Project Management: An Essential in the Planning Toolkit

The development planner’s role has expanded beyond facilitating land entitlement. Project servicing, building approval ,and construction phases also require a planner’s assistance. Planners must consider more internal and external stakeholders, who frequently have competing interests. More legal agreements are required to secure commitments, and ensuring that commitments to climate action, sustainability, and livability are met requires consistent follow-up throughout and after construction.

Project management is not a traditional component of planning education, yet the nature of planning work requires these skills. Risks increase as projects become more complex. This presentation explores why project management is important and how it can be applied to development planning. Presenters demonstrate how project management skills can equip planners to facilitate complex, multi-faceted projects; create project maps highlighting progress and milestones; and mitigate risks.

NPC Peer Reviewers assigned this presentation a learning level of Intermediate. For more on learning-level descriptions, visit our General Information Page.