February 26 – Award-Winning Sustainability – Sustainable Communities Division – Speakers: Neil Angus, Ronda Fast, Justin Golbabai, John Zeanah.  1.5 CM credits approved.Winning isn’t everything, but we can often learn a lot from plans, programs, and projects that have been deemed worthy of an award. In this session, speakers representing four winners of SCD’s 2015   …

March 4 – Wisconsin Chapter – The Central Social District – the Key to Tomorrow's Successful Downtown – Speakers: Andrew Dane, David Milder.  1.5 CM credits approved. For decades, the terms Central Business District, CBD and downtown were used almost interchangeably because, functionally, downtowns were dominated by retail stores, office based businesses, professionals and government agencies,   …

March 11 – Planning and the Black Community Division – New Data Tools for Supporting Analysis of Equitable Development and Environmental Justice – Speakers: Kevin Olp, Sarah Treuhaft, Carlton Ely. 1.5 CM credits pending.Understanding the challenges and opportunities communities face—economic, social, and environmental—is a prerequisite for making investments that achieve their goals. To respond to   …

Penn State Extension provides research-based practical education you can trust. We help people, businesses, and communities solve problems, develop skills, and build a better future. http://extension.psu.edu/.Dealing with Conflict Over Natural Resource and Land Use Issues: An Introduction to the Strategies and ToolsUnderstanding the tools and strategies for managing and planning for controversial natural resource and   …

March 18 – Small Towns and Rural Planning Division – The New “Cottage” Industry: Housing, Lodging, and the Sharing Economy – Speakers: Jessica Garrow, Phillip Supino, Brian Duffany.  1.5 CM credits approvedThe new Sharing Economy has enabled the availability of private short-term rental properties like never before. Web-based clearinghouses for short-term rentals, such as VRBO   …

Penn State Extension provides research-based practical education you can trust. We help people, businesses, and communities solve problems, develop skills, and build a better future. http://extension.psu.edu/.Stabilizing Communities through Vacant & Abandoned Property InitiativesLand banks and conservatorships are new tools for Pennsylvania communities to return vacant, abandoned, and tax delinquent properties to productive use. Land banks   …

April 22 - Transportation Planning Division - Applications in Transit PlanningJon Sigall will discuss ways in which multi-modal transportation planning can help achieve equitable transit outcomes. Socio-economically disadvantaged groups face barriers to mobility and accessibility that higher-income demographics don’t. Constraints range from inequitable or cost-prohibitive fares to inadequate and unreliable service. He will describe various   …

April 29 - Connecticut Chapter - Planning Ethics-Dealing With Problem Boards and Board MembersHave you ever faced a situation where a board member—or the entire board—goes rogue, veering into unethical or even illegal territory? As an AICP member, what is your role and what are your responsibilities when this occurs? We will explore these issues   …

May 6 - Private Practice Division - What I Wish I KnewIs it true that private sector planners earn more? Is it true that public sector planners have a greater degree of job security? Are you thinking of transitioning to “the other side” after working in the public sector for many years? Or are you   …

Penn State Extension provides research-based practical education you can trust. We help people, businesses, and communities solve problems, develop skills, and build a better future. http://extension.psu.edu/.Form-based Zoning: Not your Grandfather’s ApproachHow do small towns transform their thinking about zoning and land use controls while influencing other communities to do the same? Engaging the public in   …

May 20 - Private Practice Division - Forging Neighborhoods for all GenerationsA powerful new reality and a profound demographic transformation is an aging America. That baby boomers are swelling the ranks of older Americans is well-documented. This profound demographic transition is challenging communities struggling to maintain the status quo, and, is overwhelming to government and   …

June 3 - County Planning Division - Be Project Ready: Go from Opportunistic to Strategic Green InfrastructureWith limited budgets, communities must prioritize options for addressing flood hazards and the costs of those options. Coastal green infrastructure is a strategy for reducing impacts from storm surge, sea level rise, and precipitation and includes approaches across different   …

June 10 - Virginia Chapter - Airport Land Use and Noise Compatibility This session will address land use compatibility around the airport in your community, and will touch on the following topics: (1) Land Use – How to plan for land use around airports/how to measure incompatibility; Compatible land uses that can spur economic development;   …

June 17 - Transportation Planning Division - Where We Want to LiveRyan Gravel, author of the original thesis for the Atlanta Beltline, will discuss the topics of his new book, “Where We Want to Live – Reclaiming Infrastructure for a New Generation of Cities.” This fresh take on the future of cities investigates the cultural   …

Combining Climate Adaptation and Hazard Mitigation PlansJuly 7, 2016, 12:00 noon–1:00 p.m. CT(starting at 1 p.m. ET, 11 a.m. MT, 10 a.m. PT)CM | 1.01 Core CEC for CFMsThe Planning Information Exchange (PIE) steering committee is pleased to announce the Combining Climate Adaptation and Hazard Mitigation Plans webinar.Please join two professionals, a planner and emergency   …

Penn State Extension provides research-based practical education you can trust. We help people, businesses, and communities solve problems, develop skills, and build a better future. http://extension.psu.edu/.Where It All Goes and Why You Need to Know: Act 537 Sewage Facilities Planning RequirementsPA Sewage Facilities Act planning requirements affect how land can be used, developed, subdivided and   …

Please join the Plan4Health community to discuss local data sources and data gathering strategies.  Leveraging planning and public health data strengthens the overall approach to a healthy communities project.  But, finding the right data source is often challenging—and may mean gathering information directly from community residents.  Speakers Arthi Rao and Aaron Mondada will share their   …

Join the Plan4Health community and Katie Osborn, Principal and Wayfinding Strategist of Via Collective, for a discussion of wayfinding.  More than finding a way to get from Point A to Point B, wayfinding increases connectivity and enhances community in diverse environments.  From airports and convention centers to urban trails and neighborhood parks, wayfinding is a   …

Penn State Extension provides research-based practical education you can trust. We help people, businesses, and communities solve problems, develop skills, and build a better future. http://extension.psu.edu/.Creating Cool Roof Zones: City Greening and Urban Agriculture for Heat Island MitigationsGlobal population growth reached a tipping point in mid-2009, when the world population became more urban than rural   …

August 19 - Transportation Planning Division - Smart Growth and FAST Act Bill (Part I)Joe McAndrew is T4America’s Policy Director, bringing comprehensive local, state and federal policy and advocacy experience to this position. He directs all legislative, policy, regulation, and related matters for T4America’s national alliance, and manages relations with elected and government officials and   …

Penn State Extension provides research-based practical education you can trust. We help people, businesses, and communities solve problems, develop skills, and build a better future. http://extension.psu.edu/.Pennsylvania Demographics: Sources & TrendsFinding and using demographic information is an important part of planning practice. In fact, this information is vital for communities to integrate into their comprehensive planning.   …

Penn State Extension provides research-based practical education you can trust. We help people, businesses, and communities solve problems, develop skills, and build a better future. http://extension.psu.edu/. Who Invited the PA PUC to the Planning Party? The Pennsylvania Public Utilities Commission (PUC) is referenced several times in the PA Municipalities Planning Code (MPC) including Article IV   …

Penn State Extension provides research-based practical education you can trust. We help people, businesses, and communities solve problems, develop skills, and build a better future. http://extension.psu.edu/. Safe Streets for Everyone: Lancaster County’s Complete Streets Program & Complete Streets in Southwest PA People in Lancaster County and communities nationwide are seeking more opportunities to walk, bicycle   …

Penn State Extension provides research-based practical education you can trust. We help people, businesses, and communities solve problems, develop skills, and build a better future. http://extension.psu.edu/. Intergenerational Spaces and Places for Building Meaningful Relationships What does it mean to create public places that are conducive to intergenerational engagement and cooperation? Places such as parks, playgrounds,   …

Planning webcast series Bicycling Innovations for Small Towns and Rural Communities Sponsored by APA Chapters & Divisions (approved for CM credit, event #9118616) With the release of a new publication by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), the Small Town and Rural Multimodal Networks (STAR) Guide focuses on design guidelines that aim to improve bicycling and   …

Penn State Extension provides research-based practical education you can trust. We help people, businesses, and communities solve problems, develop skills, and build a better future. http://extension.psu.edu/. The Subdivision and Land Development Review Process in Pennsylvania The local development review process prescribed by the Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code is complex.  It can frustrate local officials, developers,   …