APA Utah 2026 Spring Conference: Bryce Canyon
April 8-10, 2026
Ruby's Inn
26 South Main Street
Bryce Canyon, Utah 84764
APA Utah 2026 Spring Conference: Bryce Canyon
April 8–10, 2026 | Ruby’s Inn, Bryce Canyon
Join us for the 2026 APA Utah Spring Conference, set against the stunning red rock backdrop of Bryce Canyon! This year’s conference will explore planning in Utah’s rural and gateway communities, featuring engaging sessions, networking opportunities, and breathtaking scenery.
*Registration is scheduled to close on March 30, 2026, before Midnight.
Meals Included:
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Wednesday: No meals provided (conference begins at 1:00 PM)
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Thursday: Lunch provided
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Friday: Conference concludes before lunch
Mobile Tours
Mobile tours will look a little different this year. All tours will focus on touring the park, require advance sign-up, and will be held after the conclusion of the conference. Please see the forms below.
E-Bike Pathway Management Workshop (This event is part of the Spring Conference)
APA Utah is launching a new Policy Guidance Workshop focused on E-Bike Pathway Management. This workshop will bring planners together for a structured, peer-based discussion on managing e-bike use on shared-use paths and trails, including challenges, successes, and compile practical recommendations.
Date: April 9, 2026 from 10:15-11:45/noon
Utah Land Use Law Basics Workshop
Date: April 8,2026 from 3-6 PM
- While this event is part of the conference program, full conference registration is not required to attend.
- Register Here
Welcome Reception
Please join us for a BBQ dinner under Ruby’s Inn private pavilion at the edge of the canyon. Take in the stunning views while enjoying great food and company- this is an evening you won’t want to miss.
Date: April 9 at 5:30 PM
Location: Bryce Canyon Outdoor Pavilion
Additional Hotels to check with:
PANGUITCH- (30Â min drive)
Consider- Kanab or Cedar City hotels (45-90 min drive)
Accommodations
Ruby's Inn
26 South Main St.
Bryce Canyon City, UT 84764
800.468.8660
APA Rate: Starting at $115/night + Tax
Sessions
April 9, 2026 8:30 am
Welcome Message: APA UT President
Opening remarks and welcome from the APA Utah President.
April 9, 2026 9:00 am
From Zoning to Conflagration: How Everyday Land-Use Decisions Shape Tomorrow’s Wildfire Disasters
Join Ryan Handy from Headwaters Economics as she shares how historical zoning codes, subdivision standards, and growth decisions across the West have increased our risk for the next wildfire disast...
April 9, 2026 10:15 am
Beyond the Stars: The Realities of Dark Sky Implementation
Explore what it really takes to bring Dark Sky outdoor lighting codes to life in small communities. This session walks through the full process—from application and adoption to on-the-ground implem...
April 9, 2026 10:15 am
Planning Commission Meeting Management
This session creates an opportunity for citizen planners, especially planning commissioners, to ask questions about the meetings they attend or manage in a non-stressful learning environment. A gen...
April 9, 2026 10:15 am
E-Bike Pathway Management: What’s Working, What’s Not, and What’s Next
As e-bike use continues to grow, communities are facing new challenges on shared-use paths and trails, including safety concerns, user conflicts, and evolving regulations. This facilitated roundtab...
April 9, 2026 10:15 am
Burning Questions: Rethinking Growth, Land Use, and Building Codes in a Fire-Prone World
This interactive workshop builds on the keynote to dig into how zoning, subdivision standards, and building codes have heightened wildfire exposure across the West—and explores concrete policy, reg...
April 10, 2026 9:00 am
Legal and Land Use Aspects of Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS)
Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) are rapidly becoming integral components of modern electric grids, supporting renewable integration, grid reliability, and energy resilience. Yet, BESS install...
April 10, 2026 9:00 am
Beyond the Commute: Transit Solutions for Recreation-Based Economies
Recreation-oriented communities face mobility needs that go far beyond the traditional commute. Join Park City Transit and the City of Moab to explore how two Utah communities are designing transit...
April 10, 2026 9:00 am
STR Monitoring Software
A panel of experts from the Utah Office of Tourism, Granicus (software company), and a planner who uses Host Compliance can discuss the software and how useful it can be to planners.
April 10, 2026 11:00 am
Utah Legislative Update: Planning Law and Policy Change
Join planning and legal experts for an update on recent legislation affecting planning, land use, and local government in Utah. This session will review key bills from the most recent legislative s...
April 10, 2026 10:30 am
The Rural Economic Blueprint Program – Economic Development Planning for Rural Communities in Utah
This session, designed for local leaders and planners, provides the framework for actionable strategies through the Governor’s Office of Economic Opportunity’s Rural Economic Blueprint ...
April 10, 2026 10:15 am
Welcome Message: APA UT Vice President
Opening remarks and welcome from the APA Utah’s Vice President.
April 10, 2026 1:00 pm
Canyon Trail Horseback Ride
Pre-registration is required. Register at: here »
April 10, 2026 1:00 pm
Canyon-to-Canyon E-Bike Ride
Pre-registration is required. Register at: here »
April 9, 2026 2:15 pm
“Where Everyone Knows Your Name:” Ethics Challenges in Utah’s Small Towns and Rural Places
In Utah’s small towns and rural places, governance responsibilities and personal relationships inevitably overlap, creating unique ethical challenges. While applicable to all locations, this intera...
April 8, 2026 4:15 pm
Balancing Play, Place, and Preservation
Gateway communities face growing pressure to welcome visitors while protecting the places that define them. This dynamic session pairs real-world tools for managing recreation, tourism, and open sp...
April 9, 2026 11:30 am
Between Town and Terrain: Planning for Place at the Edge of Public Lands
Gateway communities sit between wild landscapes and growing visitation pressures. As tourism increases and climate risks intensify, planners face hard choices about growth, authenticity, infrastruc...
April 9, 2026 3:30 pm
Beyond ChatGPT: Strategic AI Use for Planning Professionals
Move past generic AI experimentation and discover strategic applications specific to planning work. This interactive workshop explores advanced techniques for comprehensive plan research, policy an...
April 9, 2026 11:30 am
Code Enforcement Across Community Types: Lessons from Rural, Urban, and County Perspectives
How do communities of different sizes approach code enforcement, and what strategies actually work in practice? This session brings together perspectives from rural gateway communities, larger citi...
April 8, 2026 3:00 pm
Drawing the Line: The Connection between Wildfire Risk, WUI Maps, and Insurance
This panel will discuss the connections between rising wildfire risk and growing challenges in the property insurance market. Join one of Utah’s leading wildfire researchers, the state high-r...
April 8, 2026 3:00 pm
I’d live there!
WFRC has developed a tool to help city staff and appointed and elected officials make informed decisions, backed by visual representations and data on where to allow additional housing in their com...
April 8, 2026 4:15 pm
InForm Utah: A powerful new tool for modeling land use scenarios and impacts
Receive hands-on training and learn how to use the State’s new Google Sheet land use impact model called ‘InForm Utah.’ Configure the model for your community, build land-use scenarios,...
April 9, 2026 3:30 pm
Infrastructure Funding for Your Community
Utah communities have access to a wide range of planning support and funding opportunities for infrastructure and capital assets, but it can be challenging to navigate which resources are most usef...
April 8, 2026 4:15 pm
Let’s Talk Outdoor Rec: Plans, Funds, Trails and More!
Come join the Utah Division of Outdoor Recreation to learn about current recreation planning projects, hear tips to write a competitive grant to fund recreation infrastructure, understand what it t...
April 8, 2026 1:30 pm
Local Welcome
Join us for a brief welcome from a local representative as we kick off the conference near Bryce Canyon. This short introduction will provide a glimpse into the history of the area, the role of tou...
April 9, 2026 1:00 pm
Lunch Keynote: Planning for Water Resilience
In 2022, Utah adopted SB-110, requiring larger municipalities and all counties to include a water use and preservation element in their general plans by December 31, 2025. With support from the Div...
April 9, 2026 3:30 pm
Planning in Gateway Communities: Trends, Typologies, and Emerging Needs
Gateway communities are often lumped together, but they’re far from the same. This interactive session shares new data on how gateway communities have changed over the last decade and introduces a ...
April 9, 2026 2:15 pm
Site Plan and Subdivision Reviews
Learn from two seasoned professionals about their best practices and their own special expertise in reviewing site plans (residential and commercial) and subdivision layouts. Understand the relatio...
April 9, 2026 2:15 pm
Small But Mighty: How Communities Can Build Resilience Before Disaster Strikes
This session provides a high-level overview of key takeaways and findings from a new online course from the USU GNAR Initiative, Planning for Resilient Communities: Land Use Policy & Disaster R...
April 8, 2026 3:00 pm
That’s One Small Step for the Utah Trail Network, and One Giant Leap for Community Transportation
As part of the Utah Trail Network, UDOT sought to identify a preferred alignment to connect the cities of Enoch and Cedar City. This feasibility process would evaluate potential corridors, identify...
April 8, 2026 1:45 pm
The Heat Is On: What’s Up with Wildfire Risk in the WUI?
Wildfire risk is no longer just a suppression issue, it is a land use, building standards, and public policy challenge. This session will explore how wildfire hazard mapping, WUI code zones, bounda...
April 8, 2026 3:00 pm
Utah Land Use Law Basics
There are land use rules and procedures in place, defined by statute and ordinance. When local governments impose land-use controls, they must adopt specific rules and standards that govern what ca...
April 9, 2026 11:30 am
Well Heard Communities: Tools to Enhance Civic Engagement
Civic engagement is a core philosophy of the planning profession, but creating meaningful engagement is easier said than done! This session will draw upon the experiences of planning practitioners ...
