Applied Land Use Planning: Essentials Certificate
3 Courses
63 Hours
Online
Program Description
Building sustainable, inclusive, and resilient communities in today's world requires a comprehensive understanding of urban planning, land development, and municipal governance. With over 55% of the global population currently living in urban areas, and projections indicating that this figure will reach 68% by 2050 (UN, 2018), cities are under increasing pressure to balance growth, equity, and environmental stewardship.
The Applied Land Use Planning: Essentals Certificate program provides professionals with the essential skills and interdisciplinary knowledge necessary to plan, implement, and evaluate community development initiatives that align with legal, social, and environmental priorities.
Participants will delve into the essentials of land use planning, regulatory frameworks, and sustainable development strategies while gaining practical insights into policy design, stakeholder engagement, and municipal decision-making. As cities become major contributors to global carbon emissions, this program incorporates effective approaches to urban sustainability, including smart density, green infrastructure, and transit-oriented development.
Learners will also explore emerging trends in planning, both globally and within Canada. This includes climate resilience strategies to tackle rising urban climate risks, participatory and Indigenous community planning models that enhance inclusivity, and regenerative design practices that go beyond sustainability to actively restore ecological systems.
Designation Pathway
For regulated members (Candidate and RPP members) of the Alberta Professional Planners Institute (APPI), the learning acquired during completion of courses in this program is eligible to be self-logged as structured learning for the purposes of compliance with the Institute’s mandatory Continuous Professional Learning (CPL) Program.
Questions? Please contact our program team: alup@ualberta.ca
Who Will Benefit?
This certificate program is designed for individuals across sectors who face complex challenges in urban development, sustainability, and community engagement.
- 🗸 Urban Planners and Land Use Professionals who need to address growing demands for sustainable growth, inclusive design, and climate-adaptive infrastructure
- 🗸 Municipal and Government Officials requiring practical knowledge of planning frameworks, regulatory systems, and public consultation processes to guide community development
- 🗸 Community Development Practitioners facing the challenge of navigating diverse community needs while balancing legal, social, and environmental priorities
- 🗸 Environmental and Sustainability Officers who need to align urban development with climate targets, biodiversity protection, and environmental impact mitigation
- 🗸 Architects and Urban Designers who integrate planning perspectives to ensure that design solutions are responsive to policy, culture, and community context
- 🗸 Indigenous Leaders and Advocates seeking to learn about planning tools that respect Indigenous knowledge systems, support self-governance, and foster equitable land use
- 🗸 Non-Profit and Advocacy Professionals who are in need of a deeper understanding of urban planning systems to influence policy, support underserved populations, and drive social impact
- 🗸 Policy Analysts and Public Administrators searching for interdisciplinary insights into how planning decisions affect housing, transportation, and livability across jurisdictions
Join this program to build the skills you need to meet today’s planning challenges and create communities that thrive.
What You'll Learn
- 🗸Develop a strong foundation in planning, strategies, and evaluation to support effective decision-making and service delivery at the municipal level.
- 🗸Explore key legal principles, governance structures, and legislative requirements related to land use, budgeting, and privacy compliance.
- 🗸Design and implement citizen engagement strategies that foster transparency, trust, and meaningful community participation in policy development.
- 🗸Assess political, economic, and social factors that shape public policies and apply strategic approaches to address local government challenges.
- 🗸Strengthen leadership capabilities in fostering sustainable communities, building partnerships, and collaborating with stakeholders in governance processes.
What You'll Earn
- 🗸 Some certificates may also provide a pathway toward a diploma. Please refer to the program map to confirm eligibility.
- This program is comprised of three courses. Courses range from 28-39 hours each, for a total of 106 instructional hours.
- If you’re new to Applied Land Use Planning, it’s recommended to complete EXLUP 8215 Community Planning Process first, but courses can be completed in any order.
- It’s a flexible online experience, with courses offered asynchronously. More info about online delivery formats can be found here.
- It’s designed for part-time study and can generally be completed within one year.
- You have the flexibility to schedule courses around your availability. Most students complete 1-2 courses per semester.
- Grading is through assessments, which might include quizzes, exams, discussion forums, papers, and presentations.
- Course materials are shared in ConEd Canvas, the University of Alberta’s Learning Management System. Some courses may require additional resources, such as textbooks.
- Please note that continuing education classes are not eligible for student loans.
- If you're seeking financial assistance for these courses, please explore the scholarship, bursaries and funding opportunities specifically designated for continuing education students.
- Approximate cost of the full program: $2,700 CAD.
- Flexible payment options: register and pay for all courses at once or pay course-by-course as you go.
- Courses are GST-exempt.
- Some courses may require additional resources, such as textbooks.
- This program may be eligible to stack toward a diploma program. For more information, please contact alup@ualberta.ca.
- To learn about transferability from other institutions, see our Transfer Credit information.
- International Students are welcome to enroll and pay the same course fees as local students.
- Proficiency in English and a stable internet connection are needed to participate and succeed in our courses.
- Please note that non-credit programming does not qualify for a study permit, therefore, this program cannot be used for immigration to Canada. For more information, please contact University of Alberta International Student Services.
Additional Details
Application
Register for Individual Courses
Required Courses
3 Course(s)