An annual sampling of some of the best professional development conferences in the coming year for the planning and design professions, by L.A. County Planner Clement Lau.

In what has become an annual endeavor, L.A. County Planner Clement Lau previews some of the premier planning and design conferences taking place in 2018. Neither presuming to be exhaustive nor objective, he writes about what he likes in each of the conferences. Included in his preview are the following:
- UCLA Extension Land Use Law and Planning Conference (January 19; Los Angeles, CA)
- New Partners for Smart Growth Conference (February 1-3; San Francisco, CA)
- Active Living Research Conference (February 11-14; Banff, Alberta, Canada)
- AEP State Conference (March 25-28; Rancho Mirage, CA)
- APA National Planning Conference (April 21-24; New Orleans, LA)
- National Outdoor Recreation Conference (April 23-26; Burlington, VT)
- CNU 26 (Congress for New Urbanism - May 16-19; Savannah, GA)
- AIA Convention (June 21-23; New York City)
- APA California Planning Conference (October 7-10; San Diego, CA)
- ULI Fall Meeting (October 8-11; Boston, MA)
- ASLA Annual Meeting and Expo (October 19-22; Philadelphia, PA)
- ACSP Annual Conference (October 25-28; Buffalo, NY)
FULL STORY: Looking Ahead to 2018: Events for Planners

Rethinking Redlining
For decades we have blamed 100-year-old maps for the patterns of spatial racial inequity that persist in American cities today. An esteemed researcher says: we’ve got it all wrong.

Montreal Mall to Become 6,000 Housing Units
Place Versailles will be transformed into a mixed-use complex over the next 25 years.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

Santa Clara County Dedicates Over $28M to Affordable Housing
The county is funding over 600 new affordable housing units via revenue from a 2016 bond measure.

Why a Failed ‘Smart City’ Is Still Relevant
A Google-backed proposal to turn an underused section of Toronto waterfront into a tech hub holds relevant lessons about privacy and data.

When Sears Pioneered Modular Housing
Kit homes sold in catalogs like Sears and Montgomery Ward made homeownership affordable for midcentury Americans.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions