{"id":10249,"date":"2025-03-05T14:23:26","date_gmt":"2025-03-05T19:23:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/montgomeryplanning.org\/blog-design\/?p=10249"},"modified":"2025-11-13T11:39:56","modified_gmt":"2025-11-13T16:39:56","slug":"want-to-help-create-a-thriving-county-check-out-the-community-planning-academy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/montgomeryplanning.org\/blog-design\/2025\/03\/want-to-help-create-a-thriving-county-check-out-the-community-planning-academy\/","title":{"rendered":"Want to help create a thriving county? Check out the Community Planning Academy"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"lead\"><em>By Bridget Broullire and Khalid Afzal<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Planning influences every part of life in Montgomery County\u2014from where we live, work and spend our leisure time to how we move and connect with our neighbors. Community voices are essential to that journey, but planning processes can often feel opaque or complex, even when residents are deeply invested in a proposed development or the recommendations of a neighborhood master plan.<\/p>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright wp-image-10314\" src=\"https:\/\/montgomeryplanning.org\/blog-design\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/community-planning-academy-1-300x292.jpg\" alt=\"Blue logo for Community Planning Academy, with a shield containing a graduation cap, trees, buildings, and a house. &quot;Montgomery Planning (M-NCPPC)&quot; is written below with stars on either side.\" width=\"350\" height=\"341\" srcset=\"https:\/\/montgomeryplanning.org\/blog-design\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/community-planning-academy-1-300x292.jpg 300w, https:\/\/montgomeryplanning.org\/blog-design\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/community-planning-academy-1.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 350px) 100vw, 350px\" \/>\n<p>Enter the <a href=\"https:\/\/montgomeryplanning.org\/montgomery-plannings-community-planning-academy\/\">Community Planning Academy<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Montgomery Planning believes every resident should be able to meaningfully and effectively contribute to decisions that affect them. It\u2019s why every plan and policy we draft goes through a comprehensive community engagement process, and it\u2019s why the Montgomery Planning Board and the Montgomery County Council offer multiple opportunities for the public to provide input. The academy is now another way for the community, subject matter experts and decision-makers to connect and share information. The free course aims to educate residents on the county\u2019s planning and development process so they can better advocate for their communities and themselves. Developed by Montgomery Planning in partnership with Montgomery County\u2019s departments of Transportation and Permitting Services and the Office of Racial Equity and Social Justice, the course is designed to make complex topics more accessible. Our goal is for residents to understand how the county grows and develops and know how to engage in the process. We believe the academy is a great community engagement tool that is enjoying success at M-NCPPC&#8217;s Prince George\u2019s Planning and other jurisdictions across Maryland.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div style=\"background-color: #f8f6f5; padding: 20px 20px 20px 20px; width: 100%; border-radius: 15px;\">\n<div style=\"float: left; padding: 0px 20px 5px 5px;\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-10303\" src=\"https:\/\/montgomeryplanning.org\/blog-design\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/grad-cap.png\" alt=\"Blue graduation cap icon with a tassel on the left side against a white background.\" width=\"80\" height=\"68\" \/><\/div>\n<div style=\"padding: 0px 0px 0px 80px;\">\n<h2 style=\"color: #2974d4; font-size: 2em; line-height: 2em;\">Community Planning Academy At-a-Glance<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>An online learning curriculum about the planning process in Montgomery County.<\/li>\n<li>The first cohort will take the course starting summer 2025 and help to refine the curriculum.<\/li>\n<li>The course will be mobile-friendly and offered in multiple languages.<\/li>\n<li>There will be in-person opportunities to meet with Montgomery Planning staff.<\/li>\n<li>The goal is to ensure as many people as possible have access to information and education about the planning process.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The experience consists of eight asynchronous online modules as well as in-person and virtual opportunities to meet with Planning staff. The program\u2019s soft launch is this summer with a first cohort of 50 people whose feedback will help refine the course ahead of a countywide launch later in the year. We\u2019re actively recruiting through various channels to authentically and effectively engage potential participants across the county.\u00a0Participants will finish with a deeper understanding of how local planning decisions shape their communities and how they can have a voice in the process.<\/p>\n<p>The course\u2019s current modules are:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Introduction to Planning<\/li>\n<li>Master Plans<\/li>\n<li>Zoning<\/li>\n<li>Development Review part I \u2013 Planning Board review and approval.<\/li>\n<li>Development Review part II \u2013 DPS review and permitting.<\/li>\n<li>Environment and climate change<\/li>\n<li>Participating in the planning process<\/li>\n<li>Putting It All Together<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>Each module will provide insights into how public and private forces influence development, including its short- and long-term impacts on communities, and connect community members with Montgomery Planning staff members and our work.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Ideally, the academy will foster greater resident participation by encouraging individuals to contribute their voices to the planning process. We hope to see that manifest in both increased participation from historically underserved communities in the planning process and through new and strengthened community leaders who can inspire others to join.<\/p>\n<p>For the first cohort, recruiting residents with limited experience with the planning process or with Montgomery Planning is a top priority. \u00a0The initial offering will be available in English, Spanish, and Mandarin. (Participants in this first class will receive a small monetary thank-you for their time and valuable feedback.)<\/p>\n<p>In fall 2025 and beyond, participants can voluntarily register through the instruction platform, Absorb Learning Management System (Absorb LMS), and complete the online course module on their own time and devices. Staff meetings, site visits, and other live encounters will be offered regularly every 1\u20132 months in virtual, in-person, or hybrid formats. LMS data analysis will reveal how participants engage with the course and provide ongoing opportunities for refinement to better meet participants\u2019 needs. We will also track the academy\u2019s success through metrics, such as increased community engagement, event attendance, and other indicators of participants\u2019 ongoing involvement with Planning.<\/p>\n<p>Those who complete all modules will be awarded certificates at an in-person graduation ceremony\u2014and we hope to see you there!<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_10315\" style=\"width: 810px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-10315\" class=\"wp-image-10315 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/montgomeryplanning.org\/blog-design\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/CGSP-eletter-Clark.jpg\" alt=\"A man in a suit gestures towards a large map on a display board, explaining to a group of six people in casual attire. The setting appears to be a community meeting or presentation in a room with tiled floors and overhead lights.\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" srcset=\"https:\/\/montgomeryplanning.org\/blog-design\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/CGSP-eletter-Clark.jpg 800w, https:\/\/montgomeryplanning.org\/blog-design\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/CGSP-eletter-Clark-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/montgomeryplanning.org\/blog-design\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/CGSP-eletter-Clark-768x576.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-10315\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Community engagement is an integral part of Montgomery Planning&#8217;s work. The Community Planning Academy adds another opportunity for planners and the members of the public to connect and share information as part of the planning process.<\/p><\/div>\n<hr \/>\n<div style=\"clear: right; width: 100%;\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft\" style=\"clear: left; padding: 15px;\" src=\"https:\/\/montgomeryplanning.org\/blog-design\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Bridget-Broullire-2.jpg\" alt=\"Bridget Broullire\" width=\"220\" \/><strong>About the authors<\/strong><br \/>\nBridget Broullire is Montgomery Planning\u2019s Deputy Director of Administration overseeing the department\u2019s Communications, Management Services, Information Technology &amp; Innovation, and Research and Strategic Projects divisions. She had been the department\u2019s Communications Division Chief since 2020, guiding the strategic communications approach for more than 25 master plans and numerous projects and policies. Broullire started at Montgomery Planning as the Communications Manager in 2013. Throughout her tenure, she has served as an advisor and communicator for the Planning Director\u2019s Office and the Montgomery County Planning Board, with a focus on equitable engagement and community inclusion in the planning process.<\/div>\n<div style=\"clear: left; width: 100%;\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft\" style=\"clear: left; padding: 15px;\" src=\"https:\/\/montgomeryplanning.org\/blog-design\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/khalid.jpg\" alt=\"Khalid Afzal\" width=\"220\" height=\"500\" \/><br \/>\nKhalid Afzal is a Special Projects Coordinator in the Director\u2019s Office. He has been with the Montgomery County Planning Department for more than 25 years working as a supervisor for the development review as well as master plan teams. Most recently he was the co-project manager for Thrive Montgomery 2050, the updated General Plan for Montgomery County which sets a 30-year vision for the county and provide guidance for land use, zoning, housing, the economy, equity, transportation, parks, the environment, and historic resources.<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p class=\"lead\"><em>By Bridget Broullire and Khalid Afzal<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Planning influences every part of life in Montgomery County\u2014from where we live, work and spend our leisure time to how we move and connect with our neighbors. Community voices are essential to that journey, but planning processes can often feel opaque or complex, even when residents are deeply invested in a proposed development or the recommendations of a neighborhood master plan.<\/p>\n<p>Enter the Community Planning Academy.<\/p>\n<p>Montgomery Planning believes every resident should be able to meaningfully and effectively contribute to decisions that affect them. It\u2019s why every plan and policy we draft goes through a comprehensive community engagement process, and it\u2019s why the Montgomery Planning Board and the Montgomery County Council offer multiple &#8230; <a href=\"https:\/\/montgomeryplanning.org\/blog-design\/2025\/03\/want-to-help-create-a-thriving-county-check-out-the-community-planning-academy\/\" class=\"read-more\">Continue reading<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[720,721],"class_list":["post-10249","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-planning","tag-community-planning-academy","tag-planning-academy"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/montgomeryplanning.org\/blog-design\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10249","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/montgomeryplanning.org\/blog-design\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/montgomeryplanning.org\/blog-design\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/montgomeryplanning.org\/blog-design\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/montgomeryplanning.org\/blog-design\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10249"}],"version-history":[{"count":30,"href":"https:\/\/montgomeryplanning.org\/blog-design\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10249\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10773,"href":"https:\/\/montgomeryplanning.org\/blog-design\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10249\/revisions\/10773"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/montgomeryplanning.org\/blog-design\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10249"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/montgomeryplanning.org\/blog-design\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10249"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/montgomeryplanning.org\/blog-design\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10249"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}