About

The Academy

The Academy provides an opportunity for Prince Georgians to learn the planning framework for the County, engage in the planning and development review process, and delve into specialized planning topics that affect the sustainability and livelihood of their communities.

The Neighborhood Planning Academy launched in Fall 2023. The academy sessions are held during the evenings for seven successive Wednesdays. The first six sessions are virtual, and the final session is held in person for participant presentations and a graduation celebration. The topics of the sessions include the history of Prince George’s County, introduction of urban planning, introduction to the development review process, health and sustainability planning, and transportation planning.

History of the Academy

2020

In December 2020, the Prince George’s County Planning Department developed an exploratory team to research and design a Neighborhood Planning Academy for Prince George’s County.

2021

From February to April 2021, the exploratory team conducted in-depth research pertaining to existing stakeholder knowledge about urban planning and local government and comprehensively reviewed the Department’s civic educational activities. This included seven interviews of peer jurisdictions, analyzing 670 survey responses from County residents and stakeholders, and conducting more than 15 interviews with Planning Department staff.

2023

The Prince George’s County Neighborhood Planning Academy launched the first cohort in fall 2023 and serves as a critical community outreach and training initiative of the Prince George’s County Planning Department.