Find Us at the 2024 APA National Planning Conference
Get ready to join Alta and your fellow transportation experts at the 2024 National Planning Conference in Minneapolis, MN, on April 13–16 and May 8–10! Organized by the American Planning Association, NPC24 is a prestigious gathering of thousands of experts, thought leaders, and practitioners in the planning domain. This year’s event will delve into critical themes shaping our societies and the planning discipline, such as climate change, diversity, inclusive design, health equity, transportation, and more.
In addition to the presentations below please keep an eye out for Alta’s Climate Group Co-Lead Maria Wardoku at the APA Sustainable Communities Division reception and Civic Analytics Practice Lead David Wasserman at the APA Technology Division reception, both on the evening of Sunday, April 14.
We are thrilled to announce three sessions centered around dynamic planning and strategies aimed at nurturing connected communities. We look forward to seeing you there!
Every planning endeavor intersects with the political landscape, presenting planners with the challenge of balancing their designated roles with the chance to champion equity. Join Senior Planning Associate Lisa Bender as she leads a group of panelists in sharing their experiences on the frontlines of public service, offering real-life lessons for navigating the political process while highlighting strategies for incorporating race equity goals into comprehensive planning; developing actionable plans for transportation, housing and climate planning; and promoting implementation through the local budget process. Expect candid discussions on the tough decisions planners encounter when resources are scarce, community interests clash, and powerful policymakers exert influence. When is compromise necessary? How can incremental steps pave the way for future progress? How do planners engage with community advocates from diverse perspectives while upholding principles of equity?
Historically, transportation planning and hazard mitigation have often been addressed in isolation. This is changing with the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act’s PROTECT (Promoting Resilient Operations for Transformative, Efficient, and Cost-Saving Transportation) program, which offers a promising opportunity to better integrate these practices through a substantial investment of $8.7 billion over five years. As local, state, and regional authorities, alongside private real estate interests, grow more aware of current and future climate hazards, they are also awakening to the need for better insight into current and future hazards and appropriate mitigative actions. At the state and regional level, governments rely on data at hand which, in the case of Resiliency Improvement Plans, can lead to myopic adaptation programs that heavily prioritize vehicle throughput to the exclusion of more vulnerable transportation system users. This can be avoided through creative applications of existing technologies.
Join David Wasserman, Alta Civic Data Analytics Leader, along with other experts, as they explore the evaluation frameworks for climate risk analytics platforms. Discover practical applications of digital twin models in enhancing climate resilience. Learn how these models facilitate the comparison of green infrastructure against grey infrastructure interventions. This enables planners to effectively address environmental design inequities while minimizing risks across all sectors.
Throughout the history of the automobile era, governments have generally operated under the assumption that the volume of vehicles using their road networks will steadily rise. Consequently, they have developed urban plans aimed at accommodating and sometimes fostering this traffic expansion. However, the urgency of the climate crisis necessitates a drastic change in direction. It’s now widely acknowledged that curtailing vehicle miles traveled (VMT) is paramount to achieving emissions reduction targets across all government levels. Yet, the question remains: How do we effectively accomplish this shift?
In this session, Alta Planning Associate Maria Wardoku will outline MnDOT’s process for crafting strategies to reduce VMT while maximizing benefits for society, the economy, and the environment. Additionally, we’ll discuss the development of a toolkit designed to effectively communicate these strategies within our organization, with partner agencies, and to the public.
Discover additional details about the conference and sign up here. Plus, explore Alta’s planning expertise and stay updated with news from our Alta leaders.
