City of sacramento planning Academy

The City of Sacramento Planning Academy is a free, hybrid course designed to educate, engage, and empower Sacramento residents and business owners on current planning issues and City plans underway in Sacramento.  Participants have the opportunity to engage directly with staff leading a range of planning efforts, and can expect to learn about the City’s planning process and how planning shapes our community, with the opportunity to discuss Sacramento's future with a cohort of civic leaders. The course objective is to provide participants with knowledge, skills, and connections to encourage civic engagement in the planning process and to empower them to be more effective advocates in future City of Sacramento Planning efforts. 

Planning Academy prepares participants to:

• Understand the most pressing issues affecting residents of Sacramento, and how local planning efforts can be leveraged to affect change.
• Understand how plans developed today will shape Sacramento's future, including its physical, economic, and social landscapes.
• Effectively engage in and inform public planning processes.
• Build on the discussions and lessons learned in the Planning Academy to better serve the community, particularly to help other community members effectively engage in the planning process in meaningful ways and enact positive change.

Who is eligible to participate?

Planning Academy seeks applicants who are:

• City of Sacramento residents and/or City business owners, and/or individuals who work for a Community Based Organization (CBO) that serves the City of Sacramento community.
• At least 16 years of age
• Able to commit to all eleven weeks of the course, as well as approximately one hour of class preparation per week, which may include videos, podcasts, short articles, and document review to prepare for engaged discussion.

How are applicants evaluated?

Applicants will be evaluated based on the following criteria. Only completed applications that have followed the application guidelines will be reviewed:

1. Location of residence, business, or property ownership within the City of Sacramento limits.  We aim to form a diverse cohort of participants representing all areas of the City, with an emphasis on people who may be traditionally or historically underrepresented in the planning and development process.  Those from identified Environmental Justice communities are particularly encouraged to apply.

2. Level of involvement in community groups or organizations that benefit communities in the City of Sacramento.

3.  Demonstrated interest in applying what is learned in Planning Academy to engage in the planning process to support Sacramento neighborhoods and organizations, or otherwise improve the Sacramento community.

 The City of Sacramento receives many applications for a limited number of program slots.  Interested participants should ensure their availability for all session dates  before applying. The City of Sacramento will endeavor to provide childcare, interpretation services, and accommodations for disabilities upon request.  Request for these services will not impact a participant's application.

The 2023 Planning Academy course is complete. Applications for the 2024 Planning Academy will open in December 2023.  The course typically involves ten weekly evening sessions and two Saturday morning tours extending from March through May.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT

Laura Tuller, Associate Planner
ltuller@cityofsacramento.org
(916) 808-3546