2022 Trend Report for Planners
By Petra Hurtado, PhD, Sagar Shah, PhD, AICP, Joseph DeAngelis, AICP, Alexsandra Gomez
APA Foresight helps planners navigate change and prepare for an uncertain future. With foresight in mind, planners can guide change, create more sustainable and equitable outcomes, and establish themselves as critical to thriving communities. Foresight is not about predicting the future — it is about understanding drivers of change that are outside of our control, how we can prepare for them, and when it is time to act. APA Foresight identifies emerging trends and how scenarios stemming from each may impact the world, our communities, and the planning profession in the years to come.
The 2022 Trend Report for Planners features nearly 100 existing, emerging, and potential future trends that APA identified as relevant to planning. The trends are structured within three timeframes (Act Now, Prepare, Learn and Watch), which indicate the urgency of planners' action. For each trend, the report gives insights on what the trend is about and explains why they are important for planners to know about and consider in their work. Additionally, the report describes "trend patterns," which explore the bigger-picture developments rooted in the variety of trends observed and how they affect planning. Ultimately, this report addresses the future of planning, explaining how the planning profession will have to evolve to keep up with a continuously changing world, what new skills planners will have to develop, and which new tools are worth trying.
Planners can use the trends listed in this report as input for their long-range and current planning processes, to practice strategic foresight during community visioning processes, for scenario planning, or simply to inform future decision-making.
This report was developed in partnership with the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy.
Details
About the Authors
Petra Hurtado, PhD
<p>Petra (Stieninger) Hurtado is the Director of Research and Foresight at the American Planning Association, heading APA’s research programs and foresight practice. In this role, she is responsible for expanding a future-focused research agenda, advancing planning practices that assist communities in navigating change, and developing APA's foresight practice to inform APA's strategic governance. Petra has a Ph.D. in urban planning from the Vienna University of Technology. Her areas of expertise and research include strategic foresight, urban futures, urban sustainability, smart cities, emerging technologies, nature-based solutions, and environmental psychology. Prior to joining APA, she worked as an advisor, planner, researcher, and educator in the global urban sustainability arena. Petra has authored and co-authored multiple books, research papers, publicly funded reports, and articles and has presented as a keynote speaker at numerous conferences around the globe. She is an adjunct professor at the University of Maryland and at the Vienna University of Technology. </p>
Sagar Shah, PhD, AICP
Sagar Shah, Senior Manager of Knowledge and Career Programs at the American Planning Association, is a prominent advocate for health equity in planning. He collaborates with foundations and federal agencies to shape planning practices and is an active member of APA’s Foresight Team, focusing on emerging technologies like AI. Sagar leads APA's 'Upskill Planners' initiative, equipping professionals for a dynamic future. He shares his expertise on national and international stages and contributes to the field through published research and book chapters. Sagar holds a PhD in Regional Development Planning and a Master’s in Planning.
Joseph DeAngelis, AICP
Joseph DeAngelis, AICP, is a planner and research manager at the American Planning Association, where he focuses on climate adaptation, natural hazard risk, and community resilience. He holds a Master of Urban Planning degree from CUNY-Hunter College.
Alexsandra Gomez
Alexsandra Gomez is a policy analyst at the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning. Her work is primarily in the Safe and Complete Streets program. She formerly worked as a research associate at the American Planning Association, where she supported sponsored and strategic research projects and write for APA publications. She has a background in cultural geography and anthropology and applies these disciplines to planning research and practice. Her research interests include urban political ecology, geographies of power, and equitable community-led development.
Table of Contents
The Framework
About this report
About the American Planning Association, and the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy
Contributors
Methodology
Trend Patterns
Trends for 2022
The trends in this report are structured in three timeframes, which indicate the urgency of planners' action. Within each timeframe, trends are grouped into themed clusters.
The Trends We Need to Act on Now
The climate emergency
Climate innovation
Decarbonization and diversification of transportation
Digitalization of everything
Economic restructuring
Health equity and nature
Housing affordability, availability, accessibility
Political shifts and polarization
Population diversity and inclusive design
The Trends We Need to Prepare For
Artificial Intelligence and ethics
Automation of transportation
Data collection, use, and protection
Private-sector community investment
The Trends We Need to Learn and Watch
3D printing
Community funding for equity
The Great Resignation and dislocation of work
Green signals
The metaverse
Privatization of outer space
The Future of Planning
Planning Competencies and Skills
Plan Tech: Updating the Planner’s Toolkit
Conclusion