Specific plans help communities guide growth, revitalize neighborhoods and create vibrant, well-designed places. This course explores how specific plans translate community vision into land use, design and development strategies.

You'll learn the fundamentals of preparing specific plans, with an emphasis on balancing planning, urban design and financial considerations. Through real-world examples, you'll examine how land use, design and market factors influence plan development, and learn how to scope a planning project, manage consultants, engage stakeholders and deliver projects on time and within budget.

By the end of the course, you'll understand how comprehensive planning, urban design and implementation strategies work together to create successful communities.

Learning Outcomes

• Explain the legal requirements governing specific plans in California
• Evaluate land use planning and urban design principles in plan development
• Analyze market studies to inform land use and development decisions
• Apply design guidelines and CEQA requirements during the planning process
• Interpret community input and incorporate stakeholder feedback into planning decisions
• Assess fiscal impacts and financing strategies for implementation
• Develop an implementation strategy for a specific planning project

Skills You Will Gain

• Specific plan preparation
• Project scoping and consultant management
• Market and fiscal analysis
• Plan implementation strategies
• CEQA compliance
• Stakeholder engagement
• Land use planning
• Urban design evaluation

Course Format and Pacing
This five-day online course includes one (1) mandatory, live, instructor-led Zoom session. Students will access the program through Canvas, UC Davis CPE’s learning management system. Active engagement and participation are essential to fully benefit from the course and achieve the best learning outcomes.