Fundamentals of Plan Making

Urban and regional planning programs aspire to prepare practitioners to write and implement comprehensive plans. Yet, academic planning programs often place greater emphasis on theory than practice. To help address this gap, Fundamentals of Plan Making gives planning students an understanding of research and methods of analysis that apply to comprehensive planning. Its informative text and examples will help students develop familiarity with various data sources and acquire the knowledge and ability to conduct basic planning analyses such as population projections, housing needs assessments, development impact analyses, and land-use plans. Students will also learn how to implement the various citizen participation methods used by planners and develop an appreciation of the values and roles of practicing planners.In this revised second edition, Edward Jepson and Jerry Weitz bring their extensive experience as practicing planners and teaching faculty to give planning students the practical, hands-on tools they need to create and implement real plans and policies. With an entirely new census data set, expanded discussions of sustainability and other topics, as well as new online resources—including a companion website—the book is now more accessible and more informative, and its updated chapters on transportation, housing, environment, economic development, and other core planning elements also make it a handy reference for planning practitioners.

"Jepson's and Weitz' book is the only one providing planners with the basic, hands-on analytic tools needed for plan making." —Arthur C. Nelson, University of Arizona"The second edition of Fundamentals of Plan Making is a careful update of the go-to source for how and why to create an effective comprehensive plan. Ed Jepson and Jerry Weitz have added new data sources, tables, and illustrations. New sections on cost benefit analysis, sustainability, transportation options, and complete streets make the book especially timely for students and practitioners." —Tom Daniels, University of Pennsylvania"As an instructor I am always on the lookout for instructional texts that effectively apply methods and techniques to planning and plan making. Jepson and Weitz do just this by taking a comprehensive and practical approach to the skills needed in planning practice. I applaud this work and I’m very pleased to see the updates that have been incorporated throughout." —Tom Sanchez, Virginia Tech "Despite all the alternative theories about where planning might go or should go, developing and writing comprehensive plans remains at the core of the urban planning profession. Jepson and Weitz have done planning practitioners, students and scholars a considerable service: They have carefully distilled and articulated a broad range of key planning tools, methods, and resources. The result is a comprehensive, practical and up-to-date handbook that serves as a valuable one-stop guide." —Scott Campbell, University of Michigan, "Jepson and Weitz' book is the only one providing planners with the basic, hands-on analytic tools needed for plan making." —Arthur C. Nelson, University of Arizona"The second edition of Fundamentals of Plan Making is a careful update of the go-to source for how and why to create an effective comprehensive plan. Ed Jepson and Jerry Weitz have added new data sources, tables, and illustrations. New sections on cost benefit analysis, sustainability, transportation options, and complete streets make the book especially timely for students and practitioners." —Tom Daniels, University of Pennsylvania"As an instructor I am always on the lookout for instructional texts that effectively apply methods and techniques to planning and plan making. Jepson and Weitz do just this by taking a comprehensive and practical approach to the skills needed in planning practice. I applaud this work and I’m very pleased to see the updates that have been incorporated throughout." —Tom Sanchez, Virginia Tech "Despite all the alternative theories about where planning might go or should go, developing and writing comprehensive plans remains at the core of the urban planning profession. Jepson and Weitz have done planning practitioners, students, and scholars a considerable service: they have carefully distilled and articulated a broad range of key planning tools, methods, and resources. The result is a comprehensive, practical and up-to-date handbook that serves as a valuable one-stop guide." —Scott Campbell, University of Michigan

Edward J. Jepson, Jr. is a member of the American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP) and holds a Master of Regional Planning (MRP) degree from the Pennsylvania State University and a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degree in urban and regional planning from the University of Wisconsin, Madison. Over the past 30 years, he has worked as the executive director of two nonprofit development organizations, a community planning and development consultant, a planning professor at the University of Tennessee, and is currently teaching at several major universities in the U.S. His research and scholarly work have focused on planning for sustainability, and his teaching experience includes courses on planning methods, economic development, planning theory, urban studies, and environmental planning.Jerry Weitz is a Fellow of the American Institute of Certified Planners (FAICP) and holds a Ph.D. in urban studies, a Master of City Planning degree, and a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science and history. He has worked for city, county, regional, and state governments during his career, which spans 30 years. Since 2001, as president and principal of his own planning consulting firm, Jerry Weitz & Associates, Inc., he has prepared numerous local comprehensive plans and land-use regulations. From 2010 to 2015, he was associate professor and director of the urban and regional planning program at East Carolina University in Greenville, NC, where he taught land-use planning, land-use regulation, historic preservation planning, planning practice studio, and ecological landscape planning. From 2001 to 2014, Weitz was editor of the only member publication of the American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP), Practicing Planner.