Earn AICP CM Credits with City SPARK in Italy
Are you ready to elevate your planning career while exploring some of Europe's most dynamic urban environments? Professional development does not have to happen in a windowless conference room. City SPARK offers an immersive, field-based curriculum designed specifically for urban planners, designers, and architects.
This guide details the comprehensive educational program available during our Italy field trip. You will find everything you need to know about the Certification Maintenance (CM) credits offered, a complete breakdown of our seven expert-led activities totaling 23 hours of instruction, and step-by-step instructions for logging your continuing education hours with the American Planning Association (APA).
AICP CM Credits Overview
City SPARK is committed to providing high-quality, actionable education that meets the rigorous standards of the American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP). Our six-day curriculum operates as a "Multipart Event (Live in-person)," meaning you will participate in a structured series of classes, workshops, and field studies across Bologna, Milan, and Venice.
Who Are AICP CM Credits For?
AICP Certification Maintenance (CM) credits are specifically designed for planners who have earned their credential through the American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP). These credits help certified planners maintain their professional standing and fulfill ongoing education requirements as part of their commitment to excellence in the planning field.
However, you do not need to be an AICP member or a certified planner to attend City SPARK. Our program welcomes professionals, students, academics, policymakers, designers, and anyone passionate about sustainable cities, whether you seek formal continuing education or simply want to participate in this unique international event. If you are not required to log CM credits, you can still join us, benefit from the learning experience, and contribute to vibrant discussions—no credential needed.
Participants can expect to earn between 26 and 30 total CM credits. Because our curriculum directly addresses the most pressing challenges facing urban planners today, the program includes targeted sessions that fulfill AICP mandatory credit requirements in three vital areas:
Sustainability and Resilience
Equity
Ethics
Our curriculum focuses on practical application. You will not just observe Italian cities; you will analyze their strategies and learn how to adapt their successes for your own municipalities back home.
City SPARK Course Descriptions
Our curriculum features seven distinct educational activities. Each session is led by local Italian experts and supported by our core team of seasoned American and international planning professionals.
Activity 1: Driving Ecological Transition: Bologna's 'Città 30' and European Urban Policy
Duration: 3.0 hours
Class Description:
This session examines Bologna’s approach to managing ecological transition and funding through high-level urban policy. Planners will explore the implementation of the "Città 30" mobility strategy, which reduces traffic speeds to prioritize pedestrian safety and lower emissions. The course breaks down how municipalities leverage European Union recovery funds to drive broad environmental initiatives and promote international collaboration for local sustainability targets. The instructors demonstrate exactly how European approaches to safety and people-friendly mobility can be successfully transferred to US cities, helping you navigate local political landscapes and funding mechanisms.
Learning Outcomes:
Analyze the policy framework and implementation steps of city-wide traffic-calming initiatives like Città 30.
Formulate strategies for securing and applying international recovery funds to local ecological transition projects.
Assess the impact of cross-border governance and international relations on municipal climate resilience.
Instructors:
Primary Instructor: Anna Lisa Boni (Deputy Mayor of Bologna)
Co-Instructors: Rick Pruetz, FAICP; Dr. Luisa Bravo; Kirstin Miller, AICP
Activity 2: Paving the Way for People: Milan's Tactical Urbanism and Piazze Aperte
Duration: 4.0 hours
Class Description:
This field-oriented session dives into Milan's highly successful tactical urbanism interventions. Planners will study the Piazze Aperte (Open Squares) project to understand how cities can rapidly convert car-centric intersections into highly functional, pedestrian-friendly environments. The activity demonstrates how short-term, low-cost projects act as a catalyst for permanent infrastructure changes. You will leave with a clear understanding of how to apply these agile, low-barrier methodologies to improve public life, safety, and transit access in dense American metropolitan areas.
Learning Outcomes:
Evaluate the spatial and social impacts of tactical urbanism projects on high-density neighborhoods.
Develop actionable methods for scaling temporary street interventions into permanent capital improvements.
Apply criteria for selecting and prioritizing intersections for immediate pedestrian safety upgrades.
Instructors:
Primary Instructor: Demetrio Scopelliti (Director of Urban Planning, City of Milan)
Co-Instructors: Rick Pruetz, FAICP; Dr. Luisa Bravo; Kirstin Miller, AICP
Activity 3: Designing Together: Participatory Interventions in Milan's Green Districts
Duration: 3.0 hours
Class Description:
Public spaces thrive when they accurately reflect the communities that use them. This session explores the mechanics of participatory design within Milan’s expanding eco-districts. Planners will learn how to build inclusive urban landscapes by actively engaging residents in the planning process. The class highlights techniques for gathering public input, resolving community conflicts, and translating citizen feedback into tangible green infrastructure. These community-first techniques are highly transferable, offering US planners new ways to build consensus and equity in local neighborhood revitalization projects.
Learning Outcomes:
Design public outreach frameworks that ensure inclusive participation from diverse neighborhood demographics.
Translate community feedback into specific tactical interventions and green space programming.
Measure the long-term community benefits of participatory design in newly developed eco-districts.
Instructors:
Primary Instructors: Chiara Quinzii & Diego Terna (Quinzii Terna Architecture)
Co-Instructors: Rick Pruetz, FAICP; Dr. Luisa Bravo; Kirstin Miller, AICP
Activity 4: Modeling the Future: Digital Twins and Heritage Preservation
Duration: 3.0 hours
Class Description:
Balancing historic preservation with climate adaptation requires precise, actionable data. This class introduces planners to applied digital technologies, specifically focusing on digital twins. Participants will learn how to create virtual models of urban environments to simulate the impacts of climate change, test planning scenarios, and model heritage conservation efforts. The session makes complex digital tools accessible, showing how data visualization directly informs better zoning and infrastructure decisions. US planners can apply these modeling concepts to protect domestic historic districts while preparing for extreme weather events.
Learning Outcomes:
Understand the technical requirements and data inputs needed to build a municipal digital twin.
Utilize digital modeling to simulate climate scenarios and test urban resilience strategies.
Apply digital twin technologies to monitor and preserve sensitive historic architecture.
Instructors:
Primary Instructor: Simone Garagnani (Professor of Architecture, University of Urbino)
Co-Instructors: Rick Pruetz, FAICP; Dr. Luisa Bravo; Kirstin Miller, AICP
Activity 5: Advancing Resilience: Cultural Innovation and Preservation in Venice
Duration: 3.5 hours
Class Description:
Venice faces intense pressures from mass tourism and environmental shifts, providing a dramatic case study in urban survival. This activity examines how planners use cultural programming and the arts as essential tools for urban resilience and heritage preservation. Planners will explore models of permanent collaboration between contemporary arts organizations and local artisans. The session highlights how community-centered cultural hubs protect the identity and economic viability of historic neighborhoods threatened by displacement—a direct parallel to gentrification and tourism challenges faced by many American coastal and historic cities.
Learning Outcomes:
Formulate zoning and policy strategies that protect local artisanal economies in tourism-heavy districts.
Integrate cultural programming into neighborhood resilience and preservation plans.
Evaluate the economic and social impacts of establishing collaborative cultural centers in peri-urban areas.
Instructors:
Primary Instructor: Pier Paolo Scelsi (Art Director, CREA Cantieri del Contemporaneo)
Co-Instructors: Rick Pruetz, FAICP; Dr. Luisa Bravo; Kirstin Miller, AICP
Activity 6: Building Beyond Zero: Regenerative Design and Climate Response
Duration: 3.5 hours
Class Description:
Traditional sustainability aims to minimize harm, but regenerative design seeks to actively restore the environment. This technical session provides planners with the framework to implement climate-responsive architecture and ecological innovation at the district level. Participants will review full-scale prototypes and net-zero projects to understand carbon reduction, heat adaptation, and positive energy districts. The class focuses on rewriting building codes and zoning ordinances to mandate restorative design practices, equipping US planners with the regulatory language needed to push developers toward true ecological design.
Learning Outcomes:
Differentiate between basic sustainable design and regenerative architectural practices.
Draft zoning codes and design guidelines that mandate climate-responsive building techniques.
Assess the feasibility of positive energy districts within existing urban grids.
Instructors:
Primary Instructor: Emanuele Naboni (Professor and Consultant, Architectural Regenerative Design)
Co-Instructors: Rick Pruetz, FAICP; Dr. Luisa Bravo; Kirstin Miller, AICP
Activity 7: Reclaiming the Commons: Intersectional Strategies for Public Space Culture
Duration: 3.0 hours
Class Description:
Public space operates as a fundamental common good necessary for healthy civic life. This session connects local urban design practices with global sustainability directives, including the United Nations' New Urban Agenda. Planners will explore how intersectional art, architecture, and urban design can dismantle barriers to access in public areas. The class focuses on actionable strategies to create vibrant, equitable spaces that foster social cohesion across diverse populations, providing US planners with frameworks to improve equity and inclusion in domestic parks and plazas.
Learning Outcomes:
Apply intersectional design principles to ensure public spaces remain accessible to marginalized populations.
Align municipal public space policies with the global targets established in the New Urban Agenda.
Develop metrics to evaluate the social cohesion and equity of newly designed public plazas and parks.
Instructors:
Primary Instructor: Dr. Luisa Bravo
Co-Instructors: Rick Pruetz, FAICP; Kirstin Miller, AICP
Secure Your Spot
Ready to transform your approach to urban planning? Join us in Italy to learn, connect, and bring world-class sustainable solutions back to your community. Register for City SPARK today and take the next step in your professional development journey. Contact us at kirstin@ecocitybuilders.org if you have any questions regarding the curriculum or CM credit eligibility.