APA Utah Fall Conference Speaker

Between Town and Terrain: Planning for Place at the Edge of Public Lands »

Gateway communities sit between wild landscapes and growing visitation pressures. As tourism increases and climate risks intensify, planners face hard choices about growth, authenticity, 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.