Missing middle housing plays an important role in meeting a variety of housing needs at different price points, yet it's been disappearing for decades. This course explores how four Twin Cities municipalities are removing barriers to missing middle housing development.

The future is full of uncertainty that can paralyze today’s public actions. In this session, you will learn how the Twin Cities Metropolitan Council is exploring future scenarios to manage uncertainty and coordinate long-range policies and investments.

Explore Mesa, Arizona's use of VR/MR to create new engagement strategies, starting with youth and civic planning. These immersive technologies bring abstract concepts like TOD and climate-adaptation to life, allowing for experiential understanding and participatory decision-making across diverse groups.

Through the lens of a developer, designer, planner, and the public sector, we will explore how to implement communities’ visions for an innovation economy. We will explore the design, development, economics, and partnerships associated with innovation districts after the pandemic.

This year's theme, Homes Start with Planning, emphasizes the critical role of planners in addressing housing needs within our communities. By the end of the course, learners will understand how planning contributes to delivering equitable, inclusive, and sustainable housing solutions for all. Sessions will explore strategies to meet diverse community needs through thoughtful, impactful planning practices.

Learn about the Neighborhoods Now Initiative as a case study for building interdisciplinary partnerships to empower local organizations in community planning efforts. The course will spotlight a project from the initiative, Chinatown Night Market, and its impact on NYC's Chinatown.

This session explores innovative housing projects in Ukraine addressing urgent needs caused by the displacement of millions of Ukrainians. It highlights the CO-HATY project, providing emergency and long-term housing, and the Vid Sertsya Budova initiative that aims to create a sustainable 15-minute city for 25,000+ residents.

An innovative partnership between the City of Waterville, Maine and Colby College, guided by inclusive engagement and a strong planning framework, has in under ten years established a model for revitalizing struggling main streets and post-industrial downtowns across the country.

As the population continues to grow, affordable housing needs have quickly spread across Colorado suburbs. Join us to hear about the City of Centennial's approach to simplifying complex housing topics and finding creative solutions to a variety of outreach challenges.

Jefferson County is proactively using nearly $1M of ARPA funds to collaboratively update five County plans and code. A team of County staff and consultant staff will discuss the benefits, efficiencies, and lessons learned from implementing this integrated approach.

In the world of planning, where decisions shape the lives of countless individuals, the ability to lead with empathy is increasingly important taking on a greater role politically and professionally. These panelists will discuss leadership styles, empathetic engagement, and relationships.

Inclusive planning in Latino and Spanish-speaking communities is more than understanding demographics - it’s creating vibrant and equitable cities by embracing the complexity and diversity that planning in Latino communities represents through intentional and meaningful engagement.

Partnerships and Federal Funding Build an Oasis in a Food Desert. Tulsa Economic Development Corporation and partners leveraged federal grant dollars and made community and equity the core of a new grocery store.

Explore how planners can mainstream sustainability by leveraging the Rogers innovation adoption curve and the 5A framework, creating environments and services that make sustainable behaviors the easy, attractive choice for communities, accelerating the path to a sustainable future.

Rapid growth can decimate the natural environment if not well-managed. Learn how to establish the nexus between policy, community values, planning, development regulations, and consensus for action, to protect the natural environment and enhance the sense of place.

The Mapping Segregation Project maps how racial restrictive covenants led to the inequitable development of Montgomery County, Maryland. The Planning Department has built a GIS mapping tool and data set that shows patterns of racial segregation at the neighborhood level.

Imagine having the ability to evaluate the fiscal impacts of development on your agency’s operating budget at your fingertips. Our Esri-based model generates visual and numerical fiscal impacts of new development, from single-lot redevelopment projects to multiple-use plan areas.

Elevate your RFP/Q game! This session unpacks the secrets to fine tuning project requests, from writing compelling RFP/Qs to submitting client focused proposals. Learn innovative strategies to overcome common challenges and drive project success in both public and private sectors.

During comprehensive planning processes, planners often hear concerns about plans being written only to "collect dust on a shelf". This session will describe the Kansas City, Missouri's efforts to modernize comprehensive planning and provide more awareness and transparency through implementation.

Leveraging private funds to make public improvements is a powerful way to improve the public realm. Pittsburgh's Mobility Trust Fund helps bring neighborhood mobility projects to fruition when otherwise unfunded. Learn how this valuable tool is a win-win for everyone.

Explore opportunities to harness the potential of AI while upholding the values at the core of our profession. Leverage AI to foster ethically driven, equitable, sustainable, and vibrant communities - let's shape the future together!

Getting bogged down in politics is not how planners envision making a difference. However, we work in an environment where others are not committed to our ethics. Practice navigating the politics of planning without getting lost, fired, or sanctioned.

Explore how EDI—an essential element in ensuring fair access to resources—can provoke debate in conservative areas. We’ll discuss what happens when these terms become contentious and how planners can navigate these challenges using alternative language to build trust and foster collaboration.

There are only nine meals between mankind and anarchy. Planning for food security and hazard mitigation before tragic events is imperative. This open conversation will invite interested parties to explore how planners can prepare their communities for these events.

Unpermitted ADUs are invisible in official housing data, limiting planners’ understanding of the actual housing stock and permitting barriers faced in their communities. We present a method for uncovering this blindspot, the surprising scale of the problem, and equity-driven solutions.

Get ready to be inspired and motivated at the Opening Keynote! Join us as we welcome Lori Pace, for an unforgettable morning of passion, inspiration, and personal growth.

Leah Rothstein is a columnist and the co-author of JUST ACTION: How to Challenge Segregation Enacted Under the Color of Law. She led research on reforming community corrections policy and practice to be focused on rehabilitation, not punishment. She has consulted with nonprofits, cities, and private firms on community development and affordable housing.

Dr. Mary Beth Janke holds a Doctorate in Clinical Psychology and a Master’s in Forensic Psychology. She has supported individuals facing anxiety, trauma, and domestic violence. As a former Special Agent with the U.S. Secret Service, she was the only woman to protect a foreign president abroad. Dr. Janke gave a 2022 TEDx Talk, "How to Live a Badass Life at Any Age.” She now consults in forensi

Navigating your career is daunting, and in an era of hybrid work, this process is shrouded in even more uncertainty. Join early- and mid-career professionals to discuss the lessons learned from starting careers in a hybrid world.

As built-out cities continue to densify, how can planners create new parkland in the face of land and resource scarcity? Learn how cities across the country are overcoming these challenges to create high-performance green spaces in underserved urban neighborhoods.