APA Utah Fall Conference Speaker

Laura Hanson, AICP

State Planning Coordinator
Governor's Office of Planning and Budget

Laura Hanson joined the Governor’s Office of Planning and Budget in 2021 with over 20 years of experience as a professional planner. Prior to GOPB, she served as the Planning Director for the Utah Transit Authority and as the first Executive Director of the Jordan River Commission, an interlocal cooperation focused on completing the Jordan River Parkway trail and riparian restoration. She holds bachelor degrees in urban planning and environmental studies, and a master degree in urban planning from the University of Utah. Post graduate certificates include public involvement, leadership, and conflict resolution. Her work has been recognized with numerous awards.

Session(s):

Guiding Our Growth and Regional Visioning »

2023 Fall Conference, 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.

Local Funding Opportunities »

2023 Fall Conference, September 28, 2023 2:00 pm

Seems like the potential to obtain funding for your local planning and capital project needs has expanded and gotten more confusing over the past couple of years. Learn from your local regional association about the dollars they manage as well as potential funding from the State. Recent planning dollars have become available for local communities to update their ordinances, general plans, and enhance Main Streets, but there is also funding available for infrastructure, trails, roads, and training. Learn from the people who manage funding a variety of programs.

Guiding our Growth »

2023 Spring Conference, May 12, 2023 11:10 am

Utah was the fastest growing state in the nation between 2010 and 2020. Population is projected to increase from 3.4 million today to 5.5 million in 2060, a 63% increase. What makes Utah great is also what makes Utah grow. Utah's appeal means others move here and our children stay. Growth can threatened what makes Utah great if we don't plan for it. Utah cam remain a great place to live, but we must work together to protect or improve Utah's housing costs, water resources, transportation convenience, recreational opportunities, and sense of community. It's time to come together to guide our growth. Join us to learn about this statewide growth conversation, how you can participate, and how the input from Utahns will help shape the future of our state.

Street Knowledge: The Wasatch Transportation Academy »

2022 Fall Conference, September 9, 2022 11:10 am

The “Community Transportation Academy” model seeks to break down the barriers for community members to participate in transportation decision-making processes. Using a curriculum handbook developed in Portland, the U of U's City & Metropolitan Planning department launched the Wasatch Transportation Academy. Working with local, regional, and state partners, the WTA ran for eight weeks during January-March 2022, reaching a total of 49 students and concluding with a suite of 18 student-led projects. Student feedback from a post-course survey showed a high degree of satisfaction across a number of pedagogic factors, with a strongly positive net promoter score, indicating a likelihood of continued success for the course in future years.