2025 Trend Report for Planners
By Petra Hurtado, PhD, Ievgeniia Dulko, Joseph DeAngelis, AICP, Senna Catenacci, Sagar Shah, PhD, AICP
APA Foresight helps planners navigate change and prepare for an uncertain future. With foresight, 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 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.
This is the fourth Trend Report for Planners developed by the American Planning Association (APA) in partnership with the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy. As in previous years, the 2025 Trend Report features a list of over 100 existing, emerging, and potential future trends that the APA Foresight team and our Trend Scouting Foresight Community identified as relevant to planning. The trends are structured within three timeframes (Act Now, Prepare, Learn, and Watch), which indicate the urgency of planners' actions. Within each timeframe, trends are grouped into themed clusters. For each trend, the report gives insights and explains why it is important for planners to know about and consider the trend in their work. All trends and signals are based on facts and are neutrally described without judgement.
This report was developed in partnership with the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy.
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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>
Ievgeniia Dulko
Zhenia Dulko is a planner, researcher, and educator with over eight years of experience in planning and urban management. She serves as a foresight manager at the American Planning Association, where she contributes to the APA Foresight Program and the Trend Report for Planners creation.
Joseph DeAngelis, AICP
Joe DeAngelis, AICP, is a planner and research manager at the American Planning Association, where he manages projects on climate adaptation, natural hazard risk, and community resilience. Joe has co-authored a variety of publications while at APA, including the 2020 Planning Advisory Service Report “Planning for Infrastructure Resilience” and since 2021, APA’s annual Trend Report. Joe is also the co-author of the upcoming report “Exploratory Scenario Planning for Hazard Mitigation and Climate Adaptation.” Before coming to APA in 2016, Joe worked as a Resilience Planner for the New York City Department of City Planning, where he focused on post-Hurricane Sandy recovery and long-term redevelopment. He holds a Master of Urban Planning degree from CUNY-Hunter College.
Senna Catenacci
Senna is a graduate of the University of Michigan with degrees in Environment and Political Science, and currently works at the American Planning Association. She conducts research for APA's grant-funded projects and Foresight initiative, primarily in helping with the development of the annual Trend Report.
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.
Table of Contents
The Framework
About This Report
How to Use This Report
An Inclusive Approach to Futures
About the American Planning Association, and the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy
APA's Trend Scouting Foresight Community
APA's Trend Universe
The Trends We Need to Act on Now
Shifting Climate Mitigation Strategies
The New Average: Demographics and Housing Needs
Digital Fatigue
Changing Lifestyles from Heat, Wildfire, and Air Pollution
The Evolving Needs of Public Spaces
Water at Risk: Global Change, Local Consequences
The Trends We Need to Prepare For
AI Power Struggle
Growing Geopolitical Turbulence
Emerging Conflict Amid the Green Transition
New and Intensifying Health Risks
The Paradoxes of Migration
Redefining Balance: Life in the Post-Work Era
The Trends We Need to Learn and Watch
A Sky Full of Stuff: The Future of Aviation
Climate Innovation
The Personalized Health-Care Revolution
Innovations that Could Reshape Everyday Life
The Future of Planning
Inclusive Futures and the Role of Technology
Upskilling
PlanTech: Updating the Planner's Toolkit
Conclusion