The American Planning Association hosted the annual National Planning Conference in San Francisco on April 13th. For four days the NPC brought together planners, planning commissioners, appointed and elected officials, and students to discuss contemporary innovations and issues in the field of planning. This year, we would like to highlight the experiences of two badgers who attended the event: former MS URPL student, Haley Briel, and current MS URPL student, Daniel Besinaiz. Keep reading to learn about their time at the NPC.
Haley Briel
On Monday evening, Haley Briel (MS URPL ’18) was a panelist on a session titled “Building Coastal Resilience Through Infrastructure Planning”. This presentation focused on a NOAA-funded project that will help coastal planning practitioners to incorporate climate, flood, and hazard data into local and regional infrastructure and capital improvement plans. Haley, now a research specialist with the Association of State Floodplain Managers, focused on the data collection and the challenges that can be met when attempting to collect data. Her work on the project, combined with the work of her team, will conclude in a Planning Advisory Service (PAS) Report, a guide, training materials, and workshops related to the PAS report, and at least two more presentations at other conferences.
Daniel Besinaiz
With the help of DPLA’s professional development fund, Daniel Besinaiz (MS URPL) was able to attend all four days of NPC. While in San Francisco, Daniel attended educational sessions, networked with planning professionals, and received career advice at NPC’s Career Zone. His favorite sessions were “Fun: Nightlife and Cities” and “Advancing Racial Equity Through Comprehensive Planning”. Highlights of his trip include attending APA Wisconsin Chapter’s social event and participating in the APA Latinos and Planning Division’s Meeting. At the LAP Meeting, he was able to connect with Dr. Edna Ledesma, an incoming DPLA faculty member and the current APA Latinos and Planning Chair, and discuss the possibility of being appointed as the Midwest region’s student representative in the Latinos and Planning Chapter.