Plan4Equity Forum

LEARNING OUTCOMES

• Learn about APA’s ongoing efforts and progress in addressing diversity, inclusion and equity, both within and outside the organization. .
• Engage in facilitated roundtable discussions on the obstacles faced and opportunities presented in achieving diversity, inclusion, and equity in planning.
• Provide input to APA on what steps and additional approaches the organization should take to further advance and implement the Diversity/Inclusion Strategy, the Social Equity Policy Guide, and other related efforts.

MORE SESSION DETAILS

In 2004, the American Planning Association held its first Diversity Summit to advocate for greater visibility of issues related to diversity, inclusion and equity, both within and outside the organization. As a result of this summit and several other efforts over the years, APA has now elevated such issues as a top priority and is actively working on them on various fronts. In 2018, APA incorporated a Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (D/I) into its work plan and is in the process of developing a Social Equity Policy Guide (SEPG). Other efforts include an upcoming PAS Report on Planning for Diverse Communities, and a joint survey to be administered with the Association of Collegiate Schools of Planning to measure the diversity climate in our workplaces. These milestones demark a new chapter in APA’s history, setting the direction for addressing some of the most challenging planning obstacles affecting vulnerable communities. The Plan4Equity Forum, organized by the APA Diversity Committee and its partners, will provide an opportunity for participants to learn first-hand about these ongoing efforts and to share their thoughts about how best to advance these initiatives in an interactive setting.

A celebration of these accomplishments will follow as a separate event.

Session Speakers

Elizabeth Tyler, FAICP
Speaker
City of San Pablo
Albany, CA

Kurt E. Christiansen, FAICP
Speaker
Richmond, VA

Marcella Bondie Keenan, AICP
Speaker
Village of Oak Park
Chicago, IL

Miguel A. Vazquez, FAICP
Organizer and Speaker
Riverside County
Riverside, CA

Miroo Desai, AICP
Speaker
City of Emeryville
Oakland, CA

Susan A. Wood, FAICP
Speaker
APA Colorado Chapter
Wheat Ridge, CO