In this episode of the APA Podcast, Ann Dillemuth, AICP, chats with Detroit Planning Director Alexa Bush for an in-depth conversation about Detroit’s remarkable journey from decline and bankruptcy to revitalization and growth. Alexa shares how creative funding, community engagement, and persistent vision have fueled Detroit’s urban renewal, offering crucial lessons for planners facing uncertainty in cities across the nation. In addition, Alexa shares her excitement to showcase the city's transfo...
Aug 01, 2025•40 min
Jill Locantore, Executive Director of the Denver Streets Partnership (DSP), joined co-hosts Divya Gandhi and Em Hall at the 2025 National Planning Conference in Denver to discuss how Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) can be a key tool for achieving Denver’s Vision Zero goals. This Critical Conversation in Transportation Planning dives deep into the political, cultural, and social challenges inherent to transforming corridors from car-centric to bike and pedestrian-friendly. From traffic calming and street...
Jul 17, 2025•27 min
Episode sponsor: Caltrans Episode URL: https://planning.org/podcast/critical-conversations-in-transportation-planning-mike-pritchard-aicp/ Co-hosts Divya Gandhi and Em Hall had the pleasure of sitting down with Mike Pritchard, AICP, Assistant Director at York County Planning Commission, at the 2025 National Planning Conference in Denver. This episode of Critical Conversations in Transportation Planning explores how human-centered design and empathy interviews can transform transportation plannin...
Jun 26, 2025•24 min
What do improv comedy and planning have in common? According to Phil Green, AICP —more than you'd think. A practicing planner and seasoned improviser, Phil shares with APA Editor in Chief Meghan Stromberg how tools from the improv stage—like active listening, quick thinking, and collaborative storytelling—can empower planners to navigate tough questions, community tensions, and even mundane fence permits with humor and humanity. In this episode of People Behind the Plans , Phil brings to life th...
Jun 20, 2025•37 min
Episode sponsor: Eastern Washington University Episode URL: https://planning.org/podcast/critical-conversations-in-transportation-planning-wes-marshall-and-trung-vo-aicp/ In this episode, co-hosts Divya Gandhi and Em Hall were excited to take the podcast show on the road, recording episodes at the 2025 National Planning Conference in Denver. This dispatch of Critical Conversation in Transportation Planning kicks off our safety series and features Wes Marshall, PhD, PE, a professor of civil engin...
May 08, 2025•37 min
What does being an introvert in a profession centered on community and collaboration mean? For Katelynn Morgenstern, AICP , Director of Planning and Zoning in Kennett Township, Pennsylvania , navigating networking and building a brand used to feel daunting—until she discovered the power of social media to build authentic connections, explore planning passions beyond her day job, and grow her confidence. Through her online persona @CityPlannerKate, Katelynn cultivated a meaningful network that he...
Apr 24, 2025•21 min
In this episode of the Trend Talk series, a companion podcast for APA's 2025 Trend Report for Planners , Joe DeAngelis, AICP, research manager at the American Planning Association, chats with author and urban planning professor Justin Hollander, FAICP. Listen as they examine the potential for human settlements on the Moon and Mars, and discover the unique challenges and ethical questions that come with planning cities beyond Earth. Hollander also shares insights from his book, First City on Mars...
Apr 18, 2025•17 min
In this special NPC25 episode of the APA podcast, APA President Sue Schwartz, FAICP, interviews keynote speaker Dr. Mary Beth Janke about her experiences and insights on advancing wellness and building resilience. Dr. Mary Beth, who has over 30 years of experience in psychology, security, and investigative work, shares her thoughts on setting and achieving personal goals, including her experiences delivering a TED Talk, authoring books, and serving as a Special Agent in the U.S. Secret Service. ...
Mar 20, 2025•25 min
In this episode of the Trend Talk series, a companion podcast for APA's 2025 Trend Report for Planners , Joe DeAngelis, AICP, research manager at the American Planning Association, chats with recent graduate and current transportation planner, Beneeta Mary Jose. The two explore the latest trends in micromobility, electrification, and the essential balance between proactive and reactive planning. Beneeta also shares her thoughts on how young professionals are shaping the transportation landscape,...
Mar 13, 2025•21 min
In this episode of the APA podcast, host Dina Walters is joined by David Salazar, FAICP, and Annette Koh to discuss an initiative in Long Beach, California, that is looking to pave the way for future urban planners. Through engaging youth in high schools and teen centers, the program introduces students to the world of urban planning, providing them with tools and knowledge to improve their communities. David and Annette discuss the origins of the program, its growth, the partnerships that have ...
Mar 07, 2025•48 min
In this special NPC25 episode of the APA podcast, host Michael Brown, AICP, conference committee chair for NPC25 , engages in a thought-provoking conversation with Leah Rothstein. Leah is co-author along with her father, Richard Rothstein, on the book Just Action , and has specialized in community development and affordable housing policy, practice, and finance throughout her career. Leah delves into the challenges in addressing critical issues surrounding race, housing, and community equity, em...
Feb 28, 2025•28 min
Sacramento, California, is at the forefront of zoning reform, tackling some of the biggest challenges in housing supply and affordability. Tom Pace, the city’s director of community development , shares how the city has embraced policies to remove barriers to housing production, modernize outdated regulations, and promote sustainable growth. And, he offers ideas for how other places can approach zoning reform to build more equitable and livable communities. In this episode of People Behind the P...
Feb 25, 2025•27 min
In this episode of Critical Conversations in Transportation Planning, hosts Divya Gandhi and Em Hall interview Jacky Grimshaw and Nina Idemudia, AICP, from the Center for Neighborhood Technology (CNT) in Chicago. They discuss the evolution of transportation planning, the importance of community engagement, and the emergence of millennial leadership in the planning profession. Jacky shares her extensive experience in advocating for citizen participation in transportation planning, while Nina refl...
Feb 14, 2025•34 min
In this episode of the Trend Talk series, a companion podcast for APA's 2025 Trend Report for Planners , Joe DeAngelis, AICP, Research Manager at the American Planning Association, chats with APA President, Sue Schwartz, FAICP. The two discuss the evolving landscape of public sector planning and delve into current hiring challenges, the impact of political polarization on community engagement, and the importance of personal resiliency for planners. Sue shares insights on managing technological c...
Feb 06, 2025•24 min
Planners have a difficult job. In addition to being experts on their own technical field of planning, they must also understand a variety of other disciplines — like architecture, landscape and ecology to name just a few. These fields are complex in their own right, and planners must consider and translate these concepts for laypeople and elected officials alike. Nico Larco experienced this information overload firsthand and decided to build a resource to compile and contextualize the essential ...
Dec 17, 2024•21 min
In this episode of the Housing Supply Accelerator series, Emily Pasi, Director of Public Affairs at the American Planning Association, chats with Robert Broeksmit, President and CEO of the Mortgage Bankers Association . The two discuss why MBA joined the Housing Supply Accelerator; how the economics of the housing crisis impacts the real estate finance industry; the importance of bringing the lending community's voice to the table when crafting policy; how local government can close housing deve...
Dec 10, 2024•30 min
In this episode of People Behind the Plans, Julia Freedgood, author of Planning Sustainable and Resilient Food Systems, talks about the complex and fragile web behind the food we eat, and the important role planning plays, especially in rural areas. Freedgood, a senior fellow and senior program advisor at the American Farmland Trust, digs into rural and urban agriculture, food insecurity, and even how renewable energy production can be at odds with food production. Always optimistic, she'll shar...
Oct 16, 2024•22 min
In this third episode of the series, Emily Pasi, Director of Public Affairs at the American Planning Association, chats with Kevin Sears, President of the National Association of Realtors . The two discuss how real estate professionals have been specifically impacted by the housing crisis, what barriers and opportunities exist for growing the nation's housing supply, and why it is important for NAR to be a partner in the Housing Supply Accelerator . Episode URL: https://planning.org/podcast/hous...
Sep 30, 2024•16 min
In this episode of the APA Podcast, Jason Jordan, APA's Principal of Public Affairs, chats with Burlington, Vermont's former mayor, Miro Weinberger, and former planning director, Meagan Tuttle, AICP. In this discussion, they share how they worked together to provide the political leadership and the critical insights needed for Burlington to enact one of the nation's most important and far-reaching reforms aimed at increasing housing supply. Episode Sponsor: Booked on Planning Episode URL: https:...
Sep 09, 2024•59 min
Welcome to the third episode of Short Takes, a three-part miniseries from the American Planning Association. Short Takes, hosted by Sophia Burns, brings listeners into the field with planners pursuing inventive new approaches to everyday issues: community engagement, land use and zoning, and career advancement. In this episode, we share how three planners helped community members navigate change with deep listening, secret shopping, and sometimes leading by following. Listen as they share how pu...
Aug 20, 2024•23 min
Welcome to the second episode of Short Takes, a three-part miniseries from the American Planning Association. Short Takes, hosted by Sophia Burns, brings listeners into the field with planners pursuing inventive new approaches to everyday issues: community engagement, land use and zoning, and career advancement. In this episode, we dive into the journeys of two planners who have transformed career challenges into opportunities for growth. They share their strategies for coping with imposter synd...
Jul 23, 2024•18 min
Welcome to the first episode of Short Takes , a three-part miniseries from the American Planning Association. Short Takes , hosted by Sophia Burns, brings listeners into the field with planners pursuing inventive new approaches to everyday issues: community engagement, land use and zoning, and career advancement. This episode retraces three planners’ steps as they implement and evaluate novel approaches to community engagement. Tune in to hear how block parties, compensation policies, and "Frenc...
Jun 18, 2024•19 min
In this second episode of the series, Emily Pasi, Director of Public Affairs at the American Planning Association, chats with Carl Harris, Chairman of the National Association of Home Builders . The two discuss the NAHB's role as a core partner in the Housing Supply Accelerator , as well as what some of the barriers home builders face to building more housing nationwide. They also look at some of the potential solutions that can help communities and developers work together to produce, preserve,...
Jun 14, 2024•17 min
In this first episode in a new series, Emily Pasi, director of public affairs at the American Planning Association chats with Clarence Anthony, CEO of the National League of Cities (NLC). Clarence and NLC are partners alongside APA on the Housing Supply Accelerator . The Housing Supply Accelerator is a national campaign to improve local capacity, identify critical solutions, and speed reforms that enable communities and developers to work together to produce, preserve, and provide diverse, attai...
May 16, 2024•35 min
Zoning reform has become a topic of national interest, not just among planners and local decision makers, but also in the national media and in everyday conversations. While the national housing crisis is well-documented, information on the role of local zoning rules has been harder to find — until now. The National Zoning Atlas is going state by state to create a map of local land use policies. It simplifies and unifies a multitude of data inputs, helping planners and community members to both ...
Apr 24, 2024•23 min
Planners can design places for many purposes: to promote commerce, to protect us from natural disasters, to uplift historical significance. As mental health and social relationships become increasingly significant, new questions rise to the top: What about planning for the way people feel? How can planners better understand how environments impact well-being and then learn to shape more joyful, healing spaces? In this episode of People Behind the Plans , Megan Oliver, AICP, WELL AP, founder of H...
Apr 23, 2024•26 min
The history of planning includes racist policies and practices that have resulted in entrenched inequity and enduring systemic barriers. Understanding the complexities and impacts of those barriers is necessary to dismantling ingrained inequalities and achieving transformative change. A recent edition of the Journal of the American Planning Association (JAPA) called “Antiracist Futures: Disrupting Racist Planning Practices in Workplaces, Institutions, and Communities” centers racial justice in t...
Dec 19, 2023•20 min
Jewell Littles Walton is an urban planning and real estate professional with a career spanning multiple decades. She joins Dina Walters, a member of APA's Prioritize Equity team, for this special episode to share the story of uncovering her family’s connection to the early 20th century Greenwood neighborhood in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Greenwood was known as “Black Wall Street”, one of the most prosperous African-American communities in the United States, and was home to one of the nation’s worst race m...
Dec 14, 2023•36 min
When it comes to essential services and the stakeholders of a city, music and the people who make up a music ecosystem may not always be mentioned in the same breath as utilities and schools or residents and businesses. But music can enhance quality of life and plays an important role in generating prosperity for people, organizations and cities as a whole when it coexists harmoniously among its neighbors. Shain Shapiro has dedicated the last decade to helping cities embrace the value of music a...
Oct 19, 2023•25 min
Addressing systemic racism and entrenched inequity has become an imperative for many institutions. Planners are in a unique position to make a big course correction on equity through comprehensive planning — if they embrace the opportunity to lead. On this episode of People Behind the Plans, Taiwo Jaiyeoba joins host Meghan Stromberg to talk about leading zoning reform efforts in Charlotte and Greensboro, North Carolina, both as a planning director and in his current role as city manager. He als...
Aug 29, 2023•28 min
