetts Example Bylaws Collection.
From Policy to Reality: Model Ordinances for Sustainable Development, Minnesota Planning and The Environmental Quality Board, St. Paul, MN, September 2000.
Model Codes for Colorado Communities, Colorado Office of Smart Growth - Model Land Use Codes and others.

Online Manuals/Handbooks

Growth Management Services – Publications List by Topics, Department of Commerce, 2007 (includes handbooks on critical areas regulation, urban growth areas, parks and recreation planning, economic development and other topics. Also includes fact sheets and About Growth newsletter articles.
New Hampshire Office of State Planning Online Handbooks and Technical Bulletins.
Innovative Land Use Planning Techniques: A Handbook for Sustainable Development, New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services, 2008.
Achieving Environmentally Sensitive Design Through Flexible and Innovative Regulations, The Maryland Office of Planning.
Online SEPA Handbook - Helpful inforamtion about the Washington State Environmental Policy Act.
Growth Center Planning Manual, Vermont Department of Housing and Community Affairs – Guidelines for development in compact villages and centers.
Land Use Planning Guides, Maine State Planning Office – Includes guides for comprehensive planning, scenic assessment inventories, low impact development, site plan review, and others.
Handbook on Integrating Land Use Considerations into Transportation Projects to Address Induced Growth, American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) March 2005.

Recommended Resource Books

PLANetizen Book List.
The Essential Planning Library Revisited, PAS Memo, March/April 2007, APA - Must be a member and log in to view.

Planning Chronology

Urban Transportation Planning in the U.S.
Pathways in American History: A Thematic Chronology, American Planning Association.