Ted Knowlton, AICP
Chief Planner, Deputy Director
Wasatch Front Regional Council (WFRC)
Ted is the Chief Planner and Deputy Director at the Wasatch Front Regional Council (WFRC), the Metropolitan Planning Organization for greater Salt Lake City, Utah. Ted has dedicated his career to forging strongly supported, coordinated plans among communities, the private sector, and government agencies, aiming to enhance shared quality of life and sustainability. While serving as the Planning Director at Envision Utah, Ted created humanizing engagement practices now used in an estimated 80 regional planning efforts around the country. Envision Utah’s impact is estimated to have helped reduce sprawl by 140 square miles within Utah. Ted also launched and scaled WFRC’s Transportation and Land Use Connection program (TLC) for communities. TLC has implemented 150 projects and is enabling 50,000 new housing units to be built near public transit. His innovative work has garnered significant recognition, including two prestigious Daniel Burnham awards from the American Planning Association. Ted holds a Master’s in Urban and Regional Planning from Portland State University and serves as an Adjunct Professor at the University of Utah. He is also a City Councilor for the City of North Salt Lake.
Session(s):
I’d live there! »
APA Utah 2026 Spring Conference: Bryce Canyon, April 8, 2026 3:00 pmWFRC 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.
Corridors Versus Centers: Match of the Century »
2025 APA UT Fall Conference, October 10, 2025 10:15 amCity 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.
Seeing is Believing: Virtual Tour of New City and Town Center Resources »
2025 APA UT Fall Conference, October 9, 2025 11:30 amCenters 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.
APA Debates: The Great Growth Debate »
2025 APA UT Spring Conference, May 9, 2025 9:15 amUtah 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.
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