Please join us at the APA New York Metro conference

The Professional Development Institute and the Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy are going to have a table at the American Planning Association New York Metro chapter's biennial conference. It will be September 25 at New York University in Manhattan, New York City.

Please stop by and say hello to Leo and Swena

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Housing Market Critical Indicators recording now available

If you missed our first Smart Conversation -- Housing Market Critical Indicators, with Deborah Brett, you can see the recording online here: http://tinyurl.com/mj4vgv

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New online series: Smart conversations about planning issues

The Professional Development Institute is launching a new online learning series: Smart Conversations. Every Smart Conversation will be an interactive interview with a leading practitioner or expert researcher on current topics in community development and social justice, economic development and real estate, planning law and legal issues, professional practice, smart growth and sustainable development, or urban design and placemaking.

Similar to a call-in radio program (but at a more sophisticated level), Smart Conversations will allow you to ask questions or offer comments on the subject.

Our first Smart Conversation is "Housing Market Critical Indicators: What Planners Should Know," with Deborah Brett, AICP. It's on September 3, from 4 to 5 pm. It's free. Learn more or register here.

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Featured course: New Jersey Planning Law

So much land use law has changed in New Jersey that even if you got your Professional Planning license more than five years ago, you could benefit from this course. Are you up to date on Council on Affordable Housing regulations? How about the state's Redevelopment Law?

New Jersey Planning Law, a Bloustein Online Continuing Education Program class starting in September, was designed to help learners prepare for the New Jersey Professional Planner examination. (New Jersey and Michigan both have licensing requirements for planners.) With updates to key land use laws, this class is a good refresher.

It's not just for planners. Anyone working on land use issues in New Jersey -- from community organizers to civil engineers -- can benefit from this class.

The instructor is Brent Barnes, AICP/PP, Director, Systems Planning and Research for the New Jersey Department of Transportation. A seasoned planner, Brent is also the editor of the first edition of The Complete Guide to Planning in New Jersey. The current version is a key text for the course.

Graduates of this course said they liked:

• "The interaction with the instructor and other students, all bringing a different perspective and application to the material."
• The "ease of completing on line"
• That "the syllabus gave me a framework to schedule my time and to read/process the material. Even though I couldn't spend as much time as I wanted to on the material, the flexibility of the class allowed me to get more out of it than I expected."
• "The online discussion with other class participants and information provided by the instructor, (which) were helpful."

The course runs from September 23 to October 29. The course fee is $245 until September 14, when it goes up to $270. Optional certificate fees, and the cost of the textbook are extra.

Learn more about or register for New Jersey Planning Law

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