People Behind the Plans Podcast Series
About This Series
Exploring the Work, Life, and Ideas of Planners Across the Field
People Behind the Plans highlights the planners, practitioners, and professionals shaping communities across the United States. Through conversations and stories, the series explores their experiences, challenges, and insights, offering a closer look at the individuals driving planning practice, innovation, and resilient community development today.
Current Episode
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.
Episodes
2026
February 2026
Memphis Math: A Formula for Meaningful Engagement
A conversation that explores a community engagement framework that translates public input into measurable data, helping planners build trust, improve transparency, and ensure resident feedback directly informs planning decisions and citywide actions.
January 2026
An Interview with Marccus Hendricks on Infrastructural Justice and Staying True to Your Values
A conversation on disaster resilience, environmental justice, and planning examines social vulnerability, infrastructure inequity, and the importance of community-centered approaches in addressing climate risks and shaping healthier, more equitable communities.
2025
October 2025
An Interview with Kelsey Zlevor on Designing Public Spaces for Mental Health
A conversation that explores how parks and public spaces can be designed to support mental health, emphasizing emotionally inclusive design, community insight, and the role of everyday environments in reducing anxiety and fostering well-being.
August 2025
A conversation that explores how a study tool evolved into a planning podcast, highlighting professional growth, collaboration, diverse perspectives, and the role of books, storytelling, and curiosity in shaping planning practice and careers.
June 2015
An Interview with Phil Green, AICP, on What Planners Can Learn from Improv
A conversation that explores how improvisation skills like active listening, collaboration, and adaptability can strengthen planning practice, improve communication, build empathy, and help professionals navigate community engagement and challenging decision-making situations.
April 2025
A conversation that explores how an introverted planner used social media to build authentic professional connections, grow confidence, engage in equity-focused planning topics, and navigate networking while maintaining personal well-being.
February 2025
An Interview with Tom Pace on Zoning Reform and Housing Innovation in Sacramento
A conversation that explores zoning reform efforts in a major city, focusing on housing affordability, infill and transit-oriented development, reduced parking requirements, streamlined approvals, and strategies for creating more equitable, accessible, and sustainable communities.
2024
December 2024
An Interview with Nico Larco and Kaarin Knudson on Demystifying Sustainable Urban Design
A conversation that explores how planners integrate multiple disciplines to translate complex design concepts into practical tools, highlighting a resource that supports sustainable urban design, stakeholder engagement, and informed decision-making for community planning outcomes.
October 2024
A conversation that explores the role of planning in sustainable and resilient food systems, examining food insecurity, rural and urban agriculture, land use conflicts with renewable energy, and strategies for comprehensive food systems planning.
April 2024
A conversation that explores a national effort to map and simplify local zoning regulations, supporting housing reform and transparency, while showing how planners use data tools to better understand and advocate for equitable land use policy.
February 2024
An Interview with Megan Oliver on How to Plan for Happiness in Cities
A conversation that explores how planning can support emotional well-being by applying insights from neuroscience and neurodiversity, focusing on designing environments that promote mental health, social connection, and more inclusive, human-centered places.
2023
December 2023
An Interview with Anaid Yerena and Rashad Williams on Building an Equitable Future of Planning
A conversation that explores how planning history includes systemic racism, highlighting strategies for anti-racist practice, equitable community planning, and approaches to dismantling structural barriers through education, reflection, and transformative change in the profession.
October 2023
An Interview with Shain Shapiro on Taylor Swift and the Benefits of a Music Policy for Your City
A conversation that explores how music contributes to urban quality of life and economic vitality, highlighting how cities can integrate music into planning policy and long-term strategies for more vibrant, inclusive communities.
August 2023
A conversation that explores how planners can address systemic inequity through zoning reform and comprehensive planning, including strategies for building consensus, overcoming resistance, and strengthening equitable, community-focused planning approaches.
June 2023
A conversation that explores how planning content creators use social media to engage the public, explain planning concepts, and connect everyday concerns like housing and traffic to the profession through accessible storytelling.
April 2023
A conversation that explores disability inclusion in planning, highlighting how the built environment creates barriers, the importance of universal design, and how storytelling can shift perceptions toward more accessible, equitable communities for all.
February 2023
An Interview with Mural Arts Philadelphia's Jane Golden: Planning and Public Art Ignite Change
A conversation that explores how public art programs shape community identity, support engagement, and address social issues, highlighting partnerships between planners and artists to integrate murals and creativity into urban development.
2022
December 2022
A conversation that explores zoning reform, examining how traditional land use regulations have contributed to housing, environmental, and equity challenges, and highlighting emerging approaches to more flexible and effective planning policies.
November 2022
A conversation about blockchain explores its potential beyond cryptocurrency and NFTs, highlighting uses in urban planning, government transparency, open data, and smart city innovation, alongside lessons for planners and civic technology applications in cities today.
September 2022
An Interview with Planner and City Official Nithya Raman's Vision to End Homelessness in Los Angeles
A conversation with a city council member highlights efforts to address homelessness through increasing housing supply, tackling traffic and gentrification, and improving inclusivity while emphasizing planner roles in education, collaboration, and community-driven change today citywide.
July 2022
An Interview with Naomi Doerner about Navigating Mobility Justice
A conversation about mobility justice explores how planners address transportation inequities through equity-focused programs, community engagement, and lived experience, highlighting global examples and strategies for ensuring marginalized communities shape transportation systems in cities worldwide today.
May 2022
The Intersection of Hip Hop and Planning with Michael Ford
A conversation that explores connections between hip-hop, urban design, community engagement, and architecture education, highlighting a program that uses music to inspire youth to analyze cities and address urban issues through creative placemaking and planning practice.
2021
October 2021
Fighting Climate Change in Cities With Biodiversity and Nature-Based Design
A conversation that explores biodiversity and nature-based solutions to help cities address climate change and extreme heat through global projects emphasizing local knowledge, equitable impacts, and strategies for more resilient urban environments and design approaches globally.
March 2021
An Interview with "Feminist City" Author Leslie Kern on Envisioning More Equitable Urban Spaces
A conversation that explores what makes a feminist city and who it serves, examining how people experience urban spaces differently, highlighting gender equity, social inclusion, and planning approaches for more just post-pandemic communities and environments.
February 2021
An Interview with Katanya Raby About Continuing the Equity Work of Civil Rights Giant Al Raby
A conversation that explores urban planning, activism, and public service, highlighting equity-focused work, community education, and tools like impact assessments and aerial imagery, while emphasizing how children and communities understand complex city planning issues today globally.
2020
December 2020
An Interview with Tamika Butler on Antiracism, Equity, and Self-Care Through Solopreneurship
A conversation that reflects on equity-focused planning and organizational change in the built environment, discussing ongoing antiracism efforts, collaboration, and how agencies can better center inclusion while supporting planners to apply values in practice today.
November 2020
Seeking Justice and Showing Communities Love Through Planning
A conversation that explores anti-racist and values-driven planning practice focused on social justice, community participation, and equity, highlighting work with marginalized groups and reflecting on how planners can create more inclusive, accountable, and humane processes today.
May 2020
Immigrant Experiences, Economic Development, and "Third Places" in the U.S. — and Australia
A conversation that explores how immigration and global experience shape community planning, focusing on social bonds, placemaking, and economic development, comparing engagement practices across countries, and highlighting how planners support resilient, inclusive communities during economic change.
March 2020
Rezoning East Harlem, Rethinking One-Size-Fits-All Public Engagement
A conversation that explores how exposure to urban inequities can shape a career in planning, highlighting community engagement, civic impact, and neighborhood planning while reflecting on public versus private sector experiences and inclusive design approaches today.
January 2020
CMAP Executive Director Erin Aleman: Making Change Is Relationship Building
A conversation that explores leadership in regional planning, emphasizing transportation and housing integration, inclusive growth, resilience, and investment priorities, highlighting how small actions in large jurisdictions can meaningfully improve communities through respectful engagement with residents today.
2019
November 2019
An Interview with Kelwin Harris
A conversation that explores property tax transparency and data modernization in regional government, reflecting on outreach, equity, and community development while highlighting lessons from grassroots planning, public service, and efforts to improve trust and engagement today.
October 2019
An Interview with Todd Vanadilok, AICP
A conversation that explores how urban planning can intersect with storytelling and creativity, highlighting social justice themes, community-specific approaches, and the importance of tailoring planning processes to different places while reflecting on professional growth and service to communities.
September 2019
An Interview with Enessa Janes, AICP, PhD
A conversation that explores community resilience and disaster preparedness, emphasizing neighbor connections, local support networks, and how cities integrate resilience into planning while addressing environmental, social equity, and long-term stress and shock management strategies today.
July 2019
An Interview with Julie Burros
A conversation that explores cultural planning as a tool for solving urban challenges, integrating arts into infrastructure, housing, transportation, and climate work while addressing equity, community engagement, and how culture can shape more hopeful cities today.
An Interview with Donald Shoup, FAICP
A conversation that explores parking policy and urban transportation, highlighting how pricing reform, eliminating minimum requirements, and better curb management can improve equity, efficiency, and public services while addressing long-standing market and planning failures in cities today.
May 2019
A conversation that explores missing middle housing as a way to increase neighborhood density while maintaining character, highlighting design strategies like form-based codes and approaches to revitalizing vacant lots through balanced planning and community-focused development today.
April 2019
A conversation that explores urban planning challenges in a major city, including housing, homelessness, short-term rentals, and cultural heritage, highlighting experimental policy approaches and the role of planners in addressing complex urban issues today.
March 2019
An Interview with Sadhu Johnston
A conversation that explores urban sustainability and planning successes alongside housing affordability and public health challenges, highlighting strategies like climate action plans, green infrastructure, and innovative housing solutions to improve livability and reduce environmental impacts in cities.
An Interview with Jana Lynott, AICP
A conversation that explores community livability and planning tools that evaluate housing, transportation, health, and opportunity while emphasizing mobility for all ages and abilities and encouraging planners to design more inclusive people-centered built environments today.
February 2019
An Interview with Trevor Dick, AICP\
A conversation that explores creative approaches to planning communication, revitalization of commercial corridors, and inclusive downtown development, highlighting efforts to engage residents, improve public meetings, and strengthen diverse, community-centered urban redevelopment initiatives in growing cities today.
2018
December 2018
An Interview with Josina Morita
A conversation that explores water stewardship and urban infrastructure, highlighting how cities manage stormwater and wastewater systems while advancing green technology, environmental responsibility, and equity, and reflecting on how budgets shape community values and investment priorities.
November 2018
An Interview with Nina Idemudia, AICP
A conversation that explores how urban planning shapes everyday life, emphasizing community engagement, barriers to participation, and the importance of equity as a foundation for planning practice, while encouraging collaboration and openness among planners today.
October 2018
An Interview with Mark de la Vergne
A conversation that explores urban mobility and transportation innovation, highlighting efforts to improve access and reduce friction through new technologies, car-sharing pilots, and infrastructure upgrades while emphasizing empathy and equity in serving diverse city residents today.
September 2018
A conversation that explores resilience, civic infrastructure, and participatory design, highlighting how planners and allied professions collaborate to address environmental challenges and support communities through interdisciplinary approaches to climate impacts and urban development today.
August 2018
An Interview with Bob Becker, FAICP
A conversation that explores how a major urban park recovered after a devastating hurricane, highlighting master planning, disaster recovery, and long-term resilience while reflecting on a planning career shaped by global and academic experiences in city building.
July 2018
An Interview with Kate Hartley
A conversation that explores housing policy and urban planning in a major city, highlighting affordable housing incentives, displacement prevention, and challenges in serving middle-income households while reflecting on innovative approaches from other cities to address housing needs.
June 2018
An Interview with Greg Lindsay
A conversation that explores how technology is reshaping cities and urban planning, highlighting mobility innovation, co-working and co-living trends, tactical urbanism, and equity concerns while questioning how density and urban life are becoming increasingly exclusive today.
May 2018
An Interview with Kristin Saunders
A conversation that explores urban transportation planning in a major city, focusing on safety, mobility, and accessibility goals while examining pedestrian networks, infrastructure assessments, and community engagement around everyday transportation challenges and local civic response today.
An Interview with Mitchell Silver, FAICP
A conversation that explores how urban parks serve diverse communities, emphasizing equitable access, public engagement, and thoughtful design while reflecting on park systems, community development, and how green spaces shape inclusive and resilient cities today.
March 2018
An Interview with Jarrett Walker
A conversation that explores public transit planning and how cities can clarify values and priorities in transportation systems, emphasizing equitable decision-making, community needs, and the gap between elite preferences and broader public mobility needs in urban areas.
February 2018
A conversation that explores sustainable urban design and neighborhood planning, emphasizing equity in planning processes, the influence of hometown experiences on career paths, and how language shapes planning goals, outcomes, and community development strategies for the future.
January 2018
An Interview with Joanna Trotter
A conversation that explores economic and community development work supporting local initiatives, reflecting on how funding shapes planning practice, and discussing future challenges for planners in building equitable, resilient, and inclusive communities through collaborative investment strategies.
2017
November 2017
An Interview with Eugenie Birch, FAICP
A conversation that explores global urban planning frameworks, including the Sustainable Development Goals and New Urban Agenda, highlighting how international collaboration and research support more inclusive, sustainable cities and long-term urban development strategies worldwide.
October 2017
An Interview with Lynn Ross, AICP
In conversation, a host speaks with a planning consultant about discovering urban planning, equity in the profession, and work with federal housing agency and foundation initiatives, plus broader insights into practice and change efforts explored.
September 2017
An Interview with Bev Wilson, AICP
A conversation that explores new frameworks for civic technology and how planners can broaden the use of digital tools, highlighting academic perspectives on innovation in urban and regional planning and expanding approaches to public sector practice.
July 2017
A conversation that examines who shapes urban change, the role of partnerships, unintended consequences in planning, and how dialogue around public works inspires innovative approaches to designing and improving cities and communities.
An Interview with David Fields, AICP
A conversation that explores transportation planning experience and connecting with place, highlighting community engagement and tips for keeping public discussions with residents focused and productive across national and international planning contexts in practice and dialogue today.
April 2017
An Interview with Jamie Simone, AICP
A conversation that discusses the development of an innovative urban trail and public space corridor, focusing on alternative transportation planning, community impact, and the process of transforming infrastructure into accessible shared city environments.