PHILADELPHIA Citizens Planning Institute

The City of Philadelphia has perhaps the most renowned community planning academy in the United States. Philadelphia’s Citizens Planning Institute was established in 2010 as a critical community engagement activity for the city’s General Plan update. The program was initially funded with support from the William Penn Foundation.

The Citizens Planning Institute launched after a nine-month research and development process as a three-class workshop in partnership with the local community college. Planning staff envisioned the program as a platform to develop advocates of policies that advanced the updated General Plan and to train residents on how to create change in their communities.

Today, however, the Citizens Planning Institute is a bi-annual, eight-week program that serves as the education and outreach arm of the Philadelphia City Planning Commission. The program provides government staff an opportunity to assist resident-led organizations with increasing capacity and build crossregional partnerships with civic associations, other government agencies, and elected officials. Program participants are required to enroll in core classes such as Introduction to City Planning, Zoning, and Real Estate Development. The program incorporates special topics based on participant feedback, Planning Commission priorities, and other agencies’ input. In Spring 2021, the special topics included Climate Resilience, Cooperative

Businesses, and Navigating City Government.

More than 600 Philadelphians have completed the program from across the city since its inception. To ensure geographic, ethnic, and income diversity, the city coordinates a robust application and recruitment process. Program staff work with planning staff to identify key community stakeholders. Prospective applicants are asked about their volunteerism and how they plan to use the knowledge they have gained through the program. Courses are generally two hours long when meeting in person and one hour when meeting virtually during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Staff facilitating the Citizens Planning Institute use a variety of methods including lectures, presentations, surveys, evaluations, small- group activities, roundtable discussions, and experiential learning as a final project.

Representatives from other city agencies, including the Department of Transportation, Office of Emergency Management, and the Mayor’s Office conduct guest lectures. Upon the cohort’s conclusion, the city hosts a large reception and invites program alumni to serve as guest lecturers.

Representatives from Philadelphia’s Citizens Planning Institute encouraged Prince George’s County to focus on building relationships and trust with community members. Additionally, they emphasized that the program can be used to bring people together from diverse backgrounds and to form stronger relationships between residents and city government.