NPC 2026 Session: When the Cloud Drops—Planning for Data Centers

This session will be presented by the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy at the American Planning Association’s National Planning Conference.

As the demand for digital infrastructure and artificial intelligence accelerates, communities are increasingly approached by data center operators seeking suitable sites. While marketed as drivers of economic growth, these facilities often carry significant costs that are not fully transparent during the siting process. Data centers require immense physical resources—land for large footprints, vast amounts of water for cooling, and energy that strains local grids—raising questions about sustainability and long-term resilience. They also may introduce frontline communities to new sources of pollution, increased truck traffic, and environmental justice concerns, yet these voices are often marginalized in opaque political and regulatory processes. Promised economic benefits, such as job creation and tax revenue, are frequently overstated or unevenly distributed, leaving cities to shoulder environmental burdens with limited community gain.

This presentation convenes a diverse panel to unpack complex planning challenges such as critically assessing data center proposals, advocating for accountability, and elevating community priorities. By examining the trade-offs of siting decisions through the lenses of resource management, equity, and governance, you will leave with practical strategies to question assumptions, navigate political opacity, and build stronger negotiating positions to ensure decisions genuinely serve the long-term interests of municipalities and their residents.