Corrin Wendell, AICP 
Founder, Executive Director
YEP! Youth Engagement Planning
Corrin Wendell, AICP is the Founder and Executive Director of YEP! Youth Engagement Planning, President & Owner of Future Focus Strategies, LLC, Past Chair of APA’s Women & Planning Division, a National and International Keynote Speaker, and a Children’s Book Author of “Ava Tanner, the City Planner.” She is a two-time graduate of The Ohio State University, where she received a Bachelor of Science in Architecture and a Masters of City and Regional Planning. Corrin’s passion for nurturing current and future planners, and her commitment to enhancing the planning profession, were cultivated over a 20-year career spanning diverse planning disciplines including architectural and urban design, regional and land use planning, comprehensive planning, zoning administration, and community and youth engagement. Corrin is a champion for children and her commitment is strongly exemplified through her service to the planning profession including mentorship of students, young professionals, guest lecturing, and teaching urban planning in K-12 classrooms
Session(s):
Youth Voices, Real Choices: Engagement in Action + Fishbowl Discussion »
2025 APA UT Fall Conference, October 10, 2025 11:30 amYouth 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.
Keynote: Youth Are Not the Future, But the Now »
2025 APA UT Fall Conference, October 10, 2025 8:45 amYouth 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.
= Keynote
