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Because most people don’t realize how deeply planning shapes their daily lives.
Because planning often fails to meet people where they are.
Because the future is too important for people not to know they have a say in it.
One of the core principles of our profession, written right into the AICP Code of Ethics, says that a practicing planner shall “improve planning knowledge and increase public understanding of planning activities.” We try. We really do. But too often, we fall short.
Most people have no idea how zoning, land use, or development policy influence their neighborhoods.
Few planners engage with communities outside of required hearings or public comment sessions.
And those most affected by planning decisions, the residents whose lives are shaped by them, rarely know they can come to the table, let alone how to. Zoned Out Planner was born to bridge that gap. It’s a space where planning is made human. Where technical reports and policy briefs become stories people can relate to. Where jargon turns into plain language and data becomes dialogue.
Planning is complex. It takes years of study to do, and seconds to lose public trust. Planners are rarely given time or freedom to step beyond their formal roles. This project creates that space, a place where professionals and the public can meet as equals.
So pull up a chair. Let’s talk about cities, choices, and change.
Welcome to Zoned Out Planner.
ZOP uses a mix of online tools and outreach to make planning easier to access and understand.
The Website — www.zonedoutplanner.com
This is home base. Here you’ll find stories, explainers, and reflections that unpack how planning decisions shape everyday life. From housing to zoning to public space. Everything is written to be readable, visual, and practical.
Social Media Outreach
Follow along on TikTok, Instagram, X (Twitter), LinkedIn, Facebook, and Pinterest for short, shareable takes on planning quick facts, visuals, and thought-starters that invite conversation, not lectures.
Workshops and Training
ZOP also moves offline. I host sessions for residents, boards, and organizations, helping people understand how planning works, how to navigate public processes, and how to make their voices count.
Interested in hosting a workshop or class? Let’s talk.
We all plan, whether we know it or not.
Every choice we make about where to live, how to move, and what we value shapes our cities. Professional planners may guide policy, but YOUbring lived experience, the most powerful form of local knowledge there is.
Your story matters.
Your frustrations, your hopes, your neighborhood, all of it adds up to what planning should be about: people.so whether you’re a planner, developer, commissioner, or resident, you belong at this table.
Share your story. Ask questions. Pitch a guest post. Suggest a topic or class. Contact:General inquiries & submissions: JCastillo@zonedoutplanner.comClasses, training, or partnerships: JCastillo@zonedoutplanner.comMedia & collaboration requests: JCastillo@zonedoutplanner.com
Let’s make planning make sense. Together.
"Cities are not just made of buildings, they’re made of stories, choices, and voices that often go unheard.”