Placemaking and Urban Design Training Course

 People-Centred City Planning Training Course 

Introduction 

People-Centred City Planning is an advanced urban development approach that places residents, communities, social equity, accessibility, inclusion, and quality of life at the heart of urban decision-making. People-Centred City Planning Training Course equips professionals with practical knowledge and strategic tools for participatory urban planning, inclusive city design, sustainable mobility, affordable housing, climate resilience, public space management, and community engagement. Participants explore how data-driven planning, digital technologies, smart-city solutions, and evidence-based urban governance can support cities that are inclusive, resilient, accessible, healthy, and responsive to diverse community needs. 

The course examines contemporary approaches to people-centred urban transformation while connecting planning practice with sustainable development, social inclusion, environmental sustainability, and effective public-sector governance. Participants will develop competencies in stakeholder mapping, participatory planning, spatial analysis, community consultation, inclusive infrastructure planning, urban regeneration, and monitoring of social outcomes. International case studies from cities across Africa, Europe, Asia, and the Americas provide practical examples of successful community-led and people-focused planning interventions, enabling participants to adapt global lessons to their own institutional and urban contexts. 

Course Objectives 

By the end of the course, participants will be able to: 

1. Apply people-centred planning principles to contemporary urban development.
2. Integrate participatory planning and community engagement into city-planning processes.
3. Apply social equity, inclusion, and accessibility principles to urban development.
4. Develop data-driven and evidence-based urban planning strategies.
5. Strengthen stakeholder engagement and collaborative urban governance.
6. Design inclusive public spaces that improve urban quality of life.
7. Integrate sustainable urban mobility and transit-oriented development principles.
8. Address affordable housing and inclusive neighbourhood development challenges.
9. Apply climate-resilient and environmentally sustainable planning approaches.
10. Use digital planning tools and smart-city technologies to support communities.
11. Develop inclusive urban regeneration and place-making strategies.
12. Evaluate social, economic, and environmental impacts of urban projects.
13. Develop practical implementation frameworks for people-centred cities.

Organizational Benefits
 

1. Improved quality and inclusiveness of urban development decisions.
2. Stronger community participation and stakeholder relationships.
3. Better alignment between urban projects and community needs.
4. Enhanced social equity and accessibility in planning outcomes.
5. Improved institutional capacity for participatory urban governance.
6. More effective sustainable mobility and public-space strategies.
7. Stronger climate resilience and environmental performance.
8. Improved management of urban regeneration initiatives.
9. More transparent and evidence-based planning processes.
10. Enhanced organizational contribution to sustainable urban development.

Target Audiences
 

1. Urban planners and city development professionals.
2. Municipal and local government officials.
3. Architects, landscape architects, and urban designers.
4. Transport and infrastructure planning professionals.
5. Housing and community development specialists.
6. Public-sector policy and urban governance professionals.
7. Non-governmental organization and community development practitioners.
8. Real estate, development, and urban regeneration professionals.

Course Duration: 5 days

Course Modules

Module 1: Foundations of People-Centred City Planning
 

• Principles and evolution of people-centred urban planning.
• Quality of life, inclusion, equity, and accessibility.
• Human-scale urbanism and liveable neighbourhoods.
• Linking planning with Sustainable Development Goals.
• Community needs assessment and urban diagnostics.
• Global case study: Copenhagen’s people-oriented urban public realm.

Module 2: Participatory Planning and Community Engagement
 

• Participatory planning frameworks and engagement techniques.
• Community consultation, co-design, and collaborative decision-making.
• Stakeholder mapping and influence analysis.
• Managing diverse interests and community expectations.
• Digital participation and inclusive engagement platforms.
• Global case study: Porto Alegre participatory budgeting.

Module 3: Inclusive Urban Governance and Social Equity
 

• Inclusive governance structures and institutional coordination.
• Social justice and equitable access to urban services.
• Gender-responsive, age-friendly, and disability-inclusive planning.
• Addressing spatial inequality and vulnerable communities.
• Transparency, accountability, and community representation.
• Global case study: Vienna’s gender-sensitive urban planning.

Module 4: People-Centred Public Spaces and Place-Making
 

• Designing safe, accessible, and inclusive public spaces.
• Placemaking and community-led urban design.
• Streets, parks, plazas, markets, and civic spaces.
• Public-space activation and social interaction.
• Safety, universal design, and accessibility standards.
• Global case study: New York City pedestrian and public-space initiatives.

Module 5: Sustainable Mobility and Accessible Cities
 

• Walking, cycling, public transport, and multimodal mobility.
• Transit-oriented development and compact urban form.
• Complete streets and pedestrian-first planning.
• Accessibility, affordability, and transport equity.
• Mobility data and intelligent transport solutions.
• Global case study: Bogotá’s Bus Rapid Transit and cycling initiatives.

Module 6: Affordable Housing and Inclusive Neighbourhoods
 

• Affordable housing strategies and inclusive development.
• Mixed-use and mixed-income neighbourhood planning.
• Informal settlements upgrading and community participation.
• Housing affordability, land management, and tenure security.
• Community infrastructure and essential urban services.
• Global case study: Medellín’s integrated neighbourhood interventions.

Module 7: Climate-Resilient and Sustainable Urban Planning
 

• Climate adaptation and resilience in city planning.
• Nature-based solutions and green infrastructure.
• Urban heat, flooding, pollution, and environmental risk management.
• Low-carbon development and resource-efficient cities.
• Community resilience and disaster-risk reduction.
• Global case study: Rotterdam climate-adaptation planning.

Module 8: Digital, Smart, and Data-Driven People-Centred Cities
 

• Geographic Information Systems and spatial data for inclusive planning.
• Open data, urban analytics, and evidence-based decision-making.
• Smart-city technologies and digital inclusion.
• Participatory mapping and community-generated data.
• Monitoring social, economic, and environmental outcomes.
• Global case study: Barcelona’s digital and participatory urban initiatives.

Training Methodology
 

• Interactive instructor-led presentations and facilitated discussions.
• Practical workshops on participatory planning and stakeholder mapping.
• Group exercises using real-world urban planning scenarios.
• Case-study analysis from cities across different regions.
• Practical demonstrations of data-driven planning approaches.
• Role-play exercises for community consultation and stakeholder negotiation.
• Problem-solving sessions focused on inclusive urban challenges.
• Peer learning, experience sharing, and collaborative planning exercises.
• Individual and group presentations of people-centred planning solutions.
• Action-planning exercises for applying course concepts in participants’ organizations.

Register as a group from 3 participants for a Discount

Send us an email: info@datastatresearch.org or call +254724527104

Certification

Upon successful completion of this training, participants will be issued with a globally- recognized certificate.

Tailor-Made Course

We also offer tailor-made courses based on your needs.

Key Notes

a. The participant must be conversant with English.
 
b. Upon completion of training the participant will be issued with an Authorized Training Certificate
 
c. Course duration is flexible and the contents can be modified to fit any number of days.
 
d. The course fee includes facilitation training materials, 2 coffee breaks, buffet lunch and A Certificate upon successful completion of Training.
 
e. One-year post-training support Consultation and Coaching provided after the course.
 f. Payment should be done at least a week before commence of the training, to DATASTAT CONSULTANCY LTD account, as indicated in the invoice so as to enable us prepare better for you.