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

Another new year rapidly approaches, and it is time for Clement Lau's annual list of his favorite planning and design conferences taking place in 2019. Presuming to be neither exhaustive nor objective, Lau, a Los Angeles County park planner, 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 18, 2019; Los Angeles, CA)
Active Living Research Conference
(February 17-20, 2019; Charleston, SC)
(March 24-27, 2019; Monterey, CA)
APA National Planning Conference
(April 13-16, 2019; San Francisco, CA)
National Outdoor Recreation Conference
(May 6-9, 2019; Rapid City, SD)
A’19: AIA Conference on Architecture
(June 6-8, 2019; Las Vegas, NV)
(June 12-15, 2019; Louisville, KY)
Greater & Greener 2019: Exploring Natural Connections
(July 20-24, 2019; Denver, CO)
APA California Planning Conference
(September 15-18, 2019; Santa Barbara, CA)
(September 18-21, 2019; Washington, D.C.)
(October 24-27, 2019; Greenville, SC)
(November 15-18, 2019; San Diego, CA)
For Lau's descriptions of each conference, please see source article.
FULL STORY: Looking Ahead to 2019: Events for Planners

The Slow Death of Ride Sharing
From the beginning, TNCs like Lyft and Uber touted shared rides as their key product. Now, Lyft is ending the practice.

Amtrak Calls for Expansion, Citing Close to 100 Requests for New Lines
The agency told a House committee it has received more than 90 applications for new intercity rail lines from cities around the country.

Cool Walkability Planning
Shadeways (covered sidewalks) and pedways (enclosed, climate controlled walkways) can provide comfortable walkability in hot climates. The Cool Walkshed Index can help plan these facilities.

Federal Infrastructure Dollars Funding Road Expansions
Far from kickstarting a transformative change in transportation policy, the 2021 bipartisan infrastructure law continues to fund traditional road-building projects.

Downtown Omaha Planning for its Post-One-Way-Streets Era
The Omaha City Council has decided to reverse the transportation model adopted in the city in the 1950s, for the benefit of traffic safety and local retail activity.

Planning for Proximity, for the Climate’s Sake
A new global platform will help the world identify and encourage opportunities for more proximity in the built environment—development patterns that can help reduce sources of greenhouse gas emissions and other forms of pollution if built well.
Bossier City - Parish MPC
Wichita-Sedgwick County Metropolitan Area Planning Department
City of Bangor
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Montrose County
Wichita-Sedgwick County Metropolitan Area Planning Department
City of Lomita
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.