Website deployment skills for urban planners involve managing three core elements: domain registration, hosting selection, and configuring the domain for publishing. Although many opt to hire a consultant, the process is accessible enough for urban planners to master.
Domain Registration: This is the first step, where you choose and register a domain name that reflects your project’s identity—your unique online address.
Hosting Selection: Next, you select a reliable web hosting provider that meets your needs in terms of performance, security, and scalability. This ensures that your website is stored and served efficiently to your audience.
Domain Configuration and Publishing: Finally, you configure your domain’s DNS settings—linking your domain to your hosting server—and publish your website by transferring your files to the host. This step makes your website live and accessible to the public.
The simplest way to deploy a website is to choose an all-in-one service provider that handles everything—from domain registration and hosting to design and deployment. This guide recommends Wix and Squarespace for their user-friendly, integrated solutions.
While WordPress remains a popular choice among no-code developers, it often requires ongoing maintenance and technical management, which can be challenging for those without web development experience.
A more flexible approach is to select separate providers for domain registration, hosting, and website design, then manually configure DNS settings and nameservers to deploy the website. While this requires a bit more effort, it offers greater control and cost savings.
Why Choose the Advanced Approach?
Cost-Effective – Separating services often reduces long-term expenses.
Utilize Free Hosting & Design – Take advantage of Google Sites for a no-cost solution.
Custom Nameserver Setup – Enables advanced configurations, such as setting up child nameservers (e.g., International.Planning.org).
While this method involves a learning curve, the freedom and cost benefits make it worthwhile. This guide recommends Hostinger and Bluehost for their strong reputations in the tech industry and reliable hosting services.