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Planning Academy

What is the Planning Academy?

The Planning Academy is an nine-class course designed to educate and engage residents, business and community leaders in the City’s planning process and how planning shapes our community.  The course objective is to assist participants in becoming more effective and informed advocates in future City of Sacramento planning efforts, and to encourage positive engagement in the planning process.

 

Sessions are designed to include discussion, presentations, Q&A, interactive group exercises, and field trips. Presenters/speakers include City staff, local architects and planning professionals, elected officials, and building industry leaders.  

 

Classes cover a broad spectrum of planning topics and issues, including:

• An overview of planning in Sacramento
• How development projects are reviewed
• The City’s 2030 General Plan
• The Planning Development Code Update
• Regional Planning and the Sustainable Communities Strategy
• Regional equity and affordable housing  
• Sustainable Communities: health, and livability
• Sustainable Design:  Resource efficiency and reducing our carbon footprint  
• Economic development:  Job and revenue creation

 

The Planning Academy will give students the tools needed to:

• Identify the regional benefits and impacts associated with smart growth development versus urban sprawl
• Identify elements of successful development projects
• Participate in future City of Sacramento planning efforts
• Educate other community members about effective engagement in the planning process

 

When is the Next Planning Academy Session?

The application period is closed, and the Spring 2013 Planning Academy is currently in session through May 21, 2013.

 

PowerPoint Presentations and Handouts

Course Syllabus

Class 1:  Planning 101, Part 1 - Overview of the Course

• Course Overview
• The General Plan

Saturday Bus Tour

• Bus Tour Map
• Bus Tour Points of Interest
• Community Plan Area Map
• Demographic Data by Community Plan Area - Source:  2010 U.S. Census (Made with ESRI Community Analyst)

Class 2: Planning 101, Part 2 - The Development Review Process

• The Development Review Process
• The Planning and Development Code Update

Class 3: Regional Planning & the Sustainable Communities Strategy

• The Blueprint Vision, SB375, and the Sustainable Communities Strategy
• A Private Sector Perspective on the Blueprint
• Public Transit in Sacramento

Class 4: Sustainable Communities: Health and Livability

• Bikeway Master Plan and Pedestrian Master Plan
• Land Use Planning- What’s Health Got to Do with It?
• Smart Growth, Livability, and the Public Realm

Class 5: Sustainable Design: Green Building

• Sustainable Design and Green Building
• Greening Existing Buildings

Class 6: Regional Equity and Affordable Housing

• Regional Equity and Affordable Housing
• Greening Affordable Housing

Class 7: Economic Development

• Local and Regional Economic Development Overview
• Clean Tech/Green Economy
• Small Businesses and the Creative Class

Saturday Central City and R Street Corridor Walking Tour

           Walking Tour Map

           Walking Tour Points of Interest

Class 8: Panel Discussion on Citizen Involvement

• Panel 1- Political Setting and Obstacles to Smart Growth
• Panel 2- The Importance of Positive Citizen Involvement

Class 9: Reducing our Collective Carbon Footprint

• Flood Risk and Flood Readiness in your Neighborhood
• Panel Discussion- How We Reduced our Household Carbon Footprint

Graduation –  City Council, May 21, 2013

 

For more information, contact:

Helen Selph, Associate Planner

(916) 808-7852; hselph@cityofsacramento.org

 

Planning Academy Archives

2009 APA Conference Presentation (PDF - 2.23 MB)

Fall 2008 Class Schedules and Materials

Fall 2008 Planning Academy Flyer (PDF - 374 KB)