Podcast
American Planning Association
Hosted by American Planning Association · EN
Welcome to the American Planning Association Podcast. This is your source for discussions, interviews, and lectures on a multitude of planning topics.
10episodes
Episodes
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Ryan Slattery, AICP, on Resilience, Community Trust, and Tough Conversations
1w ago00:34:29Tap to summarizeHow do you protect communities from intensifying floods, heat, storms, and other hazards when the words around those risks can shut the conversation down? In this episode of People Behind the Plans , recorded live at NPC26, APA Editor in Chief Meghan Stromberg talks with Ryan Slattery, AICP , a resilience and hazard mitigation planner in Houston, about what it takes to keep difficult conversations moving when trust is fragile, language is loaded, and the stakes are real. Drawing on more than a decade of work helping communities prepare for and recover from shocks and stresses, Ryan reflects on why “meeting people where they are” is not about avoiding hard truths. It is about finding the way into conversations that matter. Along the way, he shares what planners can learn from criticism, why the best engagement starts with listening, and how the work of protecting communities continues even when the vocabulary gets complicated. Ryan also offers a window into planning from inside a large engineering firm, where resilience work can be shaped alongside stormwater, transportation, and environmental expertise from the start. He talks about where AI may help planners make sense of complex information — and where human judgment still matters most — as well as the growing tensions around data centers, water, and the conversations communities cannot afford to postpone. And because Houston is never just a backdrop, Ryan makes the case for an NPC27 itinerary with bayou trails for hiking and biking, culture in every direction, and plenty of great food along the way. It is a conversation about resilience, community trust, and the uncomfortable moments that can make planners better at the work. Episode URL: https://www.planning.org/podcast/ryan-slattery-aicp-on-resilience-community-trust-and-tough-conversations/
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From Data Centers to City Streets: Rethinking Infrastructure in a Digital Age
May 2900:31:08Tap to summarizeCo-hosts Divya Gandhi and Em Hall continue the Critical Conversations in Transportation Planning series with a conversation that challenges transportation planners to reckon with a new kind of infrastructure: the data center. Recorded at the 2026 National Planning Conference in Detroit, this episode features Manny Patole, Industry Assistant Professor at NYU’s Center for Urban Science + Progress (CUSP), whose work sits at the intersection of community data science, environmental justice, and AI’s hidden physical footprint. Episode URL: https://www.planning.org/podcast/from-data-centers-to-city-streets-rethinking-infrastructure-in-a-digital-age/
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Planning Education, Uncertainty, and the Rapid Evolution of AI with Tom Sanchez, AICP
May 2700:34:48Tap to summarizeIn this episode of the Trend Talk podcast, a companion series for the 2026 Trend Report for Planners, Joe DeAngelis, AICP, research manager at the American Planning Association (APA), chats with author and professor Tom Sanchez, AICP. The two engage in a thoughtful discussion about the rapidly evolving landscape of artificial intelligence (AI) technology and planning, reflecting on the unpredictability of the future, the importance of learning from past trends, and the need for planners to remain both cautious and open-minded. The conversation emphasizes embracing uncertainty, leveraging intelligence to adapt and innovate, and the value of collaboration. The 2026 Trend Report for Planners is created by APA in partnership with the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy. Episode URL: https://planning.org/podcast/planning-education-uncertainty-and-the-rapid-evolution-of-ai-with-tom-sanchez-aicp/
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Resilient Landscapes: The Land Use Planning for Wildfires in California Training Program
May 1900:35:01Tap to summarizeIn this episode of the APA Podcast, Roberta Rewers, senior communications manager, explores California’s Land Use Planning for Wildfires in California Training Program, recipient of the 2025 Resilience and Sustainability Award. Joined by Molly Mowery, AICP, executive director of Community Wildfire Planning Center, and Matt Damon, staff chief of Community Wildfire Mitigation Assistance with CAL FIRE / Office of the State Fire Marshal, they discuss how the unique interdisciplinary program brings planners and fire officials together to reduce risk, strengthen collaboration, and improve long-term resilience. Episode URL: https://www.planning.org/podcast/resilient-landscapes-the-land-use-planning-for-wildfires-in-california-training-program/
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Connected Neighborhoods: The Joe Louis Greenway Neighborhood Study
Apr 2600:43:19Tap to summarizeIn this episode of the APA podcast, Roberta Rewers, senior communications manager, explores Detroit's Heavyweight Impact: The Joe Louis Greenway Neighborhood Planning Study for Inclusive Neighborhood Growth, recipient of the 2025 National Planning Excellence Award. Joined by Michele Flournoy, urban designer at Detroit's Planning Development Department, and Ashley DiCaro, senior associate at Interface Studio, they discuss how the Joe Louis Greenway Neighborhood Planning Study uses the greenway as a catalyst for neighborhood redevelopment, creates economic opportunity, and strengthens community ties to ensure nearby residents benefit from the greenway's investment. Episode URL: https://www.planning.org/podcast/connected-neighborhoods-the-joe-louis-greenway-neighborhood-study/
Transcribe →Governance, Preemption, and the Importance of Protecting Local Representation with Nestor Davidson
Apr 100:38:49Tap to summarizeIn this episode of the Trend Talk podcast, a companion series for the 2026 Trend Report for Planners, Joe DeAngelis, research manager at the American Planning Association (APA), sits down with Nestor Davidson, the Emma Bloomberg Professor of Real Estate at the Harvard Graduate School of Design. An urban law expert, Nestor delves into the complex dynamics between state and local governance, highlighting the adversarial relationships and the challenges of state preemption. Their conversation covers the importance of shared governance and the need to protect local representation, while acknowledging the shortcomings of local politics. They also explore how these issues intersect with broader environmental, political, and social trends, emphasizing their impact on cities, planners, and planning practices across the country. The 2026 Trend Report for Planners is created by APA in partnership with the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy.
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Connecting Communities: Rural Solutions for Transportation Challenges
Mar 2100:52:33Tap to summarizeIn this episode of Critical Conversations in Transportation Planning, co-hosts Divya Gandhi and Em Hall spoke with Luke Van Denend, Outreach Coordinator at AECOM, and Zoe Miller, MPH, Co-Founder and Executive Director of the Moving Maine Network, for a wide-ranging discussion focused on rural Transportation Demand Management (TDM) and mobility access. The conversation explores how rural communities require fundamentally different approaches to TDM than their urban counterparts, from coalition building and community-driven solutions to rethinking the metrics we use to measure success. Luke and Zoe challenge the assumption that technology alone can solve rural transportation barriers, emphasizing instead that trust, local knowledge, and cross-sector collaboration are the real drivers of change. The conversation digs into what it actually takes to bring community members with lived experience into formal transportation decision-making, and why simply inviting people to the table isn't enough. Luke and Zoe also reflect on what's giving them hope: a growing willingness among rural employers to engage in transportation conversations, and a generational resurgence of interest in mutual aid as a foundation for mobility solutions. Episode URL: https://planning.org/podcast/connecting-communities-rural-solutions-for-transportation-challenges/
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Embracing Transformation: The Gwinnett County 2045 Unified Plan
Mar 1300:34:55Tap to summarizeIn this episode of the APA podcast, Roberta Rewers, senior communications manager, explores the 2045 Unified Plan from Gwinnett County, Georgia, recipient of the Daniel Burnham Award for a Comprehensive Plan in the 2025 National Planning Awards. Joined by Yang Chen, Planning Division director at Gwinnett County, and Allison Stewart-Harris, lead consultant with TSW, they discuss how the plan reimagines suburban planning through a “mode-agnostic” approach to the 15-Minute City—prioritizing access to daily needs no matter how residents travel. Episode URL: https://www.planning.org/podcast/embracing-transformation-the-gwinnett-county-2045-unified-plan/
Transcribe →The Circular Economy, Climate Action, and Urban Sustainability with Helen Santiago-Fink
Feb 2700:33:23Tap to summarizeIn this episode of the Trend Talk podcast, a companion series for the 2026 Trend Report for Planners, Joe DeAngelis, research manager at the American Planning Association, chats with climate urbanist and researcher, Helen Santiago-Fink. Helen shares insights drawn from her extensive experience working with international organizations and city governments as the two discuss the convergence of the circular economy, climate action, and technological innovation, highlighting how cities can harness AI and digital marketing approaches to promote sustainability. Planners and city leaders will find inspiration and practical insights for integrating circularity at the local level, as well as an exploration of how community engagement and forward-thinking strategies can pave the way for a more sustainable future. The 2026 Trend Report for Planners is created by APA in partnership with the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy. Episode URL: https://www.planning.org/podcast/the-circular-economy-climate-action-and-urban-sustainability-with-helen-santiago-fink/
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Memphis Math: A Formula for Meaningful Engagement
Feb 1200:25:11Tap to summarizeWhat does it take to prove that community engagement didn’t just happen — but actually shaped decisions, priorities, and outcomes? In this episode of People Behind the Plans, APA Editor in Chief Meghan Stromberg talks with planner Christina Edingbourgh about a framework her team calls “Memphis Math.” The approach turns open-ended community input into trackable, quantifiable data — without losing the nuance, emotion, or lived experience behind what people say. Drawing on her background in nonprofit community development, Christina, who serves as the administrator of the Office of Comprehensive Planning for Memphis’s Division of Planning and Development, explains how Memphis built its engagement strategy for Memphis 3.0 around a simple but demanding standard: Every interaction should feel safe, comfortable, and meaningful. The conversation digs into how Memphis Math works in practice, with more technical details described in here recent PAS Memo “Everything Counts in Memphis: Community Engagement for Data-Driven Planning.” Christina walks through the meeting structure, consensus-building, and the labor-intensive but scalable process of coding and tagging notes so feedback can be analyzed across the city’s 14 planning districts. The method measures how widespread an issue is, how deeply people care about it, and whether different neighborhoods are actually talking about the same thing in the first place. Along the way, Christina reflects on rebuilding trust in a city that went 40 years without a comprehensive plan and why public transparency — posting meeting notes, maps, and feedback online — has been critical to changing how residents see the planning department. “We’re professional recommenders,” Christina says. “But we can prove that what people said mattered.” For anyone grappling with the question of how to honor community voices long after the meeting ends, this episode offers both a practical framework and a powerful reminder that listening only counts if you can show your work. Episode URL: https://www.planning.org/podcast/memphis-math-a-formula-for-meaningful-engagement/ Episode Sponsor: Scenario Planning for Urban Futures certificate course from Michigan Engineering Professional Education ope.engin.umich.edu
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