Citizens Planning Academy

Have you ever wondered how things get built in Greenville? Would you like to understand the role of the planning commission and city council in Greenville’s planning processes? Do you want to know how and why we should plan for future development that is 5, 10, or 15 years away?

Upstate Forever’s Citizens Planning Academy is an interactive, introductory course designed to provide a foundation for Greenville residents, business owners, and neighborhood leaders understand processes that drive local planning and land use policy decisions as well as the roles and perspectives of diverse stakeholders. City of Greenville and/or Greenville County residents who are motivated to become more informed, effective, and influential participants in local land use planning and policy decision-making are encouraged to apply. Participants learn about a variety of planning and development topics, such as the history of planning, how development projects come together, and how to get involved in planning processes for your community.

2024 SERIES

Participants will learn about a variety of planning and development topics from guest speakers and interactive exercise facilitators. Session topics include the history of community planning, smart growth principles, equity in planning, and more.

The Fall 2024 series will consist of six 2.5-hour sessions. Each session will be held at a central location in downtown Greenville with free parking from 5:30 - 8:00 pm on the following Wednesdays:

• September 25^th
• October 2^nd
• October 9^th
• October 16^th
• October 23^rd
• October 30^th

Application window will open Tuesday, July 30. To be notified when application open, please join our email list at upstateforever.org/email.

Participation in this course is free but requires a firm commitment to attend all six sessions. Enrollment is by invitation in late August/early September based on selection committee review and evaluation of applications submitted online by Wednesday, August 21 at 11:59 pm.

We strive to provide universal access to the Citizens Planning Academy. Applicants with mobility and other accessibility challenges are encouraged to apply. We will work with participants that require additional accommodations to the best of our ability.

If you have questions about the Citizens Planning Academy, please contact Land Policy Grassroots Specialist Tre'Dessa Smalls at tsmalls@upstateforever.org.