Short Course on Local Planning – Washington State Department of Commerce
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    • Created in 1977, the Short Course provides basic information on planning in Washington through in-person trainings and webinars hosted by Commerce. Some of these trainings are mandatory for elected officials in our state, and the page includes everything elected officials need to complete these requirements. All courses are free and open to the public.

    The Short Course on Local Planning includes:

    • An overview of the complex mix of land use planning laws that work together to support land-use decision-making in Washington state.
    • An introduction to comprehensive planning and plan implementation under the Growth Management Act.
    • A review of the roles in planning and best practices for public participation.
    • Mandatory training on the Open Public Meetings Act and Public Records Act for local government officials.

    Attend a Short Course

    Regular Short Courses are held online, but we do provide in-person training at events or by the request of local cities and counties. Please contact us if you need a speaker for an event in Washington. If you can’t attend an event or an online course, we invite you to view the videos on this webpage. You can download a certificate of completion and call the short course coordinator if you have any questions about content.

    2025 Schedule

    In-person courses

    Commerce will host several in-person Short Courses this fall in collaboration with upcoming conferences. In-person courses at events typically do not require you to attend the event unless stated otherwise. All in-person courses are free and open to the public.

    Infrastructure Assistance Coordinating Council (IACC)
    • Date and time: October 7, 2025 from 6-8:30 p.m.
    • Location: Wenatchee Convention Center, Wenatchee
    • IACC Registration link
    American Planning Association: Washington Chapter
    • Date and time: October 8, 2025 from 6-8:30 p.m.
    • Location: Hotel Murano, Tacoma
    • No registration required

    Online courses

    To register for online courses, please use the link provided in the list of course dates on this webpage. Registrants will receive an emailed link to a Zoom meeting and a copy of the handouts. There is no cost to attend the Short Course.

    DateLocationTimeRegistration
    Thursday, November 13, 2025Online6:00 – 8:30 p.m.Register for the Nov. 13, 2025 Short Course (on Zoom)
    Wednesday, December 10, 2025Online1:00 – 3:30 p.m.Register for the Dec. 10, 2025 Short Course (on Zoom)

    Course materials and resources

    Course Materials

    Video Guide Materials

    Information for Elected and Appointed Officials

    Basic Short Course Videos (2015)

    Basic Short Course on Local Planning (Online 05/22/2025)

    Basic Short Course on Local Planning (Kirkland 05/23/2023)

    A Basic Short Course on Local Planning (Marysville 1/25/2012)

    Special Topic – Short Course Videos

    Tribal Planning

    Housing

    Infill Development for Small Cities – Recorded at Tumwater City Hall, 5/28/2014

    Sustainable Development – Recorded at Lacey City Hall, 11/12/2013

    • Sustainable Development 1: An introduction to the short course and the reasons planning for sustainable communities is important. 20 minutes
    • Sustainable Development 2: An overview of the development of the Sustainable Thurston regional plan including presentations from local government officials and other entities on implementing the plan. 74 minutes
    • Sustainable Development 3: Examples from two cities on their plans for sustainability. This segment features speakers from Mountlake Terrace and Redmond. 38 minutes

    Economic Development

    Urban Forestry – Recorded at Western Washington University, 11/28/2012

    Short Course Sponsors

    Planning Association of Washington

    Dedicated to planning education, PAW founded the Short Course in 1977. While Commerce took over in 1980, PAW has continued to provide direct financial support and volunteers since creating the course more than 40 years ago.

    Washington Cities Insurance Authority

    The WCIA started sponsoring the Short Course in 2009. Recognizing the benefits it had for cities by reducing liability in land use decision making, WCIA provides financial support annually to the program.

    American Planning Association – Washington Chapter

    APA Washington started sponsoring the Short Course in 2014. Seeking greater educational opportunities and planning support for Washington state, APA provides direct financial support and its members are frequent volunteers for the Short Course program.

    Association of Washington Cities – Risk Management Service Agency

    The RMSA portion of Association of Washington Cities started sponsoring the Short Course in 2015. Similar to WCIA, RMSA recognized the benefits Short Course training had for cities in reducing liability in land use decision making. RMSA contributes annually to the Short Course program.

    Page last updated:

    Growth Management

    Contact

    Andrew Ness, MPA
    Andrew.Ness@commerce.wa.gov
    Phone: 360-725-2923

    ShortCourse@commerce.wa.gov