UrbanPlan

ULI Idaho launched UrbanPlan in Idaho with the University of Idaho’s College of Art and Architecture in Spring 2020. Since then we have expanded the program significantly, offering full and half-day workshops to all industry types, public and elected officials, community leaders, and high school students.

“If we are to effectively address the challenge of our growing population, we must elevate the sophistication of local-level discourse. UrbanPlan provides tomorrow’s voters, neighbors, community leaders, public officials, and land-use professionals with the insights and language to become engaged, informed problem-solvers.”

Jim Belfiore

President, Belfiore Real Estate Consulting

What is UrbanPlan?

UrbanPlan is a realistic, engaging curriculum developed by the Fisher School of Economics, University of California, Berkeley. It provides participants with hands-on experience addressing the issues, trade-offs, and economics of land-use planning and urban redevelopment. Provided in various formats, UrbanPlan has been delivered to high school, undergraduate, and graduate students, and public officials and community leaders around the world.

Mission

To create a more sophisticated level of discourse among local stakeholders involved in land use decisions, so we can create better communities.

Impact

Through UrbanPlan, participants discover how the forces of our market economy clash and collaborate with the non-market forces of our representative democracy to create the built environment. People who complete the program understand that: 1. The built environment does not happen by accident or by mandate; 2. Good development must accommodate market realities as well as public needs and desires; and 3. Our actions as citizens and consumers influence what is built, when it is built, and where it is built.

Bring UrbanPlan to Your Neighborhood, Community or Classroom

UrbanPlan can be delivered in-person or virtually to high school, graduate, and undergraduate students, public officials, staff, and community leaders. Contact ULI Idaho to bring UrbanPlan to your neighborhood, classroom, or community.

UrbanPlan Workshops

Participants working on site plan

Photo By ULI Idaho
Participants working on site plan

Photo By ULI Idaho
Instructor

Photo By ULI Idaho

Volunteer as a Facilitator

Facilitators inspire students and create excitement about the development process. Your role as a Facilitator is to challenge students to think critically about the case study issues and their specific responsibilities on the development project team.

There are two facilitation sessions, each about 45-90 minutes in length. Facilitators meet with student groups after they have developed an initial site plan in response to an RFP from the fictitious City of Elmwood. And again once plans are revised following the first facilitation.

Effective Facilitators have:

Development project experience.
Patience to question rather than coach.
Time and willingness to learn the details of the project case.

Indicate your interest in becoming an UrbanPlan volunteer on Navigator.

Photo By Cushing Terrell

Volunteer as a City Council Member

City Council Members challenge students’ work as if in an actual City Council meeting. Your role as a City Council Member is to assess proposals and select a winning team for the contract.

The City Council Meeting marks the end of the UrbanPlan curriculum, and can range from two to four hours in length. The length of the meeting depends on the number of student groups participating and presenting. We expect our first session to last two hours.

Effective City Council Members have:

Development project experience.
Previously presented to, or have sat on, City Councils, Planning Commissions, etc.
Time and willingness to learn the details of the project case.

Indicate your interest in becoming an UrbanPlan volunteer on Navigator.

Photo By Cushing Terrell

Sponsor UrbanPlan

Sponsors are vital to the success and long-term impact of UrbanPlan. Each implementation of the program requires funds to train instructors and volunteers, market, coordinate, and implement the program.

Your support as a sponsor will allow ULI Idaho to expand our educational reach while maintaining our high level of programming for members and other impact initiatives.

We are looking for sponsors who want to:

Increase the level of sophistication in development and land use discussions.
Introduce future generations of leaders and citizens to real estate and land use professions.
Advance civic education as a means to create and sustain thriving communities.

What Idaho Participants Say About UrbanPlan

“For those who have not signed up for the AIC Fall Academy, you might want to reconsider. The training provided in this event is unique. It is a hands-on team role-play centered around downtown development with different interests competing for space. You must decide how to design the downtown to meet the current and future needs of this city. Through it all certain financial objectives must be met. This intense. Thought provoking, fun exercise is well worth the time and effort to attend. Sincerely, Randy Hibberd, Mayor. City of Weiser.”

“There is nothing else like it available. A hands-on experience for communities to learn to speak the same language, understand the other side of the coin, and come together to make neighborhood decisions is powerful.” – Participant.

“I really liked getting to hear feedback from the City Council members at the final presentation. Getting to hear their reasons for why they picked the winning proposal and what they found compelling about each presentation was very useful.” – Student

“It’s fun, educational, and productive in promoting planned growth.” – Volunteer

“UrbanPlan not only taught me about development decisions but also about how to present a compelling proposal.” – Student