PPD Conversations Archive
You can view all past Conversation Recordings on our YouTube channel.
October 2025 Conversation - Legal Tips and Tricks for Planers
Max Mahalek, Chair of APA’s Planning and Law Division and an attorney with Cuddy and Feder, outlined two major themes in his talk: understanding land use statutes and knowing the structure and components of local zoning codes, including who receives referrals and how appeals processes work. He emphasized the importance of clarity in code language, noting that discretion varies by state; for example, Florida’s Building Code grants broad authority to the Building Official, while New York courts often interpret ambiguity in favor of applicants. Max also covered several current issues such as the Sheetz case, which requires development fees to be supported by data showing a rational nexus, as well as federal protections related to telecommunications and religion, the evidentiary standards for establishing moratoriums, and the challenges of handling old plats and “paper” subdivisions. In the Q&A, he addressed topics like decorum, negotiation, proportional conditions, appraisals, and the shared goals of planners and attorneys, closing with the idea that planners shape the vision and attorneys help make it achievable.
September 2025 Conversation - Private Sector Planner's Role in Zoning Reform
Erin Perdu, AICP, Principal with Stantec and President of AICP, outlined APA’s ongoing work to expand the national housing supply and highlighted the importance of federal support through fiscal tools, adaptive reuse, and policy action, noting efforts like the Road to Home Act. She framed reform around four major factors: ADUs, parking minimums, state preemption, and single-family zoning, and pointed planners to APA’s free equity and policy guide, which offers strategies such as starting small, increasing density, streamlining permitting, allowing multifamily by right, pursuing adaptive reuse, and reducing parking requirements. Erin also noted APA’s partnership with AARP on ADU policy and encouraged planners to shift language toward form and scale to appeal to a broader range of ages. She closed by outlining how private-sector planners can advance zoning reform by sharing best practices, taking incremental steps, addressing public uneasiness with certain terms, connecting housing shortages to workforce challenges, identifying and removing development barriers, promoting age-friendly communities, anticipating NIMBY reactions, using real stories, and asking residents directly about their concerns.
August 2025 Conversation - Community Engagement in Practice
Our August Conversation featured Ann Marie Kerby, AICP, and Roland Amarteifio, AICP, from C2G, who shared practical strategies for building trust and broadening participation in planning projects. They discussed common challenges, from limited budgets to controversial projects, and highlighted creative ways to meet communities where they are, including hybrid engagement, interactive mapping tools, pop-up events, and partnerships with schools, nonprofits, and local organizations. A lively discussion followed, exploring how planners can redirect negative public energy into constructive dialogue, reach younger audiences, and ensure engagement tools are accessible and mobile-friendly. The key takeaway: meaningful engagement depends on transparency, responsiveness, and showing communities how their input shapes outcomes.
July 2025 Conversation - Emerging Trends in Planning: Housing, Infrastructure, and AI
Join David Farmer, CEO of Metro Forecasting Models, for a deep-dive presentation hosted by the APA Private Practice Division. With decades of experience in planning and development, David shares practical insights on shifting demographics, housing affordability, zoning reform, land use trends, climate resilience, and how AI is transforming planning workflows. This engaging talk also highlights lessons from Florida and beyond on adapting to evolving infrastructure, development pressures, and generational change.
June 2025 Conversation - Development Finance 101
For our June Conversation, Owen Beitsch, PhD, FAICP, CRE, will give a short presentation on how new developments are financed, so that planners will be better able to support the expansion of our national housing supply. Owen’s presentation will be followed up by a roundtable discussion of this issue with participating PPD members. As Senior Director at GAI’s Community Solutions Group (CSG), Owen’s work focuses on various economic and real estate issues tied to community planning.
May 2025 Conversation - GIS on a Shoestring
Robert Kain, of Houseal Lavigne, showed us how planners who run small firms can use “ArcGIS Online”, a proprietary software package, to compete effectively with larger firms that have dedicated GIS specialists. ArcGIS Online can enable a 1-person shop to develop web based inventories, land use analyses, outreach strategies, meeting materials, and implementation tools that are as innovative and visually appealing as comparable deliverables produced by much larger consultant teams, at an annual cost of about $5,000. Robert noted that even small cities, counties and government agencies are using GIS now, and showed us how small firms can capitalize on this opportunity.
April 2025 Conversation - NPC 25 Recap
For our April PPD Conversation, Chair Steve Tocknell, FAICP used a slideshow to walk through the highlights of NPC 25, the 2025 APA National Planning Conference, in Denver. The slideshow began with an image from the one of the APA leadership meetings that were held on the day before the conference, and ended with snapshots from the session on housing supply that was led by PPD member Dan Parolek. Another PPD member, Deborah Myerson, also presented a session on housing at NPC 25. Steve reviewed the highlights of these and other sessions at NPC 25 that the PPD had endorsed, covering client relations, tips for consultants and clients on how to manage the consultant selection process, ethics, equity, legal issues, and politics.
In addition to conference highlights, participants in our April PPD Conversation also discussed issues that have been coming up in the places where we are working, including a new “MBTA zoning” requirement to allow for multifamily developments in eastern Massachusetts cities or towns that are served by regional transit or commuter rail; and citizen complaints about noise from pickleball courts.
March 2025 Conversation - PPD Priorities for APA Leadership
Steve Tocknell, FAICP led this session centered on the need for better risk management and more accessible professional liability insurance for planners. Members discussed the potential for lower premiums if planners approached insurers collectively rather than individually and raised concerns about being pressured into accepting unfair indemnification clauses in contracts with public agencies or large AE firms. The conversation also addressed how shifting federal policies could impact private practice planners, with members urging PPD leadership to advocate for continued support of APA’s ethics and equity commitments. Many attendees represented small, women-owned, or disadvantaged businesses, adding urgency to these priorities.
February 2025 Conversation - Ethics and Equity (this session was not recorded)
Dr. Alissa Barber Torres led a session on ethics and equity in the Private Practice Division (PPD) Handbook, highlighting APA’s ongoing commitment to diversity since 2017. She emphasized the importance of aligning planning values with practice, particularly through initiatives such as student representation, mentoring programs, and equity-centered discussions within the PPD—many of whose members are minority- and women-owned small business leaders. Dr. Torres also challenged attendees to reconsider traditional hiring and consultant selection processes, cautioning against overreliance on personal networks that may perpetuate unconscious bias. The session concluded with a review of relevant equity-focused guidance from the AICP Code of Ethics and the PPD Handbook.
January 2025 Conversation - The Value of Mentorship
During the January PPD conversation, a diverse panel of four planners—Silvia Vargas of Calvin, Giordano & Associates, Laura Smith of GAI Consultants, Heather Croney of Lake County Schools, and student intern Alexis McWilliams of HDR—discussed the significant impact of mentorship on their careers. The panelists, who had experiences in both public and private sectors, shared how mentors played pivotal roles by offering guidance, support, and insights that helped shape their professional paths. They also discussed the lessons learned from less positive mentorship experiences and emphasized the importance of early exposure to both public and private planning sectors. The discussion, moderated by Owen Beitsch from GAI Consultants, highlighted the American Institute of Certified Planners' (AICP) principles which advocate for actions that serve the public interest, including understanding the roles in the private sector. The panel agreed on the value of internships, like the one offered to Alexis by HDR, as vital for gaining comprehensive insights into the private sector and fostering broader mentorship relationships that extend beyond academic settings. The conversation concluded with a call for continued discussion through the PPD LinkedIn Group.
Click here to view the January 2025 Recording
December 2024 Conversation - APA's Housing Supply Accelerator
For the December 2024 PPD Conversation, Jason Jordan (APA, Principal, Public Affairs) and Andrea Brown (APA Michigan Executive Director) presented the APA Housing Supply Accelerator Playbook, developed in partnership with the National League of Cities, to address housing supply challenges. Jason outlined the playbook’s four solution categories—Collaboration and Partnership, Construction and Development, Finance, and Land Use and Regulations—and emphasized planning's critical role in solving housing issues. Andrea highlighted efforts by the APA Michigan Chapter, including housing summits and zoning reform strategies, to elevate planning's role in Michigan's housing supply. A discussion moderated by PPD Chair Steve explored planners' roles in addressing housing affordability, financing challenges, zoning reforms, and environmental impacts. Jason noted that Phase 2 of the Accelerator will focus on case studies and technical assistance. The conversation concluded with a call for continued discussion through the PPD LinkedIn Group.
APA's Housing Supply Accelerator
Click here to view the December 2024 Recording
October 2024 Conversation - Ron Littlefield
Ron Littlefield, a former Mayor of Chattanooga and our PPD Conversation’s Subject Matter Expert, shared insights from his career, beginning as a planner before moving into politics. During the discussion, we addressed the role of planners in helping politicians understand community impacts, particularly when political pressures conflict with the AICP Code of Ethics. Ron agreed that by listening to all affected parties, planners can offer a range of options for consideration. Planners also emphasized the importance of avoiding surprises on issues with political ramifications and the need for clear consultant roles to prevent conflicts of interest. Ron noted that planners’ public listening skills make them well-suited for politics but advised greater flexibility when political compromises are necessary. He concluded by endorsing a Tennessee statute requiring annual training for planning officials to ensure well-informed decisions that benefit the public, planners, and officials alike.
Click here to view the October 2024 Recording
September 2024 Conversation - Ralph Willmer, FAICP
Along with his take on the Ethics Chapter of the 2023 Private Practice Handbook, Ralph advised us on conflict of interest issues that affect planners in private practice, and the AICP Code of Ethics in relation to contingent fees. Many of our peer professionals, including architects, landscape architects, surveyors and attorneys, receive higher levels of compensation for their work if a land development application is approved. Ralph commented on how the AICP Code of Ethics addresses this issue.
Click here to view the September 2024 Recording
June 2024 Conversation - Allara Mills-Gutcher, AICP
Allara shared her inspiring journey as a small business owner. Allara, a Certified Planner is the Principal of The Planning Collaborative and FL APA President- Elect. Through her personal story, filled with both challenges and victories, she shared insights that every PPD member can apply to their own career and professional aspirations. Her passion can ignite a fire within you to reach for your dreams and conquer any obstacles in your path.
Click here to view the June 2024 Recording
May 2024 Conversation - Mike Anikeeff
The discussion led by Stephen Tocknell and Mike Anikeeff focused on the compensation disparities faced by private sector planners compared to other professionals in the development process. The conversation highlighted the ethical constraints limiting planners' compensation, the potential benefits of licensing and professional liability insurance, and the challenges of maintaining professional standards amidst increasing citizen planner involvement. Participants emphasized the need for greater recognition and promotion of AICP certification, explored the idea of creating a licensing system for planners, and planned a future session with the APA Ethics Officer to address these issues and develop strategies for fairer compensation.
Click here to view the May 2024 Recording
April 2024 Conversation - Rod Arroyo, FAICP Class of 2024
Rod Arroyo, FAICP will discuss the challenges of running a planning consulting organization, from a senior leadership perspective.
Click here to view the April 2024 Recording
March 2024 Conversation - What APA Leadership Needs to Know About PPD Planners
Steve Tocknell, FAICP, PPD Chari, will be representing APA members in private practice at the leadership meetings that will be held as part of the upcoming National Planning Conference. From past meetings, surveys and conversations, members discussed what they expect from the APA in return for their dues and involvement, about how the APA is handling equity diversity and inclusion issues, and how these issues are affecting PPD members on a day to day basis.
Click here to view the March 2024 Recording
February 2024 Conversation - PPD Mentorship Program
We want to hear from you about how we can bring PPD members together to share new planning concepts, and to reflect on lessons learned from experience in the field. Our conversation about private practice mentoring will be led by Mentoring Committee Co-Chairs Owen Beitsch and Armin Aryafar.
Click here to view the February 2024 Recording
December 2023 Conversation - Updated PPD Handbook
We’ll roll out the newly updated PPD Private Practice Handbook. Deana Rhodeside, PPD Past Chair and handbook editor, will present an overview and highlights of the new handbook. As with the previous edition, the revised handbook will only be available to PPD members. With the holidays coming up, this will be our final PPD Conversation for 2023.
Click here to view the December 2023 Recording
October 2023 Conversation
Our October 2023 PPD Conversation was about improving relationships between primes and subs. It was moderated by longtime PPD member Owen Beitsch, with Divya Gandhi, a board member the APA Transportation Planning Division (TPD), leading the conversation on behalf of primes, and Robert McHaney, the TPD Chair, leading the conversation on behalf of subs. A takeaway from the conversation was that to develop stronger and more rewarding relationships with primes, subs need a good marketing plan, a business plan, and a defined rate schedule. As professional planners, we should all be emphasizing the importance of partnering with planners who are APA and AICP members.