For Planners (Citizen and Professional)
  1. Welcome to APA West Virginia
  2. For Planners (Citizen and Professional)
  3. Citizen Planners at Large

WV Citizen Planner Training

Coming Fall 2026

The WV Chapter of the APA, generously funded by the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation and partnered with the WVU Foundation and Brownfields Assistance Center at WVU are excited to update you on an upcoming new free resource, the Citizen Planner Training series. The Citizen Planner Training includes eight distinctive topics to educate and inform citizen planners and community members alike on Planning in WV. Learn more here about what the Citizen Planner Training entails, who the series is intended for and how to stay updated on the culmination of the project. 

Modules for Viewing

  1. Why do we do land use planning
  2. The Role of the Citizen Planner
  3. The Role of the Planning Commission
  4. The Importance and Impact of the Comprehensive Plan
  5. Survey of Plan Implementation Methods
  6. The Role of the Board of Zoning Appeals
  7. Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law
  8. Values and Conduct of Citizen Planner

Who is the audience for these Citizen Planner Training Series?

  • Citizens of West Virginia who are interested in knowing more about the land use decisions that shape their communities
  • Citizen Planners on Board of Zoning Appeals and Planning Commissions
  • Cities and Counties that have some land use tools but want to learn what else they can do
  • City and County officials who want to have a more rounded view of the Planning and Land Use field

How do I use this series?

This eight part training series is provided for all to view at their own pace and allows people to choose modules that seem most relevant to their needs. They are intended to flow through all 8 modules in the order presented as well as be able to stand alone.

We also encourage professional planners to present these trainings as part of an in person training session and add on relevant local context when possible.

These training modules are provided as an open source product licensed under the Creative Commons License CC BY-SA 4.0. The APA WV provides these modules as part of our mission to expand access to training citizens and professional planners. Please use freely and with the appropriate accreditation.

How can I find out more?

The training series is set to be completed in Fall 2026. Please check back at this site for more updates as the training is completed including marketing materials you can use to share information about the Training.

If you want to be alerted directly when the modules are updated please send your email to wvapachapter@gmail.com

Information on this page is subject to change.