Hot Takes: What NOT to Do When Planning
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Certification Maintenance
Course Details
Comprehensive plans are critical roadmaps for cities, but let's be honest - sometimes the process is an absolute mess! Between navigating political landmines, longstanding community conflicts, and city friction; engaging a skeptical community; and somehow still producing a technically sound and actionable plan, planners often find themselves in impossible situations.
This presentation takes an honest look at what NOT to do when managing a comprehensive plan. Use real-world examples from across the nation to share the biggest lessons learned in navigating community engagement, polarizing politics, budgets, interpersonal dynamics, and the emotional toll of serving as liaison between the city and the people.
Learn from projects in big cities like Las Vegas in the West to small, rural communities in the East, and everywhere in between. This presentation's hot takes, planning scars, and many lessons learned leave you with practical insights to avoid common pitfalls and deliver a plan that is both implementable and community-supported.
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Learning Outcomes
- Identify key mistakes in community engagement and how to avoid alienating stakeholders.
- Understand the political dynamics that affect comprehensive planning and strategies for navigating them effectively.
- Recognize planners’ emotional labor and learn techniques to manage stress and burnout in public-facing work.