Latinos and Planning Division

2008 Conference session Three great sessions were sponsored by Latinos and Planning Division in Las Vegas (more information on speakers available in upcoming newsletter): Latino USA : Cultural Influences in Reshaping of the American Suburbs Creative and Inclusive Planning Alternatives Contested Space: Latinos and Public Spaces We had from 50 to 90 session attendees in each of these sessions! We had more than 30 individuals attend the business meeting! We had more than 30 individuals attend the organized tour and lunch!

To this end, we:

• Hold dialogos (Spanish for "dialogues") around the United States to identify critical issues. The results are integrated into a national agenda.
• Are building a diverse and supportive national network of planning, community, and policy professionals to address these issues.
• Are working to influence planning organizations, funders, policymakers, academics and others to address the strategies identified in the dialogos.

Priority issues we've identified based on nationwide dialogos as of November 2006:

• Increase numbers of Latinos participating in planning in their communities
• Improve the ways urban planners understand and relate to the needs and desires of Latino communities
• Promote urban design that addresses needs of Latino communities
• Help empower Latino communities to build and implement plans for their communities
• Help facilitate continuously improving planning processes to provide and improve results for Latino community residents and stakeholders
• Help stakeholders connect relationship between redevelopment and gentrification in Latino communities and reduce impacts to every-day lives of citizens

Top image: Courtesy Transportation & Land Use Collaborative of Southern California.