Planetizen Courses, Island Press Announce Media and Education Partnership

Planetizen Courses and Island Press, two of the foremost resources for planning education in the United States and the world, are announcing a collaborative partnership to build on the strengths of each in digital and print media. 

Los Angeles and Washington, D.C. – Planetizen Courses, the leader in online continued education for city planners, and Island Press, the nation’s leading publisher of the most prominent titles in planning and its intersecting disciplines, are announcing a new partnership to create and share educational content. The partnership will facilitate the consistent development of new educational content, such as courses and webinars, and new ways to access print and digital content across the platforms of both organizations.

The first formal collaboration of the new partnership will take place on July 21, 2022, with a webinar discussion of the book Arbitrary Lines: How Zoning Broke the American City and How to Fix It by Nolan Gray, published by Island Press in June 2022. Planetizen Editorial Director James Brasuell will join the author to discuss the book's assessment of the U.S. system of land use regulation and its recommendations for reforms to address pressing social and environmental issues. 

The partnership will also facilitate new opportunities for Island Press authors to create educational content for the Planetizen Courses site. Several Island Press authors are currently in pre-production on courses expected for publication on Planetizen Courses later this year, including David Dixon, FAICP, author of Suburban Remix: Creating the Next Generation of Urban Places.

Island Press authors are already frequent contributors to the Planetizen Courses library, including, for example, Angie Schmitt, author of Right of Way: Race, Class, and the Silent Epidemic of Pedestrian Deaths in America, Dan Parolek, author of Missing Middle Housing: Thinking Big and Building Small to Respond to Today’s Housing Crisis, and Mike Lydon, author of Tactical Urbanism: Short-Term Action for Long-Term Change. 

With their books, webinars, events, and Urban Resilience Project short-form content, Island Press elevates voices of change, shines a spotlight on crucial issues, and focuses attention on sustainable resources. With experts including Jan Gehl, Jeff Speck, and Peter Norton, Island Press content crosses disciplines and tackles the biggest challenges in urban sustainability.

Planetizen Courses are eligible for certification maintenance and continuing education programs for the American Institute of Certified Planners and the American Institute of Architects, respectively, positioning these authors to take a fundamental role in training novice and veteran planners and designers in critical skills and concepts in print, digital, and video media formats.

"Island Press books consistently lead the discussions and debates at the cutting edge of the planning profession, so their authors represent a tremendous resource of planning knowledge," says James Brasuell. "We hope this partnership will amplify their message and support the planning field as it evolves and adapts to a changing world."

“The built environment book list at Island Press grew and expanded with Planetizen, including a Planetizen book published by Island Press in 2007. Planetizen remains one of my favorite ways to keep up on what is trending and who is doing exciting work in the world of planning. Only good things can come from deepening our collaboration,” says Heather Boyer, vice president and executive editor of Island Press.

Through the partnership, Island Press and Planetizen Courses will also offer cross-promotional benefits to enable easy access to the essential tools for planning education offered by both organizations, including discounts offered for new releases and other special promotions. 

"Making educational resources in planning and its related disciplines easier to access is essential to the social, environmental, and economic outcomes at stake in the work of planning," says James Brasuell. "We have a responsibility to make these resources more accessible and appealing for planners and the general public."

About Planetizen Courses

Planetizen Courses are developed in collaboration with working professionals to help train more knowledgeable, skilled planners. Planetizen Courses was born in 2006, inspired by the foundational belief that well informed, well trained planners create extraordinary places.

About Island Press

Founded in 1984, Island Press works to stimulate, shape, and communicate the information that is essential for solving environmental problems. Today, with more than 1,000 titles in print and some 30 new releases each year, it is the nation’s leading publisher of books on environmental issues. Island Press is driving change by moving ideas from the printed page to public discourse and practice. Island Press’s emphasis is, and will continue to be, on transforming objective information into understanding and action. For more information and further updates be sure to visit www.islandpress.org.

Press Contacts:

James Brasuell 
Editorial Director 
Planetizen 
[email protected] 
877-260-7526 x 114

Jaime Jennings
Associate Director of Publicity
Island Press
[email protected]
202-964-5063