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Recent Episodes
Connected Neighborhoods: The Joe Louis Greenway Neighborhood Study
In this episode of the APA podcast, Michele Flournoy, urban designer at Detroit's Planning Development Department, and Ashley DiCaro, senior associate at Interface Studio discuss Detroit's Heavyweight Impact: The Joe Louis Greenway Neighborhood Planning Study for Inclusive Neighborhood Growth, recipient of the 2025 National Planning Excellence Award.
Governance, Preemption, and the Importance of Protecting Local Representation with Nestor Davidson
In this episode of the Trend Talk podcast, a companion series for the 2026 Trend Report for Planners, Joe DeAngelis, AICP, research manager at the American Planning Association (APA), sits down with Nestor Davidson, the Emma Bloomberg Professor of Real Estate at the Harvard Graduate School of Design. An urban law expert, Nestor delves into the complex dynamics between state and local governance, highlighting the adversarial relationships and the challenges of state preemption.
Connecting Communities: Rural Solutions for Transportation Challenges
In this episode of Critical Conversations in Transportation Planning, co-hosts Divya Gandhi and Em Hall spoke with Luke Van Denend, Outreach Coordinator at AECOM, and Zoe Miller, MPH, Co-Founder and Executive Director of the Moving Maine Network, for a wide-ranging discussion focused on rural Transportation Demand Management (TDM) and mobility access.
Embracing Transformation: the Gwinnett County 2045 Unified Plan
In this episode of the APA podcast, Roberta Rewers, senior communications manager, explores the 2045 Unified Plan from Gwinnett County, Georgia, recipient of the Daniel Burnham Award for a Comprehensive Plan in the 2025 National Planning Awards. Joined by Yang Chen, Planning Division director at Gwinnett County, and Allison Stewart-Harris, lead consultant with TSW, they discuss how the plan reimagines suburban planning through a "mode-agnostic" approach to the 15-Minute City — prioritizing access to daily needs no matter how residents travel
The Circular Economy, Climate Action, and Urban Sustainability with Helen Santiago-Fink
In this episode of the Trend Talk podcast, a companion series for the 2026 Trend Report for Planners, Joe DeAngelis, AICP, research manager at the American Planning Association, chats with climate urbanist and researcher Helen Santiago-Fink. Helen shares insights drawn from her extensive experience working with international organizations and city governments as the two discuss the convergence of the circular economy, climate action, and technological innovation, highlighting how cities can harness artificial intelligence (AI) and digital marketing approaches to promote sustainability.
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.
Pathways to Influence: Finding Your Voice as a Planning Advocate
In this episode of the APA Podcast, three planning professionals share their personal journeys and practical advice on how planners can engage in advocacy work. Planners have the data, vision, and insights that elected officials need to be able to make informed decisions for our communities. And yet, advocacy can still feel intimidating or even prohibitive to planners. Over a series of conversations, Ed LeClear, AICP, Laila Imihy, AICP, and Madeline Sturms, AICP, aim to demystify advocacy work and help us better understand how it can be empowering in a planning career. They also highlight the value of planting seeds for future change, the rewarding outcomes of long-term advocacy, and why we need planning voices at the table now more than ever.
The Current — and Future — State of Hazard Mitigation Planning with Chrissy Caggiano, AICP
In this episode of the Trend Talk podcast, a companion series for the 2026 Trend Report for Planners, American Planning Association (APA) Research Manager Joe DeAngelis, AICP, talks with Chrissy Caggiano, AICP, chair of APA's Hazard Mitigation and Disaster Recovery Division. The two discuss the evolving role of planners in hazard mitigation and climate change adaptation, and how these critical topics are being integrated into planning education and professional practice. They also discuss how planners working in this space are coping with an environment of uncertainty and what it means for the federal government to transition responsibility for hazard mitigation and response to state and local governments.
Marccus Hendricks on Infrastructural Justice and Staying True to Your Values
In this episode of People Behind the Plans, planning scholar Marccus Hendricks reflects on disaster resilience, environmental justice, and the pressures facing planners and academics amid shifting federal priorities. Drawing on his research, lived experience, and time in the Biden administration, the University of Maryland associate professor discusses what it means to remain grounded in truth, community, and professional integrity during a moment of uncertainty for planning, science, and public service. He also shares his thinking on the concept of "infrastructural justice" and its legacy in planning, as well as his somewhat curvy path to the profession in the first place.
Kelsey Zlevor on Designing Public Spaces for Mental Health
In this episode of People Behind the Plans, APA Editor in Chief Meghan Stromberg talks with planner, researcher, and author Kelsey Zlevor about how public spaces can do more than promote mental well-being — they can actively support people living with depression, anxiety, and emotional overwhelm. Drawing from her own experience and the insights in her new book Mental Landscapes, Kelsey shares four design "amendments" for creating spaces that offer ease, awe, and emotional support. It's a conversation about empathy, inclusion, and why parks should be places to lie in the grass — and let the earth hold you.