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Shaping Planning Conversations
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Recent Episodes
Ryan Slattery, AICP, on Resilience, Community Trust, and Tough Conversations
In this episode of People Behind the Plans, APA Editor in Chief Meghan Stromberg talks with Ryan Slattery, AICP, resilience and hazard mitigation planning manager at Freese and Nichols, about how to have honest conversations with communities that don’t share your worldview — and why that skill is at the heart of good planning. Drawing on a decade of resilience work in Houston, a city that has faced hurricanes, a historic winter storm, and a global pandemic, Ryan explains why meeting people where they are isn’t about avoiding hard truths. It’s about finding the way in. He also talks about what it’s like to be a planner inside a large engineering firm, how he navigates data gaps in the current federal landscape, and why the most critical feedback from a community engagement session is some of the best data.
From Data Centers to City Streets: Rethinking Infrastructure in a Digital Age
Co-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.
Planning Education, Uncertainty, and the rapid evolution of AI with tom Sanchez, AICP
In this episode of the Trend Talk podcast, a companion series for the 2026 Trend Report for Planners, Joe DeAngelis, AICP, research manager at 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.
Resilient Landscapes: The Land Use Planning for Wildfires in California training Program
In this episode of the APA podcast, 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, explore California’s Land Use Planning for Wildfires in California Training Program, recipient of the 2025 Resilience and Sustainability Award. They discuss how the unique interdisciplinary program brings planners and fire officials together to reduce risk, strengthen collaboration, and improve long-term resilience.
Connected Neighborhoods: The Joe Louis Greenway Neighborhood Study
In this episode of the APA podcast, Michele Flournoy, urban designer at Detroit's Planning Development Department, and Ashley DiCaro, senior associate at Interface Studio discuss Detroit's Heavyweight Impact: The Joe Louis Greenway Neighborhood Planning Study for Inclusive Neighborhood Growth, recipient of the 2025 National Planning Excellence Award.
Governance, Preemption, and the Importance of Protecting Local Representation with Nestor Davidson
In 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), 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.
Connecting Communities: Rural Solutions for Transportation Challenges
In 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.
Embracing Transformation: the Gwinnett County 2045 Unified Plan
In 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
The Circular Economy, Climate Action, and Urban Sustainability with Helen Santiago-Fink
In 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, 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 artificial intelligence (AI) and digital marketing approaches to promote sustainability.
Memphis Math: A Formula for Meaningful Engagement
In this episode of People Behind the Plans, APA Editor in Chief Meghan Stromberg talks with planner Christina Edingbourgh about "Memphis Math" — a framework designed to turn community listening into measurable, transparent data. Christina explains how her team structures engagement so residents feel safe, comfortable, and confident that what they say actually matters. The conversation explores how tracking and quantifying residents' insights and expertise has helped to rebuild trust, strengthen planning recommendations, and create a clear line from community input to citywide action.
Pathways to Influence: Finding Your Voice as a Planning Advocate
In this episode of the APA Podcast, three planning professionals share their personal journeys and practical advice on how planners can engage in advocacy work. Planners have the data, vision, and insights that elected officials need to be able to make informed decisions for our communities. And yet, advocacy can still feel intimidating or even prohibitive to planners. Over a series of conversations, Ed LeClear, AICP, Laila Imihy, AICP, and Madeline Sturms, AICP, aim to demystify advocacy work and help us better understand how it can be empowering in a planning career. They also highlight the value of planting seeds for future change, the rewarding outcomes of long-term advocacy, and why we need planning voices at the table now more than ever.