Pints With Planners

Welcome to another episode of the Better Planners Podcast! This time Mary is joined by four other planners who also happen to be our podcast volunteers! They bring stories and advice from all across Oregon with various backgrounds and expertise. In particular, we focus on the good, bad, ugly, and funny parts of working in urban and rural planning. We also provide some good advice for new planners or folks in planning grad school or people who are looking into planning as a career. We hope this episode brings fun, relevant, and informative stories to new and old planners alike. Article mentioned by Alexa as part of her funny story: https://vtdigger.org/2019/06/23/westfords-middle-finger-there-to-stay/ Enjoy! Want to be a part of the podcast? Send in an email! The team behind the upcoming Better Planners podcast wants to hear from you about the real life issues you handle as a planner. What are the honest, gritty, wicked problems you find yourself managing? To share your experiences, email betterplannerspodcast@gmail.com Your message might end up in one of the upcoming podcast episodes. You can be as anonymous or as identifiable as you want. Where to find us:Website: https://oregon.planning.org/community/betterplannerspodcast/Instagram: @betterplanners

In this episode, Mary and Shelley interview planner and artist: Miguel Vazquez! He is a FAICP planner who likes to mix the worlds of art and planning together. We discuss how to think like an artist to become a better planner and why that is important. We also discuss various projects he's been involved in where art was used to assist in planning activities.Miguel is also heavily involved in the Latinos in Planning Division of the American Planning Association (APA) and the California Chapter of the APA.In the episode, Miguel discusses an activity around dancing and movement as part of that year's annual conference for California APA. You can watch the outcome of that here: https://youtu.be/IogrB6cyGfc?si=yW0p-thoMY25PVPRWant to be a part of the podcast? Send in an email! The team behind the upcoming Better Planners podcast wants to hear from you about the real life issues you handle as a planner. What are the honest, gritty, wicked problems you find yourself managing? To share your experiences, email betterplannerspodcast@gmail.com Your message might end up in one of the upcoming podcast episodes. You can be as anonymous or as identifiable as you want. Where to find us:Website: https://oregon.planning.org/community/betterplannerspodcast/Instagram: @betterplanners

The Better Planners Podcast is back for 2025! In this episode, Shelley and Mary interview James Rojas and John Kamp to talk about their new book, Dream Play Build: Hands On Community Engagement for Enduring Places and Spaces.They talk extensively on their process with using hands-on community engagement methods to create an equal playing field for everyone to get involved in community planning work. Find their book at Island Press.Find James Rojas at PlaceIt.org. Find John Kamp at Prairieform.com. Want to be a part of the podcast? Send in an email! The team behind the upcoming Better Planners podcast wants to hear from you about the real life issues you handle as a planner. What are the honest, gritty, wicked problems you find yourself managing? To share your experiences, email betterplannerspodcast@gmail.com Your message might end up in one of the upcoming podcast episodes. You can be as anonymous or as identifiable as you want. Where to find us:Website: https://oregon.planning.org/community/betterplannerspodcast/Instagram: @betterplanners

Welcome to another installment of a pocket park episode! In this one, Mary and Shelley discuss all things high speed rail, including the new federal funding to study a potential high speed rail line in the Pacific Northwest. What are the exciting opportunities, but also what are the pitfalls? Is it worth it to be able to go from Portland to Seattle in 1 hour, but it'll take years to fund? What about the existing Amtrak line? We talk all about it in this episode. What is a pocket park episode? It's a shorter episode on highly relevant, planning related topics that are happening in the public realm in real time. Episode Resources:WSDOT Ultra High Speed Rail Study https://wsdot.wa.gov/construction-planning/search-studies/ultra-high-speed-rail-studyPresident Biden Announces $8.2 Billion in New Grants for High-Speed Rail and Pipeline of Projects Nationwide https://www.transportation.gov/briefing-room/president-biden-announces-82-billion-new-grants-high-speed-rail-and-pipeline-projectsFY22 Corridor Identification and Development Program Selections https://railroads.dot.gov/elibrary/fy22-CID-program-selectionsHigh-speed rail projects get a $6B infusion of federal infrastructure money https://www.opb.org/article/2023/12/08/high-speed-rail-projects-get-a-6-billion-infusion-of-federal-infrastructure-money/Lawmakers introduce bill that would require ultra-high-speed rail project to extend to Eugene https://www.opb.org/article/2023/02/25/cascadia-bullet-train-pacific-northwest-transportation-portland-seattle-eugene-politics/Rail Advocates Still Pushing For Northwest Bullet Train Despite Anti-tax Mood https://www.opb.org/news/article/bullet-train-portland-seattle-vancouver-car-tab/Cascadia bullet train stuck at the station as feds dole out big bucks for rail https://washingtonstatestandard.com/2023/12/08/cascadia-bullet-train-stuck-at-the-station-as-feds-dole-out-big-bucks-for-rail/.What I learned from taking a train across the US (VOX) [Video] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=von_IMi97-wWant to be a part of the podcast? Send in an email! The team behind the upcoming Better Planners podcast wants to hear from you about the real life issues you handle as a planner. What are the honest, gritty, wicked problems you find yourself managing? To share your experiences, email betterplannerspodcast@gmail.com Your message might end up in one of the upcoming podcast episodes. You can be as anonymous or as identifiable as you want. Where to find us:Website: https://oregon.planning.org/community/betterplannerspodcast/Instagram: @betterplanners

Shelley and Mary have a second pocket park episode for you all! This one is a shorter episode on a very interesting topic: Offshore Wind Energy. Is there going to be one along the Oregon coast? We talk about how this federal project got to this point, where it is today, and the controversies surrounding the project. Will there be environmental issues, public engagement concerns, tribal nations engagement, and more. What is a pocket park episode? It's a shorter episode on highly relevant, planning related topics that are happening in the public realm in real time. Want to be a part of the podcast? Send in an email! The team behind the upcoming Better Planners podcast wants to hear from you about the real life issues you handle as a planner. What are the honest, gritty, wicked problems you find yourself managing? To share your experiences, email betterplannerspodcast@gmail.com Your message might end up in one of the upcoming podcast episodes. You can be as anonymous or as identifiable as you want. Where to find us:Website: https://oregon.planning.org/community/betterplannerspodcast/Instagram: @betterplanners

We have a longer episode for you all this time, but it's a good one! In this episode we discuss the state of housing: how did we get here, what does the future hold, and we interview a few interesting projects happening in Oregon as they try find innovative ways to provide housing in their communities. Want to be a part of the podcast? Send in an email! The team behind the upcoming Better Planners podcast wants to hear from you about the real life issues you handle as a planner. What are the honest, gritty, wicked problems you find yourself managing? To share your experiences, email betterplannerspodcast@gmail.com Your message might end up in one of the upcoming podcast episodes. You can be as anonymous or as identifiable as you want. Where to find us:Website: https://oregon.planning.org/community/betterplannerspodcast/Instagram: @betterplanners

Shelley, Mary, and special guest Kristy Kilbourne, are back with a great episode discussing various issues that come up in the Planning Department or Planning Office and those workplace dynamics at play. This episode actually came from a listener's voicemail who was seeking advice on issues in their own workplace. We discuss topics around poor leadership, the slow movement of government or bureaucracy, finding resources, and burnout. To learn more about Kristy and her work, go to yourplanningcareer.com or her instagram at @passionateplanning. Want to be a part of the podcast? Send in an email! The team behind the upcoming Better Planners podcast wants to hear from you about the real life issues you handle as a planner. What are the honest, gritty, wicked problems you find yourself managing? To share your experiences, email betterplannerspodcast@gmail.com Your message might end up in one of the upcoming podcast episodes. You can be as anonymous or as identifiable as you want. Where to find us:Website: https://oregon.planning.org/community/betterplannerspodcast/Instagram: @betterplanners

Shelley and Mary are back for another fascinating discussion around urban planning and neurodiversity. In this episode they interview Dr. Gala Korniyenko, who received her PhD at The Ohio State University. Her research explores the nexus of urban design, neuroscience, and the planning process. More specifically, she focuses on urban planning and autism. Sources:"Autism Planning and Design Guidelines 1.0", APA PAS Memo: https://www.planning.org/publications/document/9153208/"When Every Day is Sensory Overload", Planning Magazine: https://www.planning.org/planning/2018/oct/sensoryoverload/"Learn, Play, Thrive—Design Guidelines and Toolkit of Therapeutic Gardens for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder", 2020 ASLA Student Awards: https://www.asla.org/2020studentawards/1647.html"ASPECTT* The Design Index", Architecture for Autism: https://www.autism.archi"When We Design for Autism, We Design for Everyone", Metropolis: https://metropolismag.com/viewpoints/when-we-design-for-autism-we-design-for-everyone/ "Neurodiversity in Planning - Autism Friendly Environments", Royal Town Planning Institute (webinar): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cO3X1P4zYmc"Hiring Neurodiverse People to Enhance Planning Teams", APA Planning Blog: https://www.planning.org/blog/9226561/hiring-neurodiverse-people-to-enhance-planning-teams/Air Travel and Autism: https://thearc.org/our-initiatives/travel/"Weston Recognized as an Autism Friendly Community", Western, Florida: https://www.westonfl.org/Home/Components/News/News/1003/18?arch=1&npage=2Want to be a part of the podcast? Send in an email! The team behind the upcoming Better Planners podcast wants to hear from you about the real life issues you handle as a planner. What are the honest, gritty, wicked problems you find yourself managing? To share your experiences, email betterplannerspodcast@gmail.com Your message might end up in one of the upcoming podcast episodes. You can be as anonymous or as identifiable as you want. Where to find us:Website: https://oregon.planning.org/community/betterplannerspodcast/Instagram: @betterplanners

Welcome to the first Pocket Park Episode! These episodes are shorter and focus on current events, stories, studies, etc, that are happening right now in the world. In this episode, Shelley and Mary, focus on a case in Brookings, Oregon that revolves around the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act (RLUIPA). Will it have lasting impacts on religious institutions and land use across the United States? How can planners avoid situations where they get in hot water around the RLUIPA? What would constitute a time when the RLUIPA would be relevant? We get into it all! Sources from the episode:"Justice Department Files Statement of Interest in Religious Land Use Case Involving Oregon Church That Feeds People Who are Homeless or Hungry", US Dept. of Justice, https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-files-statement-interest-religious-land-use-case-involving-oregon-church"The Quiet Religious-Freedom Fight that is Remaking America" The Atlantic, https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2017/11/rluipa/543504/"Update on the Justice Department's Enforcement of the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act: 2010-2016", US Dept. of Justice, https://www.justice.gov/d9/07-22-16_rluipa_report.pdf"RLUIPA Compliance Tips" APA Planning Magazine, https://www.planning.org/login/?next=/planning/2018/jan/legallessons/"What Constitutes a 'Substantial Burden' under RLUIPA?" Zoning Practice, https://www.planning.org/publications/document/9006935/Want to be a part of the podcast? Send in an email! The team behind the upcoming Better Planners podcast wants to hear from you about the real life issues you handle as a planner. What are the honest, gritty, wicked problems you find yourself managing? To share your experiences, email betterplannerspodcast@gmail.com Your message might end up in one of the upcoming podcast episodes. You can be as anonymous or as identifiable as you want. What is Better Planners?Better Planners is a podcast brought to you by the Oregon Chapter of the American Planning Association (OAPA). It delves into deep conversations about relevant and timely stories surrounding the urban planning realm including the ground-level work of planners, community development advocates, and allied professions. With an emphasis on amplifying the voices and stories of marginalized communities. The episodes will be a resource and guide to provide insights into planning related topics people face on a daily basis that may be inspiring, challenging, questioning, and/or innovative. Where to find us:Website: https://oregon.planning.org/community/betterplannerspodcast/Instagram: @betterplanners

Welcome back to Better Planners podcast in 2024! We're starting the year off with a big one on state housing policy in Oregon, what to expect for the 2024 legislative session, and how planners and other allied professions can participate in the public process at the state level. We talk a lot about variances, urban growth boundaries, infrastructure funding, and much more!While this episode does focus a lot on Oregon and our state policies, we hope this inspires you to become more engaged in your state legislative sessions and policies. Thanks for listening!Want to be a part of the podcast? Send in a voicemail! The team behind the upcoming Better Planners podcast wants to hear from you about the real life issues you handle as a planner. What are the honest, gritty, wicked problems you find yourself managing? To share your experiences, call 503-433-7545 and leave a voicemail. Your message might end up in one of the upcoming podcast episodes. You can be as anonymous or as identifiable as you want. If your story is too long for one voicemail, call back and pick up where you left off.You can also email, if that is more your preference, at: betterplannerspodcast@gmail.com What is Better Planners?Better Planners is a podcast brought to you by the Oregon Chapter of the American Planning Association (OAPA). It delves into deep conversations about relevant and timely stories surrounding the urban planning realm including the ground-level work of planners, community development advocates, and allied professions. With an emphasis on amplifying the voices and stories of marginalized communities. The episodes will be a resource and guide to provide insights into planning related topics people face on a daily basis that may be inspiring, challenging, questioning, and/or innovative. Where to find us:Website: https://oregon.planning.org/community/betterplannerspodcast/In...

Shelley and Mary are back for another interesting episode on the the “Taylor Swift Transit Effect.” We discuss interesting stats and facts from this phenomenon, some criticisms to looking at this event as a decider on changes for transit, and finally the big question: will these concert goers continue to take transit? What does it mean for women, non-binary folks, LGBTQIA+ folks when they take transit? How do we address the needs and wants of those people around transit and planning?We discuss lots of really great topics in this episode and can't wait for you to listen!Sources from this episode:Taylor Swift is an unlikely public transit iconL.A. Excited to Experience the “Taylor Swift Transit Effect” Taylor Swift Fans Give Public Transit a Well-Timed Boost The Taylor Swift Transit Effect: VTA adds more service for ‘Eras Tour' as other cities see public transit boom Public Transit Gets the Swiftie Bump BART's Not One More Girl Initiative Moves to Phase 2The New Normal: Trends in Telecommuting Influence Transportation, Employment, & More Will transit recover? A retrospective study of nationwide ridership in the United States during the COVID-19 pandemicFeminist City Claiming Space in a Man Made World by Leslie KernWant to be a part of the podcast? Send in a voicemail! The team behind the upcoming Better Planners podcast wants to hear from you about the real life issues you handle as a planner. What are the honest, gritty, wicked problems you find yourself managing? To share your experiences, call 503-433-7545 and leave a voicemail. Your message might end up in one of the upcoming podcast episodes. You can be as anonymous or as identifiable as you want. If your story is too long for one voicemail, call back and pick up where you left off.You can also email, if that is more your preference, at: betterplannerspodcast@gmail.com What is Better Planners?Better Planners is a podcast brought to you by the Oregon Chapter of the American Planning Association (OAPA). It delves into deep conversations about relevant and timely stories surrounding the urban planning realm including the ground-level work of planners, community development advocates, and allied professions. With an emphasis on amplifying the voices and stories of marginalized communities. The episodes will be a resource and guide to provide insights into planning related topics people face on a daily basis that may be inspiring, challenging, questioning, and/or innovative. Where to find us:Website: https://oregon.planning.org/community/betterplannerspodcast/In...

We're back!! Shelley and Mary are back in full force with a new episode all about the 15-Minute City Conspiracy Theory. We'll dive into the details surrounding the 15-Minute City theory and the conspiracy theories surrounding it, including clips from demonstrations in the United Kingdom. Included are our takes on what this all means for urban and rural planners in the United States. This podcast episode gets very interesting!Want to be a part of the podcast? Send in a voicemail! The team behind the upcoming Better Planners podcast wants to hear from you about the real life issues you handle as a planner. What are the honest, gritty, wicked problems you find yourself managing? To share your experiences, call 503-433-7545 and leave a voicemail. Your message might end up in one of the upcoming podcast episodes. You can be as anonymous or as identifiable as you want. If your story is too long for one voicemail, call back and pick up where you left off.You can also email, if that is more your preference, at: betterplannerspodcast@gmail.com What is Better Planners?Better Planners is a podcast brought to you by the Oregon Chapter of the American Planning Association (OAPA). It delves into deep conversations about relevant and timely stories surrounding the ground-level work of planners, community development advocates, and allied professions. With an emphasis on amplifying the voices and stories of marginalized communities. The episodes will be a resource and guide to provide insights into planning related topics people face on a daily basis that may be inspiring, challenging, questioning, and/or innovative. Where to find us:Website: https://oregon.planning.org/community/betterplannerspodcast/Instagram: @betterplanners

In the first episode of Season 2, you'll get to know a little bit more about the new hosts: Mary & Shelley! They'll provide information on how they got interested in city planning, what to expect with the new season, how to be involved, and their hottest city planning takes. Lots of really great discussion and conversation in this episode! Want to be a part of the podcast? Send in a voicemail!  The team behind the upcoming Better Planners podcast wants to hear from you about the real life issues you handle as a planner. What obstacles do you face? What are the honest, gritty, wicked problems you find yourself managing?To share your experiences, call 503-433-7545 and leave a voicemail. Your message might end up in one of the upcoming podcast episodes. You can be as anonymous or as identifiable as you want. If your story is too long for one voicemail, call back and pick up where you left off.You can also email, if that is more your preference, at: betterplannerspodcast@gmail.com What is Better Planners?Better Planners is a podcast brought to you by the Oregon Chapter of the American Planning Association (OAPA). It aims to highlight and facilitate real stories about real solutions from the ground-level work of planners, community development advocates, and allied professions. With an emphasis on amplifying the voices and stories of marginalized communities. The episodes will be a resource and guide to provide insights into planning related topics people face on a daily basis that may be inspiring, challenging, questioning, and/or innovative. Where to find us:Website: https://oregon.planning.org/community/betterplannerspodcast/Instagram: @betterplanners 

Welcome to the Better Planners Podcast brought to you by the Oregon Chapter of the American Planning Association! Better Planners is a podcast that aims to highlight and facilitate real stories about real solutions from the ground-level work of planners, community development advocates, and allied professions. With an emphasis on amplifying the voices and stories of marginalized communities. The episodes will be a resource and guide to provide insights into planning related topics people face on a daily basis that may be inspiring, challenging, questioning, and/or innovative. Find Us Elsewhere!Instagram: @betterplannersTwitter: @BetterPlanners

Adrian Freund visits the mobile studio to discuss environmental justice, hazard mitigation, and disaster recovery planning. A pillar of the hazard mitigation planning community, Adrian is an AICP Fellow with almost five decades of experience in the profession. As a two term national APA Director and Past President of the Nevada and Wisconsin; the creator of development codes and comprehensive plans for Louisville, KY, Austin, TX, Washoe County, NV, and Madison, WI; and a frequent witness before the U.S. Congress on the Clean Water Act and Coastal Management Act; Adrian's contributions to the planning profession cannot be understated.In this interview with Will and Chris, recorded in the fall of 2019 at the Oregon APA Conference, Adrian shares experiences from his life in planning and highlights the role of equity in disaster planning. Adrian was a friend and mentor of the PWP team and the Oregon Chapter of the American Planning Association, and it is with heavy hearts we share this interview with Adrian following his recent passing. We want to thank him for a lifetime of service to the planning profession, and our thoughts are with his family and everyone he impacted throughout his life. He will be greatly missed.

Will and Chris chat with Becky Steckler as she discusses new mobility, emerging technologies, and building the places you really want to live. Becky serves as the Urbanism Next program director for the University of Oregon. Urbanism Next conducts research and convenes partners to explore possible future implications of new technology for people, cities, and communities to inform better decision making today.

Steve Nygren joins the PWP mobile studio to talk about master planning for community wellness. Steve is the founder and CEO of Serenbe, a wellness community created as a model to demonstrate that preserving 70% of green space interlaced with agriculture, housing, and retail is not only economically viable but the future of community well-being. This episode focuses on Steve’s experience in the foundation of Serenbe, and how he has become a thought leader in meaningful and innovative community design in the spirit of Ebenezer Howard and Ian McHarg. Steve’s passion shines through in this wide-ranging conversation recorded in the summer of 2018 in Denver.

Nick Snead AICP, the Community Development Director at the City of Madras, OR, and Dustin Nilsen AICP, the Planning Director of Hood River, OR, join the PWP mobile studio to share lessons learned from planning in smaller, often rural, communities in Oregon. While many of the planning concepts discussed at the national level highlight work being conducted in the metropolitan areas, planning in small communities is of equal importance to community development and the planning field as a whole. Nick and Dustin share their wisdom, discussing many of the advantages and disadvantages they have witnessed during their time in public service, in an episode that covers extensive ground. Join us to explore how to add additional planning silver bullets to your planning toolkit as we learn from two practiced experts on why planning for small cities truly represents a Neapolitan sandwich of experiences and opportunities.

Molly Mowery, AICP and Guest/Host Will Smith join Pints With Planners to discuss “Planning for Wildfire”. With changing climate dynamics and the expansion of the built environment into natural wildfire areas, community development practitioners are required to understand wildfire planning and hazard mitigation. This discussion wanders from what defines the Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) to exciting new partnership programs bringing wildfire planning directly to communities, providing lessons from practicing experts for tomorrow’s planners. Tune in for this timely episode from PWP!You can also find more information on Molly and Community Planning Assistance for Wildfire (CPAW) program here. The American Planning Association also has several hazard mitigation resources available on the Hazard Mitigation and Disaster Recovery Planning Division website. Go here to check it out.

Kale Roberts and Peter Ulrich stop by the Pints With Planners’ mobile studio to chat about “Sustainable Urban and Regional Development”. In a wide ranging conversation, Kale and Peter present methods for promoting sustainability in communities of all sizes. Tune in for this dynamic discussion that includes national and global examples on localized efforts to address climate change, public outreach and coordination ideas to reach sustainability goals, and new concepts for financing resilient infrastructure, including crowdfunding.

Shipra Narang Suri, the current Coordinator of the Urban Planning and Design Branch at UN-Habitat (United Nations Human Settlements Programme), joins PWP for a conversation on “Post-Conflict / Post-Disaster Recovery Planning”. From discussions on smuggling public infrastructure plans out of Poland during World War II to the use of Minecraft in reconstruction efforts, her mandate for planners remains the same: the need for local champions that can think holistically when addressing these monumental challenges in community development. Don’t miss this exciting and eye-opening perspective from Shipra and the PWP hosts on the necessity of planning for a future that includes natural hazards and other types of disasters.For more information on Shipra’s background please visit her LinkedIn profile.

For this episode of PWP, Cynthia Bowen, the current (at the time of recording) President of the American Planning Association (APA), joins us for a conversation on “Creating Memorable Community Spaces.” During the second episode on this topic, Cynthia helps us examine what factors or traits make community spaces memorable. We visit with Cynthia to learn more about her favorite places and experiences while travelling through the US during her time in leadership at the APA.For more information on Cynthia’s background please visit her LinkedIn profile.

John Morgan is the Executive Director of the Chinook Institute for Civic Leadership and the Leader of the Chinook Institute, the premier leadership development program for top-level public officials on the west coast. John has spent his career in public service focusing on community development and organizational leadership in government organizations. A former Community Development Director, Planning Director, and City Manager, John brings to the Chinook Institute a strong focus on organizational development, strategic thinking and processes, a passion for public service, and a clear understanding of leadership that works and how to learn and apply its principles.John is principal with the MorganCPS Group, an urban planning and organizational development consulting firm. MorganCPS provides long-range, current, and strategic planning services to many agencies and jurisdictions. John also serves as a Senior Fellow of the Center for Public Service at Portland State University and teaches planning and economic development classes in communities statewide. John and his wife, Mary Lynn, are graduates of Willamette University in Salem. His degree is in urban and regional government and political science.

On this episode Ric Stephens, the current President of the International Society of City and Regional Planners (ISOCARP), joins us for a conversation on “Creating Memorable Community Spaces”. What factors or traits make community spaces memorable? How do we integrate resilience and climate change into community place making? And what topics are going to be the most impactful on our future community designs? We visit with Ric on all of these questions in an effort to learn from his experiences in order to create playful, memorable, and mysterious public places in our own communities.For more information on Ric’s background please visit his LinkedIn profile.