The General Plan in California

Online

Does your community need to update its General Plan? Richard Walter and Joanna Jansen, who have prepared numerous  General Plans throughout the state, will share their insights on the best practices for general plan preparation. Learn how to scope and budget the project, hire consulting assistance as necessary and finish the project in an efficient and comprehensive manner. Topics include:

  • General plan law and requirements
  • Public involvement in general planning
  • Sustainability and environmental justice in the general plan  
  • Data collection, mapping and land use inventories
  • Preparing and evaluating alternatives
  • Integration of CEQA

Course Format and Pacing
This is an online remote learning course delivered through UC Davis CPE’s learning management system, Canvas, with supplemental live sessions hosted on Zoom. The course consists of approximately 6.5 hours of content, combining pre-recorded lectures with a mandatory live Zoom session led by the instructor(s).

Academic Units
0
CEUs
0.65
Section Number
261LAN104
Instruction Method
Online class

Association Credits

American Planning Assoc (AICP)
6.00 AICP hours

Section Notes

Access to your course in Canvas will be available 7 days before the course start date. Please note that course start and end dates, as well as live sessions (if applicable), are subject to change.

Enrollment Policies

Drop requests (withdraw with a refund) will be approved, less a $50 processing fee, if the request is received before the refund deadline. Click here to view complete enrollment policy information including details on withdrawals and transfers.  
 
Refund Deadline: 8/3/2026. Refunds and/or enrollment transfers will not be approved after this date.   
 
Students enrolling after the first day of class are expected to reach out to their instructor to make sure they receive all content and are on track with the course. 

Technical Requirements

To ensure your success in this course, please review our technical requirements page at online learning.

Section Course Materials

The General Plan in California

ISBN
978-1-938166-10-05
Optional
A detailed guide to preparing and updating a city or county General Plan in accordance with California law - with many ideas and tips relevant to comprehensive and regional planning across the US. Offers approaches to creating General Plans that are legally sound, technically rigorous, progressive, and reflective of the communities they serve. A practical, valuable reference for public sector planners, consultants, interested citizens, and students.
Author
David Rarly

Discounts

CAAA Member Discount

Current members of the Cal Aggie Alumni Association (CAAA) and other UC alumni associations receive 10% off the course fee of one course per quarter, not to exceed $100. If you don't have your discount code, contact CAAA at alumni@ucdavis.edu to request it.