Prince George's County Planning Agency Launches First Course for Municipal Officials

Municipal officials across Prince George's County gathered March 14 for the inaugural "Planning in Our County: A Course for Municipal Officials," a one-day workshop organized by the Prince George's County Planning Department of the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC). Four days later, on March 18, the Planning Department formally recognized the participants in an announcement posted to the agency's official channels.

The course, described as the first of its kind for elected and appointed municipal officials in the county, was modeled on an existing M-NCPPC program, though the full name of that model program was not confirmed in available agency materials. The one-day format distinguished this offering from M-NCPPC's parallel educational track, a free seven-week planning academy also running this spring, and represented a targeted effort to bring planning literacy directly to the officials who govern Prince George's municipalities.

That seven-week academy, which ran March 4 through April 15, 2026, operates mostly through online sessions via Microsoft Teams, with the first six classes conducted virtually and the final session held in person. It carries no cost to participants, and applicants are selected from each councilmanic district to ensure geographic diversity across the county. Applications for the spring cohort have already closed, but the Planning Department is accepting mailing list sign-ups for notifications when the fall course opens.

The two programs share a common mission: building civic capacity around land use and development in Prince George's County. The seven-week academy aims to help community stakeholders understand opportunities for input and empowerment, support residents in navigating the development process, and assist local developers in understanding county procedures. Critically, both programs serve all municipalities in Prince George's County except Laurel, which administers its own planning and zoning authority independently.

No attendance figures, participant names, or quotes from Planning Department leadership were included in the agency's recognition announcement. The Planning Department has not publicly confirmed whether the one-day municipal officials workshop will be offered again or whether a fall 2026 session is planned.