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Highest Rated Tools, Regulations, and Statutes

Want to know which tools are being found most useful and effective? The Planners Toolkit keeps track of user ratings for so that you can find the tools that others are finding most useful. Are some tools not meeting expectations? You can help make all the tools useful and relevant by continuing to provide feedback and by providing you ideas, case studies, templates, and resources.
  • General Plan
    Jan 20, 2011
    Statute/Regulation
    0.1
    California State law requires each city and county to adopt a general plan “for the physical development of a county or city, and any land outside its boundaries which bears relation to its planning” (§65300). The California Supreme Court has called the general plan the “constitution for future...
  • SB 244- Planning for Unincorporated Disadvantaged Communities
    Mar 2, 2012
    Statute/Regulation
    0.1
    SB 244 (Wolk, 2011) requires cities and counties to address the infrastructure needs of unincorporated disadvantaged communities in city and county general plans and LAFCo Municipal Service Reviews (MSRs) and annexation decisions.  SB 244 defines an unincorporated disadvantaged community as a...
  • Market Feasibility Analysis
    Dec 30, 2010
    Tool
    0.05
    A Market Feasibility Analysis determines the likelihood that a proposed land use or development will fulfill the objectives of a particular investor or community. For example, a feasibility study for a proposed housing subdivision should:
  • GIS Mapping/Modeling Techniques
    Dec 30, 2010
    Tool
    0.05
    Geographic Information Systems (GIS) has revolutionized the world of mapping. GIS allows us to link endless amounts of information to a specific geographic location and helps us answer questions and solve problems by looking at data in a way that is quickly understood and easily shared.  GIS...
  • Scenario Planning
    Dec 30, 2010
    Tool
    0.05
    OVERVIEW
  • GIS Mapping Data Sources
    Apr 16, 2012
    Tool
    0.05
    GIS is a critical tool for planners; however, access to detailed, up-to-date data layers can be difficult to find.  GIS can be used to understand community landscapes in many different planning functions and in a variety of applications.  In order to create informative maps and conduct...
  • Agricultural Mitigation
    Jul 10, 2012
    Tool
    0.05
    Agricultural mitigation policies have successfully been adopted throughout California. They generally require protecting farmland in an amount equal to the agricultural land converted to other uses – either through the purchase of permanent conservation easements or the payment of an in-lieu fee....
  • Broadband for Sustainable Communities
    Jul 10, 2012
    Tool
    0.05
    Broadband or high-speed Internet access allows users to access the Internet and Internet-related services at significantly higher speeds than those available through “dial-up” Internet access services. Broadband has proven to be a foundation for economic growth, job creation, global competitiveness...
  • Sustainability Planning
    Dec 28, 2010
    Tool
    0
    Sustainability means meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs . The three, interrelated pillars of sustainable development are the environment, social equity, and economic development. To be sustainable is to balance the aims of...
  • Safe Routes to School
    Dec 28, 2010
    Tool
    0
    Thirty years ago 60 percent of children living within a two-mile radius of a school walked or bicycled to school.  Today that number has dropped to less than 15 percent.  Roughly 25 percent commute by school bus, and well over half are driven to or from school in vehicles.  Thirty...
  • Pedestrian and Bicycle Friendly Design
    Dec 28, 2010
    Tool
    0
    The planning and design of pedestrian/bicycle friendly routes focuses on safety.  The practice of requiring pedestrian / bicycle friendly design that is on an equal footing with vehicle transportation planning provides better opportunities to consider safety, improve accessibility, and support...
  • Inclusionary Housing
    Dec 28, 2010
    Tool
    0
    Inclusionary housing is a local policy requiring that market-rate residential developments include  a certain amount of affordable housing. While some inclusionary housing policies are mandatory and others voluntary, the goal of all inclusionary housing programs is to establish a relatively...
  • Housing Trust Fund
    Dec 28, 2010
    Tool
    0
    Housing trust funds are established by city, county, or state governments to financially support the preservation and production of affordable housing, and to increase opportunities for low-income families and individuals to access decent homes.  Local housing trust funds are established by...
  • Community Land Trust
    Dec 28, 2010
    Tool
    0
    A community land trust (CLT) is a private non-profit community organization that safeguards land in order to provide affordable housing opportunities. CLTs acquire properties through market purchase and/or land donations. The land trust retains the title to the land while selling homes on it at...
  • Energy Efficiency
    Dec 28, 2010
    Tool
    0
    Energy efficiency is using less energy to provide the same level of energy service. Efficient energy use is achieved primarily by means of a more efficient technology or processes rather than by changes in individual behavior.  The state of California began implementing energy-efficiency...