Registration Open

7am

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Breakfast Buffet

7:30am-8:30am

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Leadership Development Breakfast

7:15am-8:15am

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Welcome & Opening Keynote

8:30am-10:00am

Dr. Jenny Schuetz

Jenny Schuetz is a Senior Fellow at Brookings Metro, and is an expert in urban economics and housing policy. Dr. Schuetz has written numerous peer-reviewed journal articles on land use regulation, housing prices, urban amenities, and neighborhood change. Dr. Schuetz has appeared in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, the PBS NewsHour, The Indicator podcast, Vox, and Slate.

 

Dr. Schuetz is the author of Fixer Upper: How to Repair America's Broken Housing Systems.

 

Topics of recent research include: how statewide zoning reform could improve housing affordability; local strategies to help renters during the COVID-19 crisis; rethinking homeownership incentives to narrow the racial wealth gap; and how housing costs exacerbate economic and racial segregation.

 

Before joining Brookings, Dr. Schuetz served as a principal economist at the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System. Dr. Schuetz was also an assistant professor at the University of Southern California and a post-doctoral fellow at NYU Furman. Dr. Schuetz is a nonresident senior fellow at GWU’s Center for Washington Area Studies and teaches in Georgetown’s urban planning program.

 

Dr. Schuetz earned a PhD in public policy from Harvard University, a master’s in city planning from M.I.T., and a B.A. with Highest Distinction in economics and political and social thought from the University of Virginia.

 

Dr. Schuetz currently serves on the Advisory Boards for Ivory Innovations and for Tech Equity.

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Breakout Sessions

10:15am-11:15am

• ​Storytelling Toward More Inclusive Public Engagement | CM: 9273386

  • ​In this engaging storytelling session, participants will learn how storytelling can shape how see and form our cities, communities, and ourselves – especially toward more inclusive engagement. Authentic storytelling has the potential to engage underserved communities, breakdown polarizing barriers, and realign planning projects for inclusive long-lasting change. More communities, agencies, and planning departments are expanding their focus on equity, justice, and inclusion goals, but often lack the tools or approaches to achieve these goals. Storytelling makes complex planning challenges easier to understand and has the power to synthesize different voices when identifying common hopes, aspirations, and visions of place. Multi-media storytelling is a proven tool for coalescing perspectives in support of better placemaking, improved transportation, and bridging diverse communities. The session will provide video and storytelling examples from rural and urban communities, along with the latest science of decision-making and behavior change with tools for planners to help address equity and inclusion goals in their communities.

  • Speakers: Asa R. Eslocker, Kate Ange, Stephen Johnson

• It Takes MORE Than A Village​​ | CM: 9273389

  • A collaborative response to opioid addiction, workforce development, and affordable housing in Southwest Virginia. As Virginia continues to experience the impacts of the addiction crisis, organizations come together and continue to lay the framework for how they will play a part in transforming the state's healthcare and economic future.​

  • Speakers: Chris McNamara, Suzanne Armstrong,  Dana Cronkhite

• Route 419 Town Center Plan: Placemaking and the Art of Leveraging | CM: 9273329

  • ​The 419 Town Center Plan focuses on an area of Roanoke County that, while the most dense and most heavily traveled in the County, is also prime for redevelopment. The area around and including Tanglewood Mall was developed at the intersection of two primary routes in the 1970s and 1980s with a suburban, auto-dominated character. With an unprecedented level of public engagement throughout the planning process, the Plan sets a solid foundation for the future of the area with visions of multistory mixed-use development, new housing opportunities, a gridded street network with places for people alongside cars, as well as other unique features to draw new residents and businesses to Roanoke County. Several successful grant applications and significant private investments have led implementation efforts to realize many of these visions, several of which are complete, under construction and in design today.

  • Speakers: Megan Cronise, Alexander Jones, Megan Baker

• Member Advocates - What is Proposed and How Can We Best Support Them | CM Credits not available 

  • The Chapter President will be providing an overview of the Member Advocate positions contained in the proposed bylaw amendment. He will be discussing what they are and are not intended to be. Finally, he will be soliciting input from attendees as to the resources that should be provided to the Advocates to allow them to perform their roles as effectively as possible should the amendment be approved. 

  • Speaker: APA Virginia President, Andrew Hopewell

• QUICK TAKE - Resilience | CM: 9273400

  • Visualizing sea level rise in Virginia’s coastal zone

    • ​This session presents examples and preliminary findings from an ongoing project based in Hampton, Virginia, that leverages geospatial data, 3D modeling, and ESRI’s 360 VR software to visualize sea level rise impacts. In addition to piloting the use of tools like ArcGIS CityEngine and 360 VR for visualizing inundation levels, this project seeks to understand the potential benefits of emerging technology on challenges to coastal resilience due to climate change. It asks how public and private sector stakeholders perceive the risks posed by sea level rise and whether 3D and augmented reality representations of expected impacts can affect risk perception and help to more effectively communicate local climate change impacts to varied stakeholder groups.

    • Speakers: Justin Estanislao, Bev Wilson

  • Green Infrastructure Applications to Mitigate Climate Change

    • ​Extreme heatwaves are becoming more common as global warming continues to increase surface temperatures, particularly in cities where impervious surfaces absorb and radiate excessive heat. Populations such as the poor, people of color, the elderly and kids are more vulnerable to excessive heat either from past disinvestment in infrastructure, health disparities, redlining, or combinations of factors. Simple solutions such as tree planting have shown to be effective at reducing temperatures. The Green Infrastructure Center developed a set of mapping tools to help communities in the Southeast U.S. identify the best places to plant trees to mitigate heat through a social equity lens. Examples of how to apply the data for strategies to mitigate urban heat and reduce air pollution will be illustrated from cities in Virginia and across the South.

    • Speaker: Karen Firehock

  • Living Shorelines and Fairfax County: Striving to balance new laws with outdated stabilization practices  

    • ​In 2020, Virginia Senate Bill 776 was passed by the General Assembly and signed by the Governor, which required the Virginia Marine Resources Commission (VMRC) and local Wetlands Boards to only consider “living shoreline” approaches to tidal shoreline stabilization, unless the best available science shows that such approaches are not suitable. This legislation supports the use of living shoreline concepts that would provide shoreline stabilization in a manner that protects tidal wetland vegetation, the ecosystem, and reduces shoreline erosion, resulting in greater protection of the Chesapeake Bay. Fairfax County has its own Wetlands Board which is charged with preventing the destruction of tidal wetlands and issuing permits for projects in these sensitive areas. The County is supportive of this legislation because tidal wetlands play a major role in the health of the Chesapeake Bay, but some residential property owners want to keep their hardened shoreline structures. Encouraging the installation of living shorelines has become a balancing act between residential property ownership uses and environmentally-progressive, nature-based solutions to help preserve and protect the Chesapeake Bay.

    • Speaker: Katie Hermann

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Lunch Buffet | Chapter Meeting & Bylaws Vote

11:30am-1:00pm

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Mobile Tours

1:00pm-5:00pm

Click here for mobile tour details/descriptions

• Botetourt Center at Greenfield | CM: 9273449

  • ​Join Botetourt County for a tour of the Botetourt Center at Greenfield, the County’s signature economic development investment. Five major manufacturing companies employing more than 1,500 people are sited here as well as the County’s own offices and a Virginia Western Community College facility. Participants will learn how this park came to fruition, gaining insight into the collaboration between citizens, private entities, local authorities, and state organizations that was needed to make this project work for the people of Botetourt. Ultimately, the Botetourt Center at Greenfield is a shining example of collaboration and a testament to what is possible when groups work together towards a common goal.

• Eds and Meds and Community Development - The Virginia Tech-Carilion Innovation Corridor and a Neighborhood Revitalization Target Area | CM: 9273380

  • ​Extending from Downtown to the South Jefferson Redevelopment Area, the growth of the Eds and Meds industry is a main driver for economic growth within Virginia'a Blue Ridge. The tour will begin in Downtown with discussion fo the RAMP building, extend pass the Radford University Carilion (RUC) building, down to the VT-Carilion campus with a possible tour of the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute/ or Medical School, a look at the expansion at the Carilion Hospital, and then down Franklin towards the 419 Town Center Plan area in Roanoke County to look at Carilions adaptive reuse of the Tanglewood Mall, economic development projects, and transportation projects.

• Transportation Projects in the Roanoke Valley | CM: 9273330

  • ​Take a van tour to see a variety of transportation projects recently completed and under construction including Innovative Intersections, interstate widening, bicycle and pedestrian improvements, an expanded park and ride with pervious pavement, a new Transit Center and more! Take a stretch break in Downtown Salem at Mill Mountain Coffee or Olde Salem Brewing.

• Greenway Bike Tour (Roanoke River) [Sponsored by Virginia's Blue Ridge ] | CM: 9273450

  • ​Bike a section of greenway from Hotel Roanoke with a presentation of the collaboration involved in construction and maintainance of the greenways, economic impact, and regional connections.

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Planning Commissioner Training

1:30pm-4:30pm

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Deep Dive Session

1:15pm-3:15pm

• Leveraging the Outdoor Recreation Economy for Rural Revitalization and Health | CM: 9273405

  • ​Proximity to the great outdoors, and beautiful natural assets, present communities, especially more rural towns and places, with many positive opportunities for increased economic development and access to health and active lifestyles. A silver lining of the pandemic is that many Americans discovered, or re-discovered the great outdoors. In this panel we will hear three stories of rural communities in Virginia have participated in a Federally sponsored program called the Recreation Economy for Rural Communities program. Planners and economic development staff from the City of Buena Vista, the Town of Buchanan, and Giles County each have a unique story of how they created goals and specific and realistic actions to leverage their natural and recreation assets. These are all three win-win stories worth hearing, with many valuable lessons and takeaways for planning professionals. In this deep dive session there will also be information shared on several funding opportunities from the State and Federal level agencies, as well as private associations and foundations, for outdoor recreation. Expect some interactivity as well.

  • Speakers: Kristina Ramsey, Tom Roberts, Harry Gleason

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Breakout Sessions

1:15pm-2:15pm

• Improving Communication Skills for Planners | CM: 9273409

  • ​Imagine if all of our relationships with coworkers, supervisors, applicants, and the public were easier. The session will share practical communication skills to help us listen better, handle bullies, or be more empathetic. Improving planners’ emotional intelligence skills will foster more harmonious workplaces and provide better tools for understanding their communities.

  • Speaker: Earl W. Anderson

• Collaborating to Advance Affordable Housing Production | CM: 9273410

  • ​As affordable housing challenges in Virginia continue to creep up the income scale, it becomes increasingly clear that all levels of government must collaborate to make a difference. Nor can they do it alone; they must leverage cooperation and resources from the private sector, especially when new housing supply is needed. In 2021, Virginia Housing embarked on an initiative to assist Planning District Commissions in meeting their regional housing needs and ramped up its efforts to involve economic development agencies in planning and promoting new housing. In this session, Virginia Housing will provide an overview of the housing situation in the Commonwealth and its strategy to collaborate with local partners. Central Shenandoah PDC will discuss its experiences using Virginia Housing’s resources to leverage housing production and coordinate housing planning. The Joint Industrial Development Authority of Wythe County, Wytheville, and Rural Retreat will discuss the urgency created by a major industrial recruitment success and the activities undertaken in response.

  • Speaker: John Matthews

• On Track With the Virginia State Rail Plan | CM: 9273411

  • ​The 2022 Virginia Statewide Rail Plan (VSRP), developed by the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation (DRPT), is the first digital-based rail plan in the country. A State Rail Plan (SRP) is required by the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) for states seeking capital grants under Sections 301, 302, and 501 of the Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act of 2008 (PRIIA). Virginia’s previous SRPs have been submitted as a traditional PDF document with multiple appendices and static figures, which, as with most technical documentation, present a significant barrier to engaging the public and understanding the data. DRPT sought to overcome some of the challenges posed by the traditional document and, together with HDR, leveraged Esri’s ArcGIS Online (AGOL) platform to bring the 2022 VSRP document to life in an interactive Story Map. This digital approach transformed dense, complex, and static technical data into a dynamic, engaging, and wide-accessible format for both technical and public audiences to review. Our team discovered innovative and visually appealing ways to present metrics from our modelers, rail planners, and economists; we modernized the way rail planning can be understood. The VSRP chapters cover the following: the role of rail in statewide transportation; Virginia’s existing rail system; passenger and freight rail planned improvements and investments; the service and investment plan; and public feedback received while DRPT plans for the future of rail. Each chapter contains dashboards, maps, and web applications that present complex rail data in readily understandable formats. Based entirely online in Esri StoryMaps, the VSRP is now a ‘living’ document that enables stakeholders to dynamically engage with text, data, and applications in a centralized and accessible platform. DRPT’s SRP digital delivery exemplifies innovation and clarity for transportation planning. StoryMaps provided the ability to not only textualize the importance of rail but also visualize the criticality of rail operations for the public, economy, and country. The ability to review rail characteristics – commodity flows, performance, and infrastructure – in a spatial platform elevated the public’s ability to better understand rail as an integral component of the larger transportation industry. FRA SRPs are traditionally technical text reports that place core data, metrics, and analysis in appendices; readers must alternate between appendices and the main report to evaluate the written plan with maps, and data tables. DRPT’s use of StoryMaps has improved the entire reader experience by placing data at the forefront and enabling users to develop a granular insight of and interact with rail infrastructure, operations, and planning data that was previously unattainable in static formats. Although a large effort, this new approach to Virginia’s State Rail Plan is a small example of how GIS can be used to make dense technical data more digestible and accessible to stakeholders from all sectors. As demonstrated by the VSRP Story Map, Esri’s Story Map technology naturally lends itself to projects such as this, and it can serve as a model for other state agencies who want their technical documentation to come to life at the crossroads of intuition and innovation. The data collected for and displayed in the VSRP will help Virginia improve the efficiency and safety of rail operations in the Commonwealth for years to come.

  • Speaker: Taylor Holden

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Breakout Sessions

2:30pm-3:30pm

• Resume Clinic | CM Credits not available

  • Session details to come

• The Future of Cooler Streetscapes | CM: 9273412

  • ​Due to climate change and extreme temperatures, dark surfaces such as streets, bicycle lanes, and sidewalks are getting hotter yearly. Cool-Streets Guidelines were developed to integrate climate-positive interventions creatively and effectively into the urban context of Downtown Silver Spring, Maryland. The development of the guidelines brought together a comprehensive team of planners, urban designers, landscape architects, and environmental analysts to determine strategies that maximize urban resiliency and mitigation from extreme temperatures. These strategies will benefit Silver Spring, and the guidelines could become a template for other jurisdictions and regions so that all communities can be designed for resiliency, equity, health, and a vibrant urban economy.

  • Speakers: Ron Sessoms, Elliot Rhodeside

• Developing a Virginia Zoning Atlas | CM: 9273413

  • ​HousingForward Virginia is working to assemble the Virginia Zoning Atlas, a visual representation of zoning ordinances across the Commonwealth and its impacts on housing supply. Experiential and participatory learning about zoning isn’t easy. But visualizing zoning’s impact has been at the crux of Desegregate Connecticut’s first-in-the-nation Zoning Atlas and the start of an effort to create a National Zoning Atlas. These efforts have been undertaken to help anyone understand the “prevalence and nature of regulatory constraints, particularly on housing…” The methodology behind the Connecticut Zoning Atlas is currently being implemented across multiple states, as the desire to better understand zoning’s impact has been elevated across the nation. With this interactive and visual tool, localities are better able to make cross-jurisdictional comparisons, strengthen regional collaboration on land use, and make informed decisions on how to tackle zoning reform. Session attendees will learn about the effort to assemble the Virginia Zoning Atlas, why it is needed, and the many potential applications beyond housing. In addition, they will learn how HousingForward Virginia is using this work to better educate people about zoning and its impact on housing. The session will include highlights from other states that are working to complete or have completed their zoning atlases.

  • Speakers: Eric Mai, Jonathan Knopf

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Breakout Sessions

3:45pm-4:45pm

• Affordable Housing Public-Private Partnership Case Study: A Planner's Perspective from Both Sides | CM: 9273414

  • ​This presentation provides a planner’s perspective of leading a public private partnership for an affordable housing redevelopment project of an existing mobile home park in Albemarle County with the non-profit, Habitat for Humanity. The presenter led the project while employed as a planner for Albemarle County and after the first phase of rezoning approval joined a law firm, Williams Mullen, that represented Habitat for Humanity and obtained rezoning approval for the second phase. The presentation will provide the history and background of the partnership, community engagement process, overview of the redevelopment, challenges with the partnership and project, a perspective on working on both sides of the aisle, and lessons learned from both perspectives.

  • Speaker: Megan Nedostup

• Danville's Twenty Year Overnight Success | CM: 9273415

  • ​When the City of Danville lost out on a major economic development opportunity because of the lack of investment in their downtown they didn't take it lying down, they rolled up their sleeves and developed a long range plan. This plan did not stay on the shelf - through strategic investments and initiatives visible impacts have been achieved. But the City hasn't done it alone. Partnerships with the River District Association, the Dan River Foundation, and Averett University have created a coalition that is greater than the sum of its parts. Hear from the partners who are working the plan together about how they are achieving nationally recognized results in their communty.

  • Speakers: Diana Schwartz, Kelvin Perry, Rebecca Rowe

• Richmond’s Equity Moves: Using Transportation Planning to Build a More Equitable City | CM: 9273416

  • ​Transportation and land use decisions in the past have created injustices that stymie opportunities for people of color to build wealth and thrive. Today, transportation planning processes can often unknowingly perpetuate these disparities or work intentionally to dismantle them. Team members from Richmond Connects – the process to develop an equity-centered transportation plan for the City of Richmond – will share tactics and approaches, including data sources, analysis methods, and community engagement strategies and tools, that have revealed inequities in transportation in Richmond, designed the process to be led by input from people who are experiencing inequities, and examined which transportation projects, services, and programs are most important for improving equity.

  • Speakers: Jessica Dimmick, Kelli Rowan, Dironna Moore Clarke

• Collaborating with the Virginia Statewide Community Land Trust | CM: 9273417

  • ​Virginia Statewide Community Land Trust (VSCLT) began with the input and interest of several Habitat for Humanity affiliates in the state who recognized an opportunity to make their properties permanently affordable and available to low income households. The idea was to create a Community Land Trust (CLT) that would not only make Habitat houses perpetually affordable, but also allow the flexibility of an organization that could serve and steward properties across the Commonwealth. The CLT model is an affordable housing tool that separates the house from the land it sits on and the result is a homeowner achieving access to homeownership, while also protecting their affordability in the future. Learn more about the CLT model and how VSCLT uses partnership and collaboration across Virginia to secure more permanently affordable homeownership.

  • Speakers: Amelie Rives, Marcia Joseph, Jim Russell

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President's Circle Reception (By Invitation Only)

6:15pm-7:15pm

Hotel Roanoke

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An Evening Under the Stars in Star City Reception 

7-9pm

Join APA Virginia for an evening reception on the terrace at Hotel Roanoke. For an evening of live music, friends, fun, and other surprises!

Ticket required

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