City Planning LOLCATS

APA’s Fast, Funny, and Passionate sessions at the national American Planning Association conferences are designed to entertain and educate. I’m serving as the moderator and a speaker at the Sunday morning session. My talk is called “Pin, Post, and Push to Promote Planning.” The purpose is to share lessons about how planners can use social media to promote planning.

2 minute read

April 13, 2012, 11:24 AM PDT

By Jennifer Evans-Cowley @EvansCowley


APA's Fast, Funny, and Passionate sessions at the national American Planning Association conferences are designed to entertain and educate. I'm serving as the moderator and a speaker at the Sunday morning session. My talk is called "Pin, Post, and Push to Promote Planning." The purpose is to share lessons about how planners can use social media to promote planning.



Last week students at Ohio State University sent a survey out asking students and professionals from across the country for their ideas for how they would like to engage with APA and other professional organizations through social media platforms. We received hundreds of really great ideas. Many of the responses focused on creating fun ways to engage around planning topics. One creative student from Florida State University responded that we need more cats. Cats you may ask, what? Many of you may be familiar with the LOLCATS, a series of pictures of cats in silly locations asking for a cheeseburger. As soon as I saw this survey response, I knew that this was a serious call to action!

Kitty in Cinnci 

I had seen these cats, but asked friends on Facebook what they knew about LOLCATS. Cody Price, a planning student at Texas A&M University, sent me a link to the architectural LOLCATS, created by architecture students at UC Berkeley. Well, if architects have their own cats, why shouldn't the planners! Myself and John Gardocki, an undergrad city and regional planning student at Ohio State University, set out to create a series of LOLCATS for planners. You can see more of our creations at the following wordpress page. You are welcome to join us and submit your own City Planning LOLCATs and suggest your own captions! I'll add them to the collection.


Jennifer Evans-Cowley

Jennifer Evans-Cowley, PhD, FAICP, is the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs at th eUniversity of North Texas. Dr. Evans-Cowley regularly teaches courses to prepare candidates to take the AICP exam. In 2011, Planetizen named Cowley as one of the leading thinkers in planning and technology. Her research regularly appears in planning journals, she is the author of four Planning Advisory Service Reports for the American Planning Association, and regularly blogs for Planetizen.

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

Aerial view of single-family homes with swimming pools in San Diego, California.

San Diego to Rescind Multi-Unit ADU Rule

The city wants to close a loophole that allowed developers to build apartment buildings on single-family lots as ADUs.

March 9, 2025 - Axios

Canadian flag in foreground with blurred Canadian Parliament building in background in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.

Has President Trump Met His Match?

Doug Ford, the no-nonsense premier of Canada's most populous province, Ontario, is taking on Trump where it hurts — making American energy more expensive.

March 11, 2025 - Toronto Star

Close-up of green ULEZ sign in London, UK.

Study: London ULEZ Rapidly Cleaning up Air Pollution

Expanding the city’s ultra low-emission zone has resulted in dramatic drops in particle emissions in inner and outer London.

March 10, 2025 - Smart Cities World

Tents set up by unhoused people under freeway overpass in San Jose, California with American flag above them.

San Jose Mayor Takes Dual Approach to Unsheltered Homeless Population

In a commentary published in The Mercury News, Mayor Matt Mahan describes a shelter and law enforcement approach to ending targeted homeless encampments within Northern California's largest city.

March 14 - The Mercury News

Blue Atlanta streetcar on street in downtown Atlanta, Georgia.

Atlanta Changes Beltline Rail Plan

City officials say they are committed to building rail connections, but are nixing a prior plan to extend the streetcar network.

March 14 - Saporta Report

New York City city hall building.

Are Black Mayors Being Pushed Out of Office?

The mayors of New York, St. Louis, and Pittsburgh all stand to lose their seats in the coming weeks. They also all happen to be Black.

March 14 - Governing

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.

Planning for Universal Design

Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.

Write for Planetizen