No materials are available for this session
Friday, September 29, 2023, 10:10 AM
Housing affordability in Utah has eroded over the past few years, threatening Utahns’ peace of mind and financial security. Ordinances, codes, and policies can impede or promote housing affordability. At the direction of Housing and Community Development, Envision Utah worked with expert stakeholders in policy, land use, and housing to identify regulation types that impact housing affordability and attainability. Please join us for what is likely to be a lively discussion.
Friday, September 29, 2023, 10:10 AM
The topic of equity can often feel overwhelming. Join us as we explore the topic of equity, what it truly means, its impact on city planning, the hurdles that can arise, and the challenging topic of community engagement, particularly its significance within distinct demographics. This presentation aims to inspire city planners to integrate equity into their work so that we may create cities that celebrate diversity, ensure accessibility, and uplift the quality of life for all residents.
No materials are available for this session
Friday, September 29, 2023, 10:10 AM
Come learn about how to comply with the new state provisions for subdivisions for Single Family, Two Family and Townhomes. Todd Godfrey and Karson Eilers from the League of Cities and Towns will let you know about resources available to help you implement the updates and answer any questions you may have.
No materials are available for this session
Friday, September 29, 2023, 11:10 AM
Both Utah and Idaho are rapidly growing! Should planners take a sprawling development or a centered approach? Should we make investments in transit and bicycle pedestrian infrastructure or roads? Rapid growth brings both opportunities and challenges for our communities, and advancing one goal may require compromises on another. Join us for a two-part presentation that explores the what and the how of regional planning and Guiding Our Growth: A Statewide Conversation about Utah’s Future. Come learn about how Utahns want to see their communities grow and help inform what state and local decision-makers should do with this information. Both Utah and Idaho planners are invited and encouraged to attend.
Friday, September 29, 2023, 11:10 AM
Have you ever taken an intensively reviewed plat to the County Recorder’s Office for recording, only to be told the plat has issues that need to be fixed before it can be documented? Has it been challenging to understand the requirements for different types of plats, such as Subdivision, Condominium, Annexation, Vacating, and more? The purpose of this session is for planners and all others involved with plats to learn from state certified cadastral mappers from various County Recorder’s Offices in what they inspect in a plat before it is ready to be recorded. Come ready to ask questions and gain valuable insight in plat reviewal, so next time the plat is sent to the Recorder’s Office, it is ready to be recorded.
No materials are available for this session
Friday, September 29, 2023, 11:10 AM
Pick a topic, any topic, and learn about the planning principles involved, related court cases, and best practices from the state’s ombudsman and two “experienced” planners.
No materials are available for this session
Friday, September 29, 2023, 11:10 AM
In this session we will explore the key elements of conservation easements and how they can intersect with community planning. Come learn about conservation easement enforcement and stewardship and how these easements compare with other land protection tools. Working together, land trusts and community planners can better serve their communities by using conservation easements.
Friday, September 29, 2023, 12:00 PM
No materials are available for this session
Friday, September 29, 2023, 12:15 PM
No materials are available for this session
Friday, September 29, 2023, 12:15 PM
Paul Goldberger’s 2019 book Ballpark: Baseball in the American City will be a featured session at the APA Utah Fall Conference in Ogden, Utah, on Friday, September 29, 2023. Whether you have read the book—or even like baseball—or not, attendees will love our next “book club” session, which will feature an image-rich presentation by Mark McGrath, AICP—an experienced long-range planner for Taylorsville, Utah, an adjunct instructor at the University of Utah, and a long-time fan of “America’s National Pastime.”
No materials are available for this session
Friday, September 29, 2023, 12:15 PM
No materials are available for this session
Friday, September 29, 2023, 1:30 PM
A series of speakers from J-U-B Engineers and other community leaders will discuss the following topics: Land Use Compatibility The Utah State Legislature recently enacted an Airport Land Use Amendment Bill (H.B. 206) which encourages the adoption of land use regulations and airport overlay zones. The implementation of zoning ensures compatible land uses around an airport. Developing a land use overlay is an effective way of establishing airport land use zoning and should include land use compatibility zones and airspace protection zones. Airport overlay zones prevent the creation of aviation hazards, which endanger the health, safety, and welfare of the public and users of the Airport. We’ll look at a couple of examples of Land Use Compatibility measures in Utah and Idaho that are helping to protect the community. Jurisdictional Coordination Often jurisdictions own and operate an airport near the fringes or even outside of their political boundaries. Considering the discussion about Land Use Compatibility coordination between multiple municipalities or other political jurisdictions is key. Issues such as the types of development, access, airspace protection, and neighboring land use need buy-in from all the jurisdictions to promote continued safe operations at the Airport and for the land and business that surround it. This part of the presentation will illustrate a couple of real-world examples where coordination was required between County and City jurisdictions pertaining to development and land use permitting near an airport. Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) The aviation industry is always evolving, and new aviation trends are emerging that may influence airport and city planning. One that is likely to impact commercial districts, downtown areas, and public facilities, even more than the airport itself, in the years to come is the introduction of Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) into the nation’s airspace. Electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft are expected to play an important role in AAM as a new type of lightweight electrical aircraft. The FAA is in the process of adapting existing aviation regulations to prepare aircraft, airspace, operations, infrastructure, and communities to accommodate this new technology. The AAM industry is making rapid strides and it is recommended that cities and their airports stay abreast of related developments.
No materials are available for this session
Friday, September 29, 2023, 1:30 PM
Attendees will experience the UTA Ogden Express bus-rapid transit (BRT) system firsthand. Ogden’s new BRT system includes 13 strategically placed transit stations that extend from Downtown Ogden to Weber State University. Each BRT station provides new opportunities to create places that inspire community and reinvestment. During the tour, attendees will learn about how neighborhoods are being bolstered around each station area. Ogden Express is providing residents and businesses with new opportunities to connect with the community.
No materials are available for this session
Friday, September 29, 2023, 1:30 PM
Parking is the most important of the boring topics on earth. It occupies more than 25% of our land. Parking affects how streets look and feel, a city’s fiscal health, the affordability of housing, how people choose to get around, and business profitability. Hear how some cities have started to vary parking requirements based on different contexts, avoiding a one-size misfits all citywide approach. This is a hot topic and a lot of new thinking and research is actively being explored, including a new “parking modernization” from Utah’s transportation agencies.
Friday, September 29, 2023, 1:30 PM
Zoning reform as a way to deal with the housing affordability crisis has been the emphasis of the state legislature for the last couple of years, and it looks like it will continue, certainly for next year’s session. What might we have to look forward to?
APA Utah and Idaho’s legislative chairs Wilf Sommerkorn, Scott Hess, and Jonathan Spendlove will be joined by ULCT’s Legal Director Jared Tingey and Policy Director, Karson Eilers for a panel discussion on the possible changes to the land use code for next year.
No materials are available for this session
Friday, September 29, 2023, 1:30 PM
As part of the required training for planning commissioners, learn about the role you play in the planning process. Learn how to think on a local and regional scale as you make recommendations and decisions for your community.
No materials are available for this session
Friday, September 29, 2023, 2:40 PM
The number of EVs on the road is projected to increase to 26.4 million by 2030. There is also a 45 percent growth rate anticipated for the Hydrogen Fuel Cell Vehicle Market between 2022 and 2029. This has significant infrastructure and economic impacts to both urban and rural communities, especially those communities situated along major travel corridors such as I-15 and US 20, which will need to prepare for increased EV traffic to national parks such as Zion, Arches, and Yellowstone. As a committed leader to demonstrating to communities of all sizes how to transition to clean, renewable energy sources, Idaho National Laboratory has committed to reaching net-zero carbon emissions by 2031—which includes transitioning a 600+ vehicle fleet with over 80 motor coaches that transport 2,500 employees each day—to low- and no-carbon options. INL’s multi-faceted strategy includes replacing fossil fuel-powered vehicles with electric and hydrogen vehicles, utilizing renewable fuels, and implementing necessary systems to make these shifts possible. This presentation will explore INL’s approach to installing the infrastructure to support this diverse set of solutions that links the urban Idaho Falls campus to the rural desert site over 50 miles away. The lessons learned from this effort are significant to both urban and rural planners seeking to meet the growing demand for a net-zero transportation infrastructure. Session attendees will learn what the future of EV infrastructure looks like and how to begin to plan now for both urban and rural applications.
Friday, September 29, 2023, 2:40 PM
Weber County has an amazing legacy of pioneering women. Come learn about what this legacy has translated to in this session on the Untamed Women of Ogden. The Weber County Heritage Foundation will present the efforts of our community to keep people engaged in the history of the area, from History in a Minute videos to walking tours of significant historical sites. The discussion will then shift to a walking tour led by Dr. Katie Nelson, who will lead a group around significant sites in the 25th Street area and talk about how women have shaped the community. This is a session/walking tour you will NOT want to miss!
No materials are available for this session
Friday, September 29, 2023, 2:40 PM
In our modern society, the relationship between health and city planning has become increasingly significant. The design and organization of our communities can have a profound impact on the well-being and quality of life of the people who inhabit them. This presentation will delve into the fascinating and vital intersection between health and city planning, exploring how the two fields can collaborate to create healthier, more sustainable communities.
We will examine the various ways in which urban planning practices directly influence public health outcomes. We will explore the concept of “healthy cities” and discuss Get Healthy Utah’s Healthy Utah Community Designation that Utah cities and towns can be awarded. Community design strategies are part of the designation’s three focus areas of active living, access to healthy food, and mental health. We will highlight some of the strategies such as access to green spaces, walkability, the integration of active transportation, land use policies and zoning regulations for healthy food access, and spaces for social connectedness. Learn about Utah success stories and walk away with actions you can take to plan and build healthy communities.
No materials are available for this session
Friday, September 29, 2023, 2:40 PM
APA recently updated the Planner’s Code of Ethics. The Code now requires planners to proactively achieve respect, social justice, and inclusion for all planning participants. These principles include examining our own cultures, practices, values, and positions to understand our biases and privileges and to be conscious of the rights of others through inclusive, respectful, and compassionate planning. These are issues with long and sad histories that we continue to grapple with. The panelists will dig deep into specific actions we can all take, whether as professionals or citizen planners, to ensure our behaviors and all planning processes and outcomes have their foundations to achieve equity, equality, inclusion, and justice for all societal members.
Friday, September 29, 2023, 2:40 PM
Planning Commission’s are a vital piece of orderly development within your community. From public hearings vs. public meetings to administrative vs. legislative decision-making—join us in discussing strategies and stories that highlight how to best manage your meetings and ensure efficiency and consistency in your process.
Friday, September 29, 2023, 3:50 PM
The Great Salt Lake is an amazing resource—not just for the counties who share a stake in it, but for the entire region. As we look to the future of the GSL and how to protect it, watershed management becomes an important part of maintaining lake levels and habitat viability. Land use decisions in our local communities have a significant impact on the continued health of this valuable resource. This session will discuss what we can do to ensure the ongoing health and importance of the GSL.
No materials are available for this session
Friday, September 29, 2023, 3:50 PM
Idaho National Laboratory (INL) is helping to solve the nation’s energy problems with innovative solutions. Microgrids that incorporate various combinations of solar, wind, batteries, and nuclear to provide secure, safe, and resilient carbon pollution-free energy are one critical example of such solutions. Integrated microgrids are capable of being scaled up or down to meet the diverse energy needs of communities that range from small towns to larger cities without adding extensive transmission and distribution lines. This presentation will share findings related to siting microgrids, scaling them to meet varying power demands, footprints, permitting, and safety. Given the nation’s aging energy infrastructure and the costs associated with upgrading transmission and distribution lines that run across vast stretches of the American West, this presentation will be informative for rural and urban planners seeking to increase resiliency while also meeting sustainability goals.
No materials are available for this session
Friday, September 29, 2023, 3:50 PM
With so many changes to State Law over the past 15 years, are you keeping up? Seems almost impossible to update our ordinances every year because of the State Law changes, but with some focus, it can be done. Consider prioritizing the bigger updates, one bit at a time. Suggestions from a past planning director/consulting planner will cover subdivisions, Conditional Uses, Site plan/Permitted uses, BOA to AA, Landscaping, and processing options.
Friday, September 29, 2023, 3:50 PM
We all share basic values for independence, stability, and social connections and mobility. And everyone is painfully aware of the current housing crisis impacting families and communities. But the way we plan, design, and build single-family residential neighborhoods doesn’t reflect either our shared values or housing interests. We’re currently building whole neighborhoods of new housing that is inaccessible to anyone with a mobility related disability. This increases housing costs—through a ‘disability surcharge’ required to retrofit an inaccessible home—and isolates people from their neighbors and community. This panel features experts—from Idaho and Utah—in housing design, modification, affordability and accessibility. We’ll focus on the benefits of Visitability standards in new residential development and engage with participants to explore how we can create housing for the whole community. (featuring the Idaho Access Project, Idaho Housing and Finance Association, and Assist Utah).
Wednesday, May 08, 2024, 1:00 PM
A warm welcome from the APA UT Vice President and the Mayor of Cedar City
No materials are available for this session
Wednesday, May 08, 2024, 1:10 PM
No materials are available for this session
Wednesday, May 08, 2024, 1:50 PM
Building construction can be a dirty business. However, good planning and implementation of best practices and requirements to mitigate dust, can certainly help keep our air quality good during and after the construction process. This session will demonstrate how contractors, city officials and government agencies who consistently work together can contribute to preserve the clean and healthy air we all enjoy.
No materials are available for this session
Wednesday, May 08, 2024, 1:50 PM
Working with the community in the context of code enforcement requires a collaborative and communicative approach. Let’s be honest no one likes to have Code Enforcement show up at their front door, or receive a notice of a violation through the mail. These discussions though sometimes painful for all parties involved must take place to ensure compliance with local codes and ordinances. Code enforcement typically involves ensuring that local regulations and ordinances are followed, often related to building safety, zoning, health, and other aspects that contribute to the well-being of the community. I will show you how to effectively communicate with local residents, builders, and developers.
No materials are available for this session
Wednesday, May 08, 2024, 1:50 PM
This session addresses the emerging realm of Advanced Air Mobility (AAM), poised with potential to bring resolution to many of aviation’s challenges, including with noise, emissions, and accessibility. This session examines the foundation communities already have in aviation infrastructure—encompassing everything from airports to heliports—and the increasing role they will play as aviation continues to evolve. It highlights the importance of leveraging this foundation, not as an endpoint but as a springboard for innovation and adaptation. As AAM brings aviation matters into more frequent public and planning discourse, learning from existing precedents becomes crucial. This session aims to equip communities with the insights to navigate these changes, fostering a proactive approach to integrating AAM into the fabric of urban planning. By building on what we know and anticipating what’s to come, we can pave the way for a future where aviation serves as a complement to holistic mobility in sustainable and accessible ways.
No materials are available for this session
Wednesday, May 08, 2024, 2:45 PM
This airport tour explores the impact of local airports as catalysts for economic development and job creation. This event builds on our engaging session on Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) and land use planning, extending the conversation to the tangible economic benefits airports contribute to communities. Participants will gain firsthand insight into how the airport not only serves as a hub for transportation but also as an anchor for economic growth and innovation. Discover how the integration of AAM and proactive planning strategies can enhance the airport’s role in fostering economic resilience, attracting investment, and driving sustainable development. This tour provides a comprehensive look at the airport’s multifaceted contributions to the local economy, illustrating the powerful synergy between aviation and economic prosperity.
No materials are available for this session
Wednesday, May 08, 2024, 2:45 PM
Many planners see small community planning as being different from that in other places. Is this true? What is a small community and how is smallness measured? This session will review these questions and others including if small community planning is different, including why and how it may be different. Considering a small community’s planning workplace and a planners work responsibilities may provide answers. This session will provide takeaways for all Utah planners, not just those working in small communities. A small community planner also faces many ethical questions and dilemmas regularly. How should a planner navigate treacherous ethical waters? This session encourages attendee participation to address the realities of small community planning.
No materials are available for this session
Wednesday, May 08, 2024, 2:45 PM
This session will discuss how to encourage cycling in your community by outlining the elements of a healthy bicycle ecosystem – elements such as best design practices low-stress bicycle routes; street connectivity; wayfinding; family-friendly amenities; bicycle parking; promotion through events, marketing, and encouragement; access to a local bicycle shop; and a robust safe routes to school program. We will explore partners to engage with in the work, including local advocacy groups, health departments, schools, and chambers of commerce. Ultimately, attendees will leave the session with options to pursue a healthier bicycle ecosystem in their community, taking on the element that they have interest in and resources to implement.
Wednesday, May 08, 2024, 2:45 PM
As short-term rentals continue to reshape housing markets and community landscapes across the State, planners and local government officials face the complex challenge of regulating these accommodations in a manner that balances economic benefits with neighborhood integrity and housing availability. This panel discussion at the 2024 APA Spring Conference aims to equip participants with the latest legislative insights, tools, and strategies for effectively managing short-term rentals within their jurisdictions.
Wednesday, May 08, 2024, 3:45 PM
Popular tourist destinations around the world are experiencing “overtourism” — more tourists than the local infrastructure can support. After years of promoting tourism as an economic development tool, many popular tourist destinations around the world are now realizing that too much of a good thing can actually be a bad thing. What is the state of tourism in Utah’s rural communities? And what can Utah’s rural tourist destinations learn from the growing trend of anti-overtourism policies in traditional tourist hotspots?
Wednesday, May 08, 2024, 3:45 PM
Utah’s seven associations of governments wear many hats or have multiple designations and roles, including area agencies on aging, community action planning, economic development districts, regional planning agencies, metropolitan planning organizations, rural transportation planning organizations, regional housing authorities among others. The variety or roles and funding sources among the AOG’s provides for greater efficiency through economies of scale with the advantage of control and oversight by local elected officials representing 29 counties and 243 cities and towns.
Wednesday, May 08, 2024, 3:45 PM
The demand for mountain biking trails, racecourses, teams, and events is growing. This session will include a discussion with planners, event organizers, elected officials, and industry leaders from rural Utah who are building mountain bike trails, cooperatives, and events within their communities. Come hear what it took to find and engage stakeholders, get funding, build trails, and create economic benefits for their communities.
Thursday, May 09, 2024, 8:20 AM
The over-abundance of conflict in the world and our inability to navigate it effectively is shaping up to be one of the most challenging threats to our personal and collective well-being. Figuring out how to better get along is critical, whether it’s in the workplace, at home, or on the local, national and international levels. While there are no easy solutions, there are some simple things we can do to improve our ability to understand and connect with others, and each of us doing our part can make a significant positive step toward peace.
Thursday, May 09, 2024, 9:30 AM
Thomas and Ryan take a look at active transportation planning and design around the state of Utah. They talk about recent projects with good and bad examples. The presentation will highlight some lessons that can be learned and will address funding options for trails and active transportation.
Thursday, May 09, 2024, 9:30 AM
This mobile tour includes a drive up scenic Cedar Canyon to visit the problematic SR-14 landslide at milepost 8. Reports of landslide activity near milepost 8 on SR-14 date back to at least 1906. In recent decades, large landslides in 1989 and 2011 destroyed significant parts of SR-14, disrupting a critical regional transportation corridor. Since the reconstruction of SR-14 in 2012, persistent, relatively minor slumping and cracking of the roadway near the east flank of the 2011 slide have occurred requiring regular maintenance. More recently, in late spring of 2023, a 6-acre landslide formed near the west margin of the landslide complex that forced road closure for several hours. We will discuss the history of the SR-14 landslide and the value of recognizing landslide and rockfall hazards prior to development.
No materials are available for this session
Thursday, May 09, 2024, 9:30 AM
Planning for hazards is the most powerful way Utah communities can manage growing disaster and climate risks, and other future conditions. In this session, participants will learn about their role and value in hazard mitigation planning, and better understand the call to action to help mitigate and adapt to amplified risk. This includes funding for your community’s mitigation and adaptation planning and project needs. Participants will also learn about the critical relationship local hazard mitigation plans have to advancing the implementation of Utah’s new Enhanced State Hazard Mitigation Plan. Participants will learn about the State’s mitigation solution and investment strategy, projects with cascading benefits, and steps to break the disaster cycle and support the most socially vulnerable populations. This session dives into critical and innovative principles, strategies, and best practices for bringing together diverse stakeholders, including federal agencies, state agencies, academia, emergency managers, the public, and more.
Thursday, May 09, 2024, 9:30 AM
In conflict, whether dealing with an angry member of the public, a co-worker, or a family member or friend, we too often act in ways that invite more of the behavior in others we dislike and wish would stop. This workshop will explore this unhelpful tendency and provide tools for more effectively engaging with others and resolving conflict.
Thursday, May 09, 2024, 10:40 AM
As Utah experiences increasing strain on our water resources from climate change and growth, water wise landscapes – or Localscapes – have become a hot topic. Water wise landscapes reduce the amount of water a landscape needs by 50% or more, beautify our communities, create pollinator habitat, and help us better integrate water and land use planning. In recent years, Utah has made important progress towards water wise landscape transformation by scaling-up turf replacement incentives and by adopting local water efficient landscaping codes for new development and redevelopment. In this session, speakers will share funding opportunities, design resources, lessons learned, barriers, and other best practices for cities, counties and water providers interested in advancing water wise landscaping in their own communities. .
No materials are available for this session
Thursday, May 09, 2024, 10:40 AM
This session will examine the impacts of stress and burnout of planning professionals in the public and private sectors. Assessment and tools used in real life scenarios, lessons learned through case study discussions and come away with a renewed perspective of the profession.
Thursday, May 09, 2024, 10:40 AM
Our approach to any and all relationships is significantly impacted by power. Our position of power within interpersonal relationships and communities often determines how we feel, think, and act. Together, we will explore key principles and practices that increase our ability to recognize and help untangle complex patterns of power, at various relationship levels, to better improve community understanding and communication.
No materials are available for this session
Thursday, May 09, 2024, 12:40 PM
Steve will address the prevailing housing crisis in both the United States and Utah, delving into its origins, current status, and potential solutions. Additionally, he will provide insights into the Housing Bill recently passed during the 2024 Legislative Session., highlighting its expected impact on facilitating the creation of more accessible housing in Utah.
Thursday, May 09, 2024, 1:30 PM
The Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute and Department of Workforce Services Housing and Community Development Division provide an overview of data and planning resources to support Utah communities engaging with affordable housing planning. Learn more about the Affordable Housing Dashboard, Moderate Income Housing Planning and Reporting requirements, and Housing and Community Development Division resources.
Thursday, May 09, 2024, 1:40 PM
Utah’s 2024 legislative session concluded on March 1. During the session, the legislature passed a record 591 bills and approved a $29 Billion state budget. How did the legislature do? For planners, a way of considering this question is to look at a couple of legislative actions taken, or not taken, against the Planner’s Code of Ethics. What does such an analysis reveal? Two analyzes will be reviewed. • An appropriations request was again considered to fund a plan of development and environmental impact statement to construct the 38-mile-long road across Navajo lands to connect US-163 to destinations north. The road would shave 3 hours of travel time. The Navajo Mountain and Olijato communities are isolated from Utah by terrain and the San Juan River. • The 2024 legislature passed H.B. 562 – Utah FairPark Area Investment and Restoration District. The bill commits $900 million in taxpayer money, and perhaps more, towards the construction of a Major League Baseball stadium and development of a Fairpark District surrounding the ballpark. What does the Code of Ethics have to say on these two (2) items, if anything?
No materials are available for this session
Thursday, May 09, 2024, 1:40 PM
Come satisfy your required annual training for planning commissioners at this training session. We will cover the basic power and duties of elected and appointed officials and the role of staff. Learn and then align what the state says you should do with your day-to-day land use practices. This is a great refresher class for seasoned commissioners and staff as well.
No materials are available for this session
Thursday, May 09, 2024, 1:40 PM
College campuses are said to be ‘a city within a city’ and Southern Utah University is no exception. Join us for a tour of the SUU campus, led by Campus Facilities team members and planners and architects who have been working collaboratively to realize some of the most significant projects on campus. The tour will highlight recent plans for a Campus Master Plan update and recent infrastructure projects on campus in response to significant growth SUU has experienced in the last five years, along with coordination with UDOT and Cedar City to upgrade adjacent facilities to meet the long-term goals of campus. The campus landscape will also be featured throughout the tour, including how the campus is working to respond to House Bill 121, Water Conservation Modifications, while maintaining the sense of place for which the campus has become so well-known
No materials are available for this session
Thursday, May 09, 2024, 2:40 PM
Congratulations! You’ve been elected (or appointed) as the next Chair of the Planning Commission! You’ll be great! Everybody thinks you’re the best person for the job! Or maybe no one else would do it? So, if you’re like most people, you’re not really sure what to do now, and how you’re supposed to do it. This session is aimed at helping you get started and get a handle on it. It’s good for everyone else, too, so they know what to expect and how to do things.
No materials are available for this session
Thursday, May 09, 2024, 2:50 PM
Utah faces a daunting challenge. Housing costs have risen dramatically in recent years, far outpacing wage growth. If current trends continue, up-and-coming Utahns will not have the same opportunities as prior generations to enter homeownership, have adequate space for a family, and build wealth. Causes of increasing costs range from high demand—both from a large generation of Utahns who are now in their 20s and 30s and from in-migration—to escalating land and materials costs, regulatory restrictions, and labor shortages. Please join us for a discussion on what we can do to help bring housing back within reach.
Thursday, May 09, 2024, 2:50 PM
The presentations will cover background information on SB 110 and SB 76. We will focus on how our agencies can provide assistance and guidance. We will also direct the attendees to resources that might aid them in creating a useful and inclusive general plan.
No materials are available for this session
Friday, May 10, 2024, 8:15 AM
One of these things is not like the others… in the national push for zoning reform and housing affordability, Utah’s legislative efforts were different this year from those of other states. Wilf Sommerkorn, Jason Boal, and Scott Hess will explain, and bring up to date all this year’s land use related legislation.
Friday, May 10, 2024, 9:25 AM
What exactly is Missing Middle Housing? Does it look different in rural communities than it does in urban settings? How can it impact housing affordability and availability in my community? Join us as we discuss the concept’s history, its current status, and potential future activities to better understand and implement it throughout the Beehive State.
Friday, May 10, 2024, 9:25 AM
The benefits and challenges resulting from new growth affect entities in different ways. Impact fees serve as a mechanism to ensure the construction of critical infrastructure necessary to promote sustainable communities and economic vitality. This session will discuss how impact fees are used to promote and preserve a community’s vision. We will also address updates to the Impact Fee Act based on the recent legislative session, and the potential future of impact fees in an ever changing environment.
Friday, May 10, 2024, 9:25 AM
Come join ULCT staff and experts to unpack the legislative bills that passed this session in the land use arena. We will review bills that dealt with new housing product, SB168, New financing tools, SB268, HB13, and HB572 and process updates with bills HB476 and HB 465. The session will run from 9:30 to 11:30 with time for questions throughout. A break will occur at 10:20 if you want to join in after another session.
No materials are available for this session
Friday, May 10, 2024, 10:20 AM
State agencies are making plans! Join us for an overview of four new planning projects from the Office of the Property Rights Ombudsman, the Division of Multicultural Affairs, the Division of Forestry, Fire, and State Lands, and the Division of Emergency Management. Learn how and why these plans were created, how they are being implemented, and how they may benefit you.
Friday, May 10, 2024, 10:20 AM
Parking affects how streets look and feel, a city’s fiscal health, the affordability of housing, how people choose to get around, and business profitability. Hear how some cities have started to vary parking requirements based on different contexts, avoiding a one-size mis-fits-all citywide approach. This is a hot topic and a lot of new thinking and research is actively being explored, including a new “parking modernization” from Utah’s transportation agencies.
Friday, May 10, 2024, 11:15 AM
Typically each business or home provides parking for itself. At any time of day this means lots of empty parking. The shift is to think of parking like we do with water and electricity: consolidating production to improve efficiency. Park your car once and visit multiple places on foot. Come with your questions as we look at case studies of communities that have implemented and learned lessons in using a “park once district” in their city or town center.
Friday, May 10, 2024, 11:15 AM
We have saved the best for last! Less boring than parking and more important than just about anything! In this last session of the conference, we will help you (1) protect property rights and (2) avoid being sued. We will guide you through applicants’ rights and responsibilities in plain, understandable, non-lawyer English.
No materials are available for this session
Thursday, October 10, 2024, 9:00 AM
In “Convict to Catalyst,” Dave shares his compelling journey from drug dealer with extensive prison time to becoming a catalyst for change. He highlights how rigorous personal transformation and a culture of accountability at Delancey Street and now at The Other Side Academy have led to remarkable outcomes. Dave discusses how accountability can save lives and change behaviors, offering practical lessons for anyone seeking to inspire profound personal and organizational growth.
Thursday, October 10, 2024, 10:10 AM
GIS systems and tools have become an integral tool in the planning profession, with use cases ranging from public engagement to site plan development. Join us as we give an overview into how Utah County’s GIS team is currently operating Portal for ArcGIS and the ways it has been optimized for the tasks the Utah Division undergoes. Looking into the past and into the future as well, this session will also offer insights and analysis into GIS infrastructure, and the positives and challenges that the software offers.
Thursday, October 10, 2024, 10:10 AM
Much of our current energy infrastructure is aging, undersized and/or the victim of more frequent and extreme weather events such as devastating storms and large wildfires. There is also a demand for renewable energy sources as producers move away from traditional fossil fuels in response to climate change. Combined with significant population growth and shifts, our energy infrastructure is in dire need of upgrading in many places.
Thursday, October 10, 2024, 12:20 PM
Join us for a plated lunch and the 2024 Planning Awards Ceremony, where we will honor this year’s award winners.
Thursday, October 10, 2024, 2:00 PM
This session will explore the critical information developers need to present when seeking financing for their projects, and how these requirements differ between traditional bank financing and private or venture capital financing. Attendees will gain insights into the level of concept plans financing entities expect, ranging from detailed site plans to preliminary ideas
Thursday, October 10, 2024, 2:00 PM
An interactive review of ethics cases as adjudicated by the AICP Ethics Officer and Ethics Committee from the last year. Come explore real-life ethical dilemmas in your quest to be a more ethics-oriented planner.
Thursday, October 10, 2024, 2:00 PM
In both rural and urban communities, partnerships form a vital nexus in creating economic growth models that fit the unique needs of the area and a roadmap for a viable economic vision. In this session, Callie New, land use planner, and Brett Behling, rural solutions director and ranch owner, discuss the unique challenges facing many communities across the state of Utah including balancing quality of life in increasingly industrial areas and preserving traditional rural landscapes being countered by growing tourism and development.
Thursday, October 10, 2024, 3:10 PM
BYU, the University of Utah, and Utah State University have all contributed to impactful community projects. BYU’s Professional Planning Studio partnered with the Tolikan Chapter of the Navajo Nation to create a land use plan focused on housing, infrastructure, and economic development, while preserving Diné culture and values. The University of Utah developed a neighborhood plan for Granite Legacy in South Salt Lake, aiming to enhance livability and sustainability through community engagement and strategic improvements. Meanwhile, Utah State University collaborated with South Salt Lake City and TreeUtah to identify optimal tree planting locations, considering factors such as urban heat, biodiversity, and human health.
Thursday, October 10, 2024, 4:20 PM
This session will examine the impacts of stress and burnout of planning professionals in the public and private sectors. Assessment and tools used in real life scenarios, lessons learned through case study discussions and come away with a renewed perspective of the profession.
Thursday, October 10, 2024, 10:10 PM
This session seeks to share the collaborative planning efforts of Utah City developers and Vineyard City in developing a vibrant and dynamic urban center planned within the heart of Vineyard to deliver the true experience of a real downtown where people can live, work, and play. Utah City/ Vineyard Downtown has been planned to prioritize livability with a focus on creating a walkable downtown area that offers amenities and facilities to promote the overall well-being of its residents and visitors
Friday, October 11, 2024, 9:00 AM
There’s no silver bullet for housing affordability; getting there requires a holistic approach, sustained over years, in collaboration with many partners. Shane Phillips, UCLA researcher and author of The Affordable City, shares a policy framework based on three priorities — Supply, Stability, and Subsidy — and discusses research and messaging to support their implementation.
Friday, October 11, 2024, 10:10 AM
Join us for an overview of state and regional agency funding resources for planning projects, what agencies are looking for in applications, and a chance to ask questions.
Friday, October 11, 2024, 10:10 AM
Join us as we review and discuss the redesigned Land Use Academy of Utah (LUAU) website, which has recently been updated to increase the menu of tools and resources readily available for land use planning in Utah. From basic planning information for interested citizens; training and education for local officials, and technical assistance for seasoned planning professionals, the new site aims to deliver a comprehensive (and ever-growing) suite of tools to help you address planning needs in your community. Let’s discuss what’s new, what’s still needed, and how we can ensure the site continually serves your planning needs.
Friday, October 11, 2024, 10:10 AM
Following up on his keynote presentation, Shane Phillips will field questions from conference attendees on a range of topics, including: the nuts and bolts of housing affordability policies, emerging research, the politics of housing reform, and inspiring examples and cautionary tales from other cities, states, and countries.
No materials are available for this session
Friday, October 11, 2024, 11:20 AM
What options do you have to process applications? Are there different approaches that could simplify what you are doing? Sure you’ve heard about legislative versus administrative applications but how about Type 1 versus Type 5? What do you do if you have community councils involved? How do staff planners deal with an actual application and when do they negotiate to get a better development? Learn from two distinct communities that have very different approaches.
Friday, October 11, 2024, 11:20 AM
As Utah grapples with a housing crisis, exploring innovative solutions that manage growth and encourage inclusivity is crucial. Join leading experts from both the public and private sectors in an engaging session titled “The YIMBY Playbook.” This session provides a comprehensive, solutions-driven, and data-backed exploration of the key issues affecting our cities. Our panelists will address common NIMBY (Not In My Backyard) arguments and present a range of strategies drawn from their extensive experience across public, private, and development sectors. By highlighting actionable insights, this session aims to foster a collaborative environment where stakeholders can work together to create sustainable housing solutions that benefit all communities. Join us as we discuss the possibilities of saying “Yes In My Backyard.”
No materials are available for this session
Friday, October 11, 2024, 1:35 PM
Industry leaders will provide unique insight on modular homes and the role they will play in Utah’s housing future. Attendees will learn what opportunities are best suited to modular construction and how modular homes can expand options for home ownership.
Friday, October 11, 2024, 1:35 PM
“So let it be written, so let it be done. Let the name of Moses be stricken from every book and tablet. Stricken from every pylon and obelisk of Egypt. Let the name of Moses be unheard and unspoken, erased from the memory of man, for all time” (Sethi, The Ten Commandments, 1965). Comes now Utah House Bill 261 (2024) Equal Opportunity Initiatives (aka anti-DEI Bill). Let diversity, equity, and inclusion, and the acronym “DEI” be unheard, unspoken, and unwritten in the State of Utah (paraphrasing HB 261). The APA/AICP Code of Ethics includes DEI principles, including incorporating equity into community plans and providing metrics to measure progress towards equitable outcomes (Code of Ethics, A.1.5). This, and other questions, will be the focus of this session, with panelists providing session attendees with answers to cross the figurative Red Sea
Friday, October 11, 2024, 1:35 PM
Learn from several communities about how they created their plan and how they expect to implement it. Who do you partner with? What sort of negotiations are working? What community benefits can you derive? Is zoning enough to achieve implementation? Several stations already have plans either partially completed or already adopted. Learn from Provo, American Fork, Orem, and Vineyard. In addition, a mobile workshop to visit the sites is planned as part of the conference!
Friday, October 11, 2024, 2:45 PM
Utah’s defense industry provides vital training lands that support military readiness, but rapid development around installations poses challenges to operations. This session will explore how compatibility planning balances community, environmental, and military needs to ensure all stakeholders coexist successfully. We will discuss Utah’s proactive measures, including state legislation and the Great Salt Lake Sentinel Landscape designation, aimed at fostering collaboration among military, landowners, and communities to ensure resilient installations and sustainable growth.
Friday, October 11, 2024, 2:45 PM
In the fast-evolving landscape of transportation technologies, staying ahead of the curve requires tapping into diverse sources of knowledge. This session will provide an overview of a unique approach Park City Municipal took to validate and explore emerging transportation technologies by using the collective knowledge of its community. Our study, “Emerging Disruptors: The Future of Transportation,” used a resident stakeholder committee to assess concepts without fiscal or geographical constraints, enabling exploration beyond traditional limits. This session aims to demonstrate the efficacy of crowd sourcing to identify, evaluate, and refine innovative solutions before traditional studies or analyses occur
Friday, October 11, 2024, 2:45 PM
Nationally we are seeing communities that are dropping the exclusively single-household zones. To some extent the traditional zoning of the last 30 to 40 years policies are at the very least income-based discrimination. Many of our older neighborhoods have a variety of housing types, but in recent years mixed neighborhoods have not been popular. Learn from one Utah community that has broadened their zoning ordinance and learn about infill options that could provide a greater variety of housing types in your neighborhood.
Friday, October 11, 2024, 3:55 PM
An overview of recent court decisions involving land use, and a discussion of how these decisions practically affect your day-to-day work in planning and development.
No materials are available for this session
Wednesday, May 07, 2025, 1:00 PM
David Zook, Cache County Executive, will offer a brief welcome to kick off the APA Utah Spring Conference. With a deep commitment to community development, David brings valuable insight into the region’s planning priorities and ongoing initiatives.
No materials are available for this session
Wednesday, May 07, 2025, 1:15 PM
One of the many hats planners wear is that of community engagement facilitator. What does this look in small towns and rural communities? Learn how Asset-Based Community Development (ABCD) breaks through barriers and stale approaches, with lasting results.
Wednesday, May 07, 2025, 2:15 PM
The APA Utah Board is working on updating our bylaws and draft an organizational handbook. These updates are crucial for ensuring that the chapter remains efficient, inclusive, and in alignment with the national APA standards while fostering a more engaged and empowered membership. The updates are designed to improve organizational transparency, ensure equitable decision-making processes, and provide clear guidance on the responsibilities of members and leadership positions. The chapter is focused on developing new programs and initiatives, expanding professional development opportunities, improving community outreach, and fostering better networking among planners across the state. The updated bylaws will go out to the APA Membership for ratification later this year.
Wednesday, May 07, 2025, 2:15 PM
Join in a hands-on demo of Place It! to experience this creative placemaking approach to connecting with memories and place, working towards creative solutions to the many challenges facing communities and planners.
Wednesday, May 07, 2025, 2:15 PM
As the threat from wildfire continues to grow, planners must embrace strategies that allow them to be proactive and help mitigate the threat. This session will cover the history of wildfire management strategies, different types of mitigation measures, and what the population of the Wasatch Front prefers. &This research centers on the tension that exists between Utah’s rapid growth and the ecological and economic needs of its agricultural sector. It pulls from the lived perspectives of farmers across the watershed in the context of pressure from the Great Salt Lake’s desiccation.
Wednesday, May 07, 2025, 3:15 PM
This session will introduce the Tom Owens Park project’s vision, emphasizing its focus on recreation, natural preservation, and community history. Attendees will explore key features like sustainable design, adaptive reuse of historic elements, and the Farmington StoryCorps initiative, which captures personal narratives. A Q&A session will foster interactive dialogue, followed by breakout groups to identify historical resources and collaboratively develop restoration ideas aligned with community goals, offering inspiration and practical strategies for real-world applications.
Wednesday, May 07, 2025, 3:15 PM
Join us for an in-depth look at Lehi’s collaborative effort to address issues with their grading ordinance. Through teamwork between engineering, public works, parks, and the development community, critical changes were made to prevent future challenges. Discover how this unified approach ensures safer, more sustainable development for the city’s future.
Wednesday, May 07, 2025, 3:15 PM
How do you get people to come back downtown when all they need to do these days is push a button or change the channel? Does your community have a gathering place that is recognized be the entire populace? Learn from Heber City and Millcreek about their efforts to bring their community together in an active space that attracts people from all walks of life! We will try to answer the question of “What can you do in your town”?
Wednesday, May 07, 2025, 4:15 PM
This session is a primer on Utahns’ water values and how to effectively discuss water issues with residents. Utahn’s highly value water and recognize that managing it well is essential to the state’s ability to prosper. However, they have a number of misconceptions that hold them back from using water more efficiently and supporting effective community actions. Four simple strategies can help community leaders garner support and motivate action for efficient water use.
Wednesday, May 07, 2025, 4:15 PM
This session explores the development of North Logan’s City Center master plan, which establishes a vibrant downtown core centered around an inviting pedestrian mall. The presentation will walk through the planning process, from historical context and vision updates to economic feasibility and design strategies. Key topics include balancing viable goals with ambitious ideas, addressing roadblocks, engaging property owners, and integrating the plan with the city’s general plan update. Attendees will gain insights into how this project sets a realistic path for commercial and housing growth while preserving North Logan’s unique character.
Wednesday, May 07, 2025, 4:15 PM
A star-filled sky connects us to nature and each other, but light pollution, growth, and development have made it invisible in many communities. From rural to urban areas, what if you could help reverse or prevent this? Implementing dark sky regulations and cultivating community support are key. Join our panel of leading technical experts as they share in-depth knowledge and practical insights on creating effective and tailored ordinances, avoiding common pitfalls, and building lasting support.
No materials are available for this session
Wednesday, May 07, 2025, 6:00 PM
Join APA Utah for a fun and active break at the Cache Recreation Complex with a few friendly games of pickleball! Whether you’re a seasoned player or trying it out for the first time, all are welcome. Equipment will be provided, but feel free to bring your own paddle if you prefer. Come ready to play, connect, and enjoy some lighthearted competition with fellow planners!
2840 North 300 East
North Logan
No materials are available for this session
Wednesday, May 07, 2025, 8:00 PM
This evening tour will showcase shielded and customized light fixtures designed to minimize light pollution on the Utah State University (USU) campus. In partnership with USU’s Planning and Sustainability Department, the tour will highlight best practices for night sky-friendly lighting and demonstrate practical applications of these fixtures. Attendees will also have the opportunity to ask questions and engage with panel participants from the earlier conference session.
(Click to download.)
Thursday, May 08, 2025, 8:30 AM
Kick off the conference with a warm welcome from APA Utah Chapter President, Jason Boal. Jason will share opening remarks, highlight key conference themes, and set the tone for a productive and inspiring event.
Thursday, May 08, 2025, 9:00 AM
Join us for a discussion on the latest efforts shaping Utah’s housing and development landscape. This session will cover the Housing Strategic Plan, the Governor’s Second Term Strategic Plan (Built Here), and the launch of the Utah Projects Portal—a new tool designed to enhance collaboration and streamline development processes. Learn how these initiatives aim to address housing challenges, support economic growth, and improve community planning across the state.
Thursday, May 08, 2025, 10:15 AM
The American Dream of homeownership is evolving as housing affordability remains a pressing challenge. While detached single-family homes have dominated residential development, alternative ownership structures—such as partial ownership and condos—offer new pathways to property ownership. When combined with missing middle housing types in walkable communities, these options create greater opportunities for attainable housing. This session explores how innovative zoning codes can support vibrant, mixed-use neighborhoods that naturally foster affordability and diverse housing choices. Attendees will gain insights into how walkable communities can unlock new ownership opportunities and reshape the future of housing.
Thursday, May 08, 2025, 10:15 AM
Agricultural preservation requires a balance of policy, planning, and on-the-ground solutions. This session explores innovative tools and strategies to sustain working lands, support rural economies, and manage development pressures. Learn how communities are using zoning, conservation easements, incentive programs, and collaborative partnerships to protect agricultural resources and promote resilient rural landscapes. Join us for an interactive discussion on practical approaches to keeping agriculture viable for future generations. Come prepared to workshop your community’s opportunities and challenges.
Thursday, May 08, 2025, 10:15 AM
Elected and appointed officials and planners frequently encounter conflict and criticism from community members. These criticisms are sometimes very personal, reflecting the deep emotional stakes involved in community planning. With a planning goal of creating positive change and enhancing the quality of life, why then do residents often respond with frustration and anger towards planning decisions, actions, and officials? This session will explore some of the key origins of planning conflict. It will also encourage participants to see the productive potential of conflict and learn some of the skills and concepts to help skillfully navigate planning conflict. This session will be interactive, and participants should come ready to engage with one another. Note: This session is an excellent precursor to the “Planning for conflict: An introduction to conflict competence for planners” workshop, which is on the afternoon of May 08. We encourage participants interested in the topic of conflict and its management to attend both sessions.
Thursday, May 08, 2025, 10:15 AM
This mobile tour will showcase recently completed streetscape projects in the region that focus on balancing the needs of a variety of street users (bicycles, pedestrians, vehicles) while improving overall safety. Speakers will highlight the design process that evaluated various facets of each project to balance the needs and safety of each user. Traffic calming measures of the highlighted projects include chicanes, bulb-outs, mountable islands, roundabouts (including a unique treatment for an offset intersection), high visibility crosswalks, and separated bike lanes. Specific projects include Center Street, 1200 East and 700 North in Logan and 1200 West in Nibley.
No materials are available for this session
Thursday, May 08, 2025, 11:45 AM
The Utah Wellbeing Project is a partnership between a USU research team and cities and towns throughout Utah. Surveys provide data on residents’ wellbeing and other local perspectives that support community planning efforts. Cities and towns that participate over time can track trends and emergent issues. This presentation will describe the project, highlight key findings, and share how cities and towns are using the data.
Thursday, May 08, 2025, 1:15 PM
A discussion of the self-help housing program in Utah including the funding mechanisms, land development methods including a master planned community in Smithfield, housing types available, and a full breakdown of the cost to build housing in today’s market. Learn about what it takes to run the program and how we help very-low and low-income households afford home ownership. & Accessory Dwelling Units have been traditionally viewed as an option for providing additional rental housing opportunities within a variety of communities. Farmington City is challenging that paradigm with an innovative approach to enable ADUs as an entry point for homeownership. Come learn how!
Thursday, May 08, 2025, 1:15 PM
In today’s hyper-partisan political climate, the pursuit of sustainable solutions faces unprecedented challenges. This session will explore how to develop and implement effective sustainability plans amidst political divisions. We will delve into strategies to build consensus across the political spectrum, and use communication strategies that resonate with diverse audiences.
Thursday, May 08, 2025, 1:15 PM
When was the last time you updated your conditional use chapter? Are you caught up processing options? Are you having public hearings? What sort of notice are you sending out? There are many options for these administrative uses. Join us for an educational session that will include an on the fly review of one current ordinance from a volunteer in the room!
Thursday, May 08, 2025, 2:30 PM
The Carol and Jim Laub Plaza, located at 55 North Main Street, Logan, Utah, opened to the public in the spring of 2024. It is programmed with activities year-round. The outdoor stage will feature a wide variety of entertainment. A splash pad/water feature will provide summer fun for those getting wet or simply choosing to sip a soda while enjoying the activity. During the winter, visitors can enjoy the ice-skating rink or gather around the fire pits. The Center Street Archway Sign and associated streetscape revitalization has beautified and sparked economic investment in the heart of downtown. In May of 2024 Logan City completed their new downtown Library on the corner of 300 North and Main.
No materials are available for this session
Thursday, May 08, 2025, 2:30 PM
In a world of short attention spans and rapid change – more than ever, local entities are tasked with developing actionable plans responding to near- and long-term needs. This session highlights Millcreek City’s approach to developing an actionable Sidewalks and Trails Master Plan that balances immediate needs with long-term goals. The session covers the planning process, approach to engaging partner agencies, tips for building relationships, improving cross-agency collaboration, and ensuring plans move from paper to reality.
Thursday, May 08, 2025, 2:30 PM
Ever wonder if a common ordinance was legal? This is your chance to find out. We’ll discuss everything from subdivision plat approvals to internal accessory dwelling units and development agreements.
Thursday, May 08, 2025, 2:30 PM
Join Cache County, ULUI, and APA Utah for a free 3-hour training on foundational land use principles, zoning regulations, and best practices—all in an engaging, discussion- based format.
Thursday, May 08, 2025, 3:45 PM
Anyone who works in the public sector—very much including planners—will have to navigate situations in which people don’t see eye to eye and have different needs. In other words, they will have to navigate conflict. This interactive workshop will provide planners with a basic framework and skills for productively navigating conflict in their personal and professional lives. It will also show how dealing with conflict productively can help planners get better outcomes for themselves, their clients, and their communities..
Thursday, May 08, 2025, 3:45 PM
The AICP Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct (planner’s ethics code) asks all planners to examine their cultures, practices, values, and positions to reveal and understand their conscious and unconscious biases and privileges. This recognition is a step towards serving an inclusive public interest that promotes a sense of belonging (Section A, 1.1 [paraphrased]). This statement highlights several planning concepts, including “biases.” This session will help all attendees to identify and understand our conscious and unconscious biases. “Bias” can be defined as “the action of supporting or opposing a person or thing in an unfair way because of our personal opinions that influence our judgments” (Cambridge Dictionary Online). We all carry some biases. We may recognize them. Others may be hidden from our view. Like known biases, our unrecognized biases can be harmful to achieving plans that are inclusive of public interest(s). Biases can be personal, racial, socio-economic, age, sexual orientation, education, political, religious, or something else in nature. This session will help both citizen and professional planners to, (1) identify and understand our conscious and unconscious biases, and (2) provide deliberate actions and strategies we all can take to achieve the elusive but nonetheless “inclusive public interest.”
Thursday, May 08, 2025, 6:00 PM
No materials are available for this session
Friday, May 09, 2025, 8:00 AM
ULI Utah’s Technical Assistance Panels are a hallmark program of ULI. They are an intensive, multidisciplinary effort that assembles seasoned ULI members who are experts in planning-related fields to address complex land use and real estate challenges. You’re invited to participate in a session where the TAP Program, Findings, and Recommendations for the City of South Salt Lake and Seven Canyons Trust, which was conducted in January 2025 are presented. This TAP provided a vital opportunity to explore Mill Creek and identify potential enhancements to the area, including parks, trails, and other community amenities. Come and learn about the TAP that was completed, as well as opportunities for a TAP in your community!
Friday, May 09, 2025, 8:00 AM
This session gives an overview of a new resource and online course from USU’s Gateway & Natural Amenity Region Initiative: “Understanding and Managing Short-Term Rentals: Maximize benefits, minimize impacts.” This course is designed to help community leaders, planners, and officials understand and respond to STRs and their impacts in ways that are both realistic and responsive to community needs and desires. Covering policy, regulation, enforcement, and economic benefits, it provides practical insights from gateway communities across Utah and the West. In the follow up session The Utah Division of Outdoor Recreation is embarking on an exciting initiative to conduct long-range regional recreation planning! An effort like this has never been done before, but with recreation being a large economic driver and a vital part to Utahn’s quality of life, planning efforts are essential.
Friday, May 09, 2025, 8:00 AM
This mobile tour will highlight Open Space and Agricultural Preservation efforts in the region, showcasing sites with varying approaches to preservation of spaces that offer a regional and community value. Preservation efforts covered will include Purchase of Development Rights (PDR), Conservation Easements and partnerships with private property owners and non-profit organizations to enhance the value of open spaces. The tour will include stops at the historic Elkhorn Ranch, Stokes Nature Center Outdoor Classroom, Morgan Farm, and American West Heritage Center.
No materials are available for this session
Friday, May 09, 2025, 8:00 AM
In this session Leage staff will review adopted bills that require action by cities and towns and bills that outlined options and opportunities for Utah’s Municipalities in this year’s session.
Friday, May 09, 2025, 9:15 AM
Join staff from the Mountainland Association of Governments, the Wasatch Front Regional Council, Alpine City, and the Office of the Property Rights Ombudsman as they introduce Utah’s Missing Middle Housing Toolkit. Discover how this free, Utah-specific tool can help you engage in planning and design discussions, including data collection, policy analysis, public outreach, and training focused on missing middle housing options for your community.
No materials are available for this session
Friday, May 09, 2025, 9:15 AM
Friday, May 09, 2025, 9:15 AM
Utah continues to grow quickly as it has for decades. Where and how growth unfolds is a constant debate in each community. What freedom should communities have to say no to growth? –OR– What responsibility does each community have to say yes? How should we all look at IF and WHERE growth should be prohibited, allowed, encouraged, or even required? Come join a friendly debate that will bring the audience into the conversation.
No materials are available for this session
Friday, May 09, 2025, 9:15 AM
League staff will forecast their best predictions for upcoming legislative land use topics such as the State housing plan, the role of General plans and Engineering standards. Feedback will also be requested on potential updates that may be needed on past legislation.
Friday, May 09, 2025, 10:30 AM
In the 2025 Utah legislative session, 40 bills on land use and housing were introduced and 25 were passed. These bills added some 765 lines of code to the LUDMA, which is more than double what has been added during the last few legislative sessions! Additionally, 10 other Titles of Utah State Code had language added to them which have some reference to land use. Our presenters will go over what was passed in the legislative session, what planners need to be aware of, and what they need to do. Fair warning, it’s a lot!
Thursday, October 09, 2025, 7:30 AM
No materials are available for this session
Thursday, October 09, 2025, 8:30 AM
The APA Utah Fall Conference will open with a warm welcome from Salt Lake City Mayor Mendenhall and APA Utah Chapter President Jason Boal. Together, they will highlight the importance of planning in shaping vibrant, resilient communities, reflect on the exciting opportunities ahead for Utah’s cities and towns, and set the stage for two days of learning, connection, and inspiration.
No materials are available for this session
Thursday, October 09, 2025, 9:00 AM
What is our purpose as planners? Emerging trends and the convergence of global disruptions, such as political polarization, policy, and legislative mandates, have altered how we plan, design, and build places. What does our Code of Ethics tell us about our purpose, values, and principles as planners? What is the value of planning? Join me as I share my reflections on how to plan with purpose and how planners need to be at the forefront of managing growth and change.
No materials are available for this session
Thursday, October 09, 2025, 9:45 AM
No materials are available for this session
Thursday, October 09, 2025, 10:00 AM
No materials are available for this session
Thursday, October 09, 2025, 11:00 AM
Let’s explore the Downtown and Capitol Hill neighborhoods on bikes! Join us for a tour of several newly reconstructed complete streets. This is a chance to experience the new transit priority lanes and buffered bike lanes on 200 South, improved crosswalks and bike lanes on West Temple, a brand-new two-way cycle track on 300 North, and the Folsom Trail. Bring your own bike or use a Greenbike for an easy 4-mile loop.
No materials are available for this session
Thursday, October 09, 2025, 11:00 AM
Please join us for a behind-the-scenes tour of the Beehive House and the Lion House during restoration. These 1850s adobe structures have been used as residences, schools, social centers, offices, and a boarding house in their long and varied history. The structures are now being restored to three periods of significance for use as a museum. Learn about the complex processes and approvals involved with the preservation of a National Historic Landmark site with multiple periods of significance in an urban location. This is a hard hat tour in an active construction site. Please bring PPE if available.
*This tour will travel via TRAX.
No materials are available for this session
Thursday, October 09, 2025, 11:00 AM
No materials are available for this session
Thursday, October 09, 2025, 11:30 AM
We all have default planning settings, without even knowing it. What’s yours? Does housing ‘obviously’ mean single-family homes? Does ‘transportation’ automatically mean cars and roads? The 2021 AICP Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct admonishes practicing planners not to blindly resort to “a customary solution” (§A,5.2). One way to avoid blind spots is to “examine our own… unconscious biases” (§A, 1.1). Join us on a (non-judgmental) journey into our hidden and unconscious planning biases and blind spots.
No materials are available for this session
Thursday, October 09, 2025, 11:30 AM
Centers are the heart of a community where people gather, where public spaces, commerce, housing, and transportation choices meet. A new State-funded website with exciting new vignettes and 3D panoramas of centers is available for use by cities and towns to support community planning, zoning, and economic development discussions. Learn how images and 3D panoramas were developed with input from Utah planners, and how you can use them to implement centers in your community.
No materials are available for this session
Thursday, October 09, 2025, 11:30 AM
Explore the shift from conventional public meetings to immersive technology in land use planning. This highly graphic and interactive presentation showcases how immersive technology, blending storytelling with high-tech imagery and sounds, better engages the public. Our mobile immersion lab transforms community outreach by representing a major technological shift in decades and one of the first applications of virtual reality to facilitate an interactive showcase event highlighting a variety of design concepts to inform planning projects.
No materials are available for this session
Thursday, October 09, 2025, 11:30 AM
Planning and implementation should be seamless. Too often, plans fall short because of implementation strategies that overpromise and underdeliver, neglect agency buy-in, lack staff and funding resources, priorities change due to new political leadership, unrealistic timelines, and transformative projects are not vetted to ensure there is adequate infrastructure to execute the idea. This session will provide insights and tips on developing an implementation strategy to transition from planning to action.
No materials are available for this session
Thursday, October 09, 2025, 12:30 PM
No materials are available for this session
Thursday, October 09, 2025, 1:45 PM
Utah has always been a state where local general plans are advisory. There has been discussion in recent years at the legislative level of switching to make us a mandatory plan compliance state. Is this a good idea? Why is this coming up now? What does it actually mean? What are the pros and cons? We’ll explore these questions and solicit your opinions in this interactive session.
No materials are available for this session
Thursday, October 09, 2025, 1:45 PM
Since 1928, Smith’s Ballpark has been a beloved sports and cultural landmark in Salt Lake City. With the Bees’ departure, the community now looks ahead to a bold new vision for the 14-acre site. Hear from the Salt Lake City Community Reinvestment Agency (CRA), Perkins&Will, and the Ballpark Action Team as they share their evidence-based, human-centered approach to honoring the site’s legacy while advancing mixed-use development, sustainability, and long-term community benefit.
No materials are available for this session
Thursday, October 09, 2025, 1:45 PM
Urban design practice is changing rapidly, and planners are part of that shift. This session explores the expanding definition of the “urban designer” to include planners, policymakers, data scientists, and community advocates. Panelists will share how they’re integrating regenerative design, DEI commitments, and emerging technologies to harness the power of public imagination in shaping future-ready cities. Participants will reflect on their roles as “indirect designers” and consider how their work informs the design of the city, whether through zoning, infrastructure investment, or community engagement. It’s time to embrace design as a shared responsibility—and a powerful tool for change.
No materials are available for this session
Thursday, October 09, 2025, 1:45 PM
Join us for an open conversation about community-led placemaking in the Central Ninth neighborhood, where residents, creatives, and local advocates are shaping public space from the ground up. This mobile tour will share stories from recent grassroots efforts—including the revitalization of 900 South and the Central Ninth Underpass Project—to explore how collective imagination and hyper-local energy are transforming overlooked spaces into places of connection and identity. Whether you’re a neighborhood regular or new to Central Ninth, come hear how placemaking here isn’t imposed—it’s grown organically, by and for the people who live it.
Board shuttle at HallPass.
No materials are available for this session
Thursday, October 09, 2025, 1:45 PM
This walking tour explores the zoning and planning that shaped a thriving, walkable business district in Sugar House, one of Salt Lake City’s oldest neighborhoods. Sugar House has rapidly developed a high-density, mixed-use center often referred to as the City’s “Second Downtown.” A multimodal transportation network, including the S-Line Greenway and light rail, connects the area to open spaces, trails, and amenities. Learn how thoughtful planning has driven growth while preserving the neighborhood’s historic character.
Board shuttle at HallPass.
No materials are available for this session
Thursday, October 09, 2025, 2:45 PM
No materials are available for this session
Thursday, October 09, 2025, 3:00 PM
Similar to patterns observed in other major waterbodies worldwide, declining water levels in the Great Salt Lake (GSL) Basin emphasize the challenges posed by a limited water supply in the face of ongoing population growth and climate change. To better understand how much water is necessary to ensure a resilient supply for GSL and all water uses in the basin, the Utah Department of Natural Resources, Division of Water Resources, is developing the Great Salt Lake Basin Integrated Plan (GSLBIP). Together with the US Bureau of Reclamation via a WaterSMART Basin Study award, the Division is undertaking an unprecedented collaborative effort that will provide water managers with tools to understand how changes in climate, water supply, and demand, and policy will impact the GSL basin. The development and implementation of the GSLBIP is a significant challenge, as a basin-wide project at this scale has never been undertaken in Utah. Water supply challenges throughout the watershed —especially GSL — are urgent. Durable outcomes and long-term success will hinge on the watershed uniting under a new perspective on water and community. The GSLBIP will foster a “one water, one community” approach, essential for ensuring the health and sustainability of GSL and its surrounding communities.
No materials are available for this session
Thursday, October 09, 2025, 3:00 PM
Behind every successful planning visualization is a thoughtful blend of tools and techniques. In this session, we’ll explore how planners can “cook up” compelling visuals using a variety of ingredients—from immersive renderings to real-time simulations. Attendees will leave with a better understanding of how to choose and combine tools to create visuals that inform, engage, and inspire.
No materials are available for this session
Thursday, October 09, 2025, 3:00 PM
Everybody wants safe roads, but balancing priorities is tricky. This session identifies road safety risk factors from different perspectives. Recognizing that words matter, we reflect on ways to talk about road safety that can advance a prioritization of vulnerable road users. We also highlight a traffic safety project that engaged Ogden, Utah, elementary school children in gathering traffic data as a “STEM Learning Activity.” Children learned how traffic engineers make decisions by doing field-based research.
No materials are available for this session
Thursday, October 09, 2025, 3:00 PM
Mitchell J. Silver challenges planners to see ethics not as abstract rules but as a compass and rudder guiding daily practice. Drawing on the AICP Code of Ethics, allied professions, and his own reflections, Silver emphasizes that planners must be their values—living them, rather than merely citing them. This engaging session invites planners to reconnect with the core purpose of their work: advancing the public good with integrity and clarity.
No materials are available for this session
Thursday, October 09, 2025, 4:30 PM
Join us for a unique welcome reception!
GSBS, Central 9th, and APA Utah invite you to the Mead Avenue Underpass Project—a one-of-a-kind space transforming the freeway underpass into a vibrant community plaza. This new gathering place is designed to be welcoming, functional, and full of energy, serving the diverse needs of the Central Ninth neighborhood.
Bring your family and friends for an evening of yard games, food trucks, and futsal as we celebrate together.
No materials are available for this session
Friday, October 10, 2025, 7:30 AM
No materials are available for this session
Friday, October 10, 2025, 8:30 AM
No materials are available for this session
Friday, October 10, 2025, 8:45 AM
Youth Are Not the Future, But the Now Too often, youth are seen only as the “future leaders” of our communities. But young people are already shaping our cities, policies, and civic life today. In this keynote session, Corrin Wendell, AICP, Founder of YEP! Youth Engagement Planning, challenges the traditional narrative and makes a powerful case for why youth must be centered in the now—not just planned for in the future. Drawing from real-world engagement projects, community planning initiatives, and her experience leading national and international youth planning efforts, Corrin will highlight how planners, policymakers, and community leaders can move beyond symbolic involvement toward meaningful, transformational youth participation. Participants will leave with a renewed understanding of the urgency, creativity, and wisdom that young people bring to today’s challenges—and how tapping into that energy can create more resilient, inclusive, and equitable communities right now.
No materials are available for this session
Friday, October 10, 2025, 9:45 AM
This walking tour will discuss how Salt Lake City’s first form-based code has resulted in significant mixed-use, infill development in the Central Ninth neighborhood. The emerging neighborhood sits on the southern end of downtown and is served by a light rail station that every line in the system passes through, connecting the neighborhood to every destination in UTAs Trax system. Three different protected bike paths converge in the neighborhood, making it one of the most bikeable neighborhoods in the city. Learn about the process that SLC went through to implement a form-based code in the neighborhood, the lessons learned over the years, and how the city aligned other tools for the neighborhood to grow.
No materials are available for this session
Friday, October 10, 2025, 9:45 AM
No materials are available for this session
Friday, October 10, 2025, 10:15 AM
City and town centers are a key part of Utah’s approach to handling growth. But what about corridors like a “Main Street”? Do they matter too? We’ll talk about the pros and cons of centers versus corridors and explore how to lean into corridor planning as a way to make our cities more lovable, vibrant, and affordable.
No materials are available for this session
Friday, October 10, 2025, 10:15 AM
Explore how city planning shapes access to healthy food. This presentation highlights the use of healthy food audits, zoning policies, and land-use strategies to address food deserts and food swamps. Attendees will learn and discuss how city planners can partner with communities to create environments that support nutritious, affordable, and accessible food for all residents.
No materials are available for this session
Friday, October 10, 2025, 10:15 AM
No materials are available for this session
Friday, October 10, 2025, 10:15 AM
Local governments are on the front lines of shaping how communities grow—and the citizen planner is a significant piece of those efforts. This session is about the most recently created and enhanced planning tools and resources available in Utah to help you address land use planning in your community. Join us to learn more about online learning modules, topic-focused toolkits, and more! Plus, discuss additional tools currently being worked on, and provide feedback on resources still needed.
No materials are available for this session
Friday, October 10, 2025, 11:15 AM
No materials are available for this session
Friday, October 10, 2025, 11:30 AM
This session will help planners understand the Statewide MPO Regional Roadway Grid Study’s value and impacts for their communities, including performance metrics, projects, and starting points for meeting SB195 requirements
No materials are available for this session
Friday, October 10, 2025, 11:30 AM
In cities across Utah, cities are cutting down mature trees due to reactive planning, policy gaps, or infrastructure conflicts. This session explores how to prevent those losses by treating trees as essential infrastructure, worthy of preservation, coordination, and long-range investment. We’ll open with a fast-paced “Winners & Losers” game to see who wins when trees clash with development. A spotlight on a recent case of tree loss in Logan, Utah, will challenge attendees to test tree-protection policies and planning efforts. Panelists will offer real-world strategies for embedding tree protection into zoning, engineering, and long-range plans.
No materials are available for this session
Friday, October 10, 2025, 11:30 AM
Youth are not just the future — they are key voices in today’s planning decisions. This interactive session, led by Meagan Booth and Jake Young, will highlight practical, tested methods for involving young people in planning processes that matter to them and their communities. Following this, participants will join a live Fishbowl Discussion The heart of the session is a Fishbowl Discussion — but this time, it’s planner-to-planner. Attendees will hear directly from their peers about what’s worked, what’s been challenging, and how they’re building meaningful youth relationships in their communities. The format encourages open sharing and leaves attendees with concrete ideas to adapt in their work.
No materials are available for this session
Friday, October 10, 2025, 11:30 AM
No materials are available for this session
Friday, October 10, 2025, 11:30 AM
It sometimes seems like that the Planning Commission’s purpose is primarily to rubber stamp the work of the planning staff. When The Planners Journal broached this topic several years ago, comments from planning commissioners were often like: “sometimes it feels like the PC works for the planners,” and “the planning director just insists that we agree with him.” So who’s really in charge of what the planning commission does and what gets decided? In this session, we’ll take a closer look at what the role and responsibility of the PC is, and how that gets done – do the staff planners run the show, or is it the PC? What’s the relationship between them? Should make for some interesting discussion!
No materials are available for this session
Friday, October 10, 2025, 12:30 PM
No materials are available for this session
Friday, October 10, 2025, 1:45 PM
Salt Lake City’s South Temple and Central City historic districts preserve many of the city’s early mansions and ornate homes. Learn from city planners and developers about the districts and visit five recent projects within a few square blocks on a walking tour. This includes two adaptive reuse projects and the construction of three new residential buildings that add over 450 market rate and affordable housing units to this growing and evolving neighborhood.
No materials are available for this session
Friday, October 10, 2025, 1:45 PM
Transportation partners have developed a public friendly web based map that includes the totality of known existing bicycle infrastructure across the state, a first in Utah. Come explore the map, learn about the data development, map features, potential uses, and how you can contribute moving forward.
No materials are available for this session
Friday, October 10, 2025, 1:45 PM
The concept of infill housing options has become a Statewide issue. Many communities are discussing what sorts of infill, often called “the missing middle,” might be suited to their community. This session will explore two communities that are grappling with what works for them and look at the technical and perceived issues that emerge as the process of addressing infill is initiated. In addition, the development community perspective will be offered to determine ways to encourage infill development.
No materials are available for this session
Friday, October 10, 2025, 1:45 PM
Public streets are our most abundant shared spaces—but are they serving people or just vehicles? Join us for a walking tour of Salt Lake City’s downtown to explore how streets are being reclaimed as civic and social space. Through on-the-ground examples, including the SLC Green Loop and Main Street pedestrianization project, participants will examine how the city is rethinking the right-of-way to better support community life. A collaborative exercise challenges participants to reimagine a street, considering real-world constraints (e.g., fire access, utility conflicts, funding limitations) and exploring ideas that support public life.
No materials are available for this session
Friday, October 10, 2025, 1:45 PM
Utah is growing fast and, despite record permitting, housing supply is struggling to keep up. Several constraints limit our collective capacity to build more housing, but the comparative impacts of constraints such as land availability, water supply, sewer capacity, and land use regulations vary by region. What’s the limiting constraint in your region, and what recommended strategies can improve our ability to meet growth and infrastructure demands?
No materials are available for this session
Friday, October 10, 2025, 1:45 PM
A common misconception is that “All-Abilities” playgrounds need to be designed for the mobility device or wheelchair user. Inclusive play involves so much more! Statistics show that more children have disabilities that are intellectual, communication, or social/emotional-based, compared to physical. Inclusive playgrounds should be designed to support every child, allowing them to play, connect, and thrive! An inclusive playground can and should foster environments that are welcoming, engaging, rewarding, and fun for all children!
No materials are available for this session
Friday, October 10, 2025, 2:45 PM
No materials are available for this session
Friday, October 10, 2025, 3:00 PM
This session will explore how to construct project specific development agreements that address a wide variety of items, but not too many items can create the right balance for the community and developer for a successful project.
No materials are available for this session
Friday, October 10, 2025, 3:00 PM
Playful Learning Landscapes is a global movement that is situated at the intersection of placemaking and early learning. By transforming public spaces into opportunities for playful learning, we create vibrant social environments that nurture a strong sense of community and support families. This session will explore Playful Learning Landscapes and highlight Utah’s first playful learning installations at Open Streets 2025 in Salt Lake City. Come play with us and join the movement!
No materials are available for this session
Friday, October 10, 2025, 3:00 PM
This session explores the direct and indirect impacts of public transit on reducing vehicle miles traveled (VMT) and greenhouse gas emissions. Using multilevel structural equation modeling and data from 31 diverse U.S. regions, we reveal the indirect impacts of transit investments beyond ridership through changes in the built environment, and how it encourages active mode choices and foster location efficiency. Learn about the transit land-use multiplier and its implications for urban planning and environmental sustainability.
No materials are available for this session
Friday, October 10, 2025, 3:00 PM
Since HB 386 was a somewhat overwhelming bit of legislation, the intent of this session is to review the top ten changes that communities should be aware of. This session should enable cities and towns to make those actual changes to their ordinances, without significant difficulty (some yes but not a lot!).
No materials are available for this session
No materials are available for this session
Wednesday, April 08, 2026, 1:30 PM
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 tourism in the local economy, and the importance of thoughtful planning in gateway and rural communities. It’s a chance to hear directly from the local community that is hosting us and to set the stage for the conversations ahead.
No materials are available for this session
Wednesday, April 08, 2026, 1:45 PM
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, boundaries and standards, and recent legislation, aimed at high-risk areas, are reshaping how we build, plan and live in fire-prone landscapes. We will be connecting the dots between science, standards and statutes.
Wednesday, April 08, 2026, 3:00 PM
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 can be done on private land and the processes they must use. In this session, we will cover what these rules and requirements are and review some of the significant court rulings regarding them.
No materials are available for this session
Wednesday, April 08, 2026, 3:00 PM
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-risk WUI program manager, and the Utah state insurance commissioner as they discuss how risk maps created by recent legislation could influence planning decisions, wildfire risk, and the availability and affordability of insurance in fire-prone communities.
Wednesday, April 08, 2026, 3:00 PM
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 communities. The tool allows users to weigh considerations such as proximity to medical, educational, and child care amenities, as well as employment opportunities and access to opportunities via various modes of transportation. The end result is a heat map that gives you a general idea of the locations with the most positive impact.
Wednesday, April 08, 2026, 3:00 PM
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 the preferred alignment, generate high-level design, and complete a state environmental study to put the pieces in place for the trail to be elevated to a construction-ready candidate in the statewide UTN prioritization list. This presentation will summarize the project’s successes and challenges and outline the team’s process for identifying a preferred alignment with multiple stakeholders, building consensus, and conducting public outreach.
Wednesday, April 08, 2026, 4:15 PM
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 takes to maintain your trails, and discuss the ongoing conversation of e-bikes. This session will provide practical advice and also give participants the opportunity to identify useful tools that the Division can provide in the future.
Wednesday, April 08, 2026, 4:15 PM
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, and see cross-issue growth impacts in dynamic tables and charts! Funded by the Utah Land Use Training Fund, InForm Utah is a tool for Utah Planners to estimate water-use requirements, infrastructure costs, and fiscal and economic development impacts, and to share them with decision makers.
No materials are available for this session
Wednesday, April 08, 2026, 4:15 PM
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 space with an interactive workshop that puts those ideas into practice. Participants will explore strategies to guide visitor use, strengthen community character, and steward natural and cultural assets with community values. The outcome of the session is to leave participants with adaptable approaches to apply in their communities.
No materials are available for this session
Thursday, April 09, 2026, 8:30 AM
Opening remarks and welcome from the APA Utah President.
Thursday, April 09, 2026, 9:00 AM
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 disaster— and what planners, officials, and communities can do now to steer development and building patterns toward safer, more fire‑adapted futures.
Thursday, April 09, 2026, 10:15 AM
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 roundtable invites participants to share experiences, explore current policies, and discuss practical strategies for managing e-bike use. The session is designed to be highly interactive, with the group working together to develop actionable ideas and recommendations related to policy, design, education, and enforcement that can be applied in their own communities.
No materials are available for this session
Thursday, April 09, 2026, 10:15 AM
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, regulatory, and design tools communities can use now to create safer, more fire-adapted development patterns.
No materials are available for this session
Thursday, April 09, 2026, 10:15 AM
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 implementation and ongoing enforcement—highlighting common challenges, lessons learned, and realistic expectations for staff, officials, and applicants alike.
Thursday, April 09, 2026, 10:15 AM
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 general meeting format, processing options. laying out an agenda, noticing and PC chair opportunities to manage the meeting efficiently and respectfully.
Thursday, April 09, 2026, 11:30 AM
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 with a record of successful civic engagement within Utah and across the country. Panelists will discuss strategies and tools they have used in their own work, the challenges they have navigated, and the groundwork that must be done to build inclusive, resilient places.
Thursday, April 09, 2026, 11:30 AM
Gateway communities sit between wild landscapes and growing visitation pressures. As tourism increases and climate risks intensify, planners face hard choices about growth, authenticity, infrastructure, and community well-being. Drawing from recent research on gateway urbanism, this session explores how place-based, regionally grounded urban design can support resilience without resorting to generic “destination” formulas. Participants will reflect on their own communities and discuss practical strategies to align planning, design, and stewardship at the urban–wildland interface.
No materials are available for this session
Thursday, April 09, 2026, 11:30 AM
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 cities, and county governments to explore real-world challenges and practical solutions related to zoning and land-use enforcement. Speakers will discuss staffing limitations, short-term rental impacts, community trust, alignment with state legislation, and the difficult decisions around what gets enforced — and what sometimes does not — despite being written into code. Through comparative examples and lessons learned, attendees will gain practical insights and adaptable strategies to support fair, effective, and community-centered code enforcement.
Thursday, April 09, 2026, 1:00 PM
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 Division of Water Resources, communities across the state worked to adopt water elements that assess their water resources related to growth and to increase water efficiency in new development. This session will explain the requirement, share progress from around the state, and discuss what comes next.
Thursday, April 09, 2026, 2:15 PM
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 interactive session is tailored for elected officials, planning commissioners, planners, and other decision-makers from Utah’s small towns and rural places. Participants will learn to navigate conflicts of interest, dual relationships, transparency, and accountability issues specific to planning in Utah’s small towns and rural places. Leave with a better understanding of best practices, recent updates to state law, and reference materials you can use immediately in your community.
Thursday, April 09, 2026, 2:15 PM
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 Risk Management. Participants will learn principles, practical frameworks, and scalable strategies used by communities across the West that Utah’s communities can use to prepare before disaster strikes.
No materials are available for this session
Thursday, April 09, 2026, 2:15 PM
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 relationship between your written Code and application submittals. What is a complete application (that should be described in your Code!)? When do you have some discretion? How can you make a submittal the best it can be? Examples of before (as submitted) and after review plans will be showcased!
Thursday, April 09, 2026, 3:30 PM
Move past generic AI experimentation and discover strategic applications specific to planning work. This interactive workshop explores advanced techniques for comprehensive plan research, policy analysis, public engagement summaries, and technical report writing. Learn to design effective prompts, critically evaluate AI outputs, integrate multiple sources, and maintain professional standards while dramatically improving efficiency. Through real planning scenarios, you’ll develop and practice practical workflows for literature reviews, zoning analysis, and stakeholder communications that you can implement immediately in your practice. Have a smartphone, tablet or laptop handy to participate in guided exercises.
Thursday, April 09, 2026, 3:30 PM
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 practical typology for understanding different community types. Participants will help classify real communities, discuss planning challenges, and explore strategies to better support gateway communities across Utah and the Mountain West.
Thursday, April 09, 2026, 3:30 PM
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 useful for infrastructure planning and implementation. This session offers a birds eye view at the grants, loans, and technical assistance available to municipalities, highlighting practical options and considerations along the way. Participants will also be invited to share input on a developing ULCT initiative to provide additional tools, templates, ordinances, and expert support for communities managing growth. Part overview and part interactive discussion, this workshop is designed to help cities connect available resources with real-world applications.
No materials are available for this session
Friday, April 10, 2026, 9:00 AM
Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) are rapidly becoming integral components of modern electric grids, supporting renewable integration, grid reliability, and energy resilience. Yet, BESS installations—especially large-scale facilities—raise complex legal and land use challenges for communities unaccustomed to regulating this evolving technology. This session will equip planners, land use attorneys, and local officials with actionable insights on how to incorporate BESS into zoning codes, address statutory and administrative constraints, and balance community safety with deployment goals.
Friday, April 10, 2026, 9:00 AM
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.
Friday, April 10, 2026, 9:00 AM
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 systems that serve residents, workers, and visitors by connecting daily destinations with recreation areas. Learn how Park City evolved its system over 50 years and how Moab is launching a new system, with practical lessons for growing transit in tourism-driven places.
Friday, April 10, 2026, 10:15 AM
Opening remarks and welcome from the APA Utah’s Vice President.
Friday, April 10, 2026, 10:30 AM
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 Program. This program was piloted in 2025 and is moving forward in 2026 as a key support for communities within Utah’s 24 rural counties offering a pathway to sustainable rural economic development. Participants will explore innovative approaches to leveraging state and local assets, enhancing infrastructure, fostering entrepreneurship and building capacity for long-term managed growth, while addressing barriers to labor force participation and community resilience.
No materials are available for this session
Friday, April 10, 2026, 11:00 AM
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 session and discuss how new laws may impact planning practice, development review, housing policy, and local government authority. Presenters will provide practical guidance to help planners understand and implement statutory changes while maintaining compliance with state law and professional planning responsibilities. This session qualifies for AICP Mandatory Law Credit (CM).
No materials are available for this session
Friday, April 10, 2026, 1:00 PM
Pre-registration is required.
Register here »
No materials are available for this session
Friday, April 10, 2026, 1:00 PM
Pre-registration is required.
Register at: here »
No materials are available for this session
Friday, April 10, 2026, 1:00 PM
Pre-registration is required.
Register at: here »
No materials are available for this session
