DURHAM Durham Planning Academy

The Durham Planning Academy started in 2016 with the goals of educating community members about the Department, helping residents participate in public hearings, and recruiting more diverse stakeholders to participate in the planning process. The program, sponsored by the City of Durham and Durham County, started as a fourweek session, where interested residents were selected after the completion of an application process.

Topics covered during the Planning Academy include: planning operations (how the department works and what each division does), comprehensive plan, planning history (AICP; participants are interested in Durham history), land-use law, special topics (transportation or affordable housing), regional transit agencies. The curriculum also aligns with special topics of interest, with an emphasis on planning history that is specific to neighborhoods.

The format of the program evolved from a half-day training open to about 200 individuals into a cohort model. Staff noted that the larger format did not help with building community connections nor did it support participants in long-term retention of information.

A key lesson learned from Durham’s City Planning Office is the importance of providing adequate staff and financial resources to ensure the sustainability of the program. Other jurisdictions’ programs were launched with funding from private foundations, while Durham’s program was primarily financed from the Department’s budget. While one staff member is assigned to the Planning Academy, representatives indicate that multiple staff need to be involved in developing the curriculum, serving as guest speakers, and facilitating breakout discussion, games, and other weekly assignments.