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Director of Urban Sustainability Amy Cotter (far right) smiles with Adam Lyons, Eleanor Sharpe, and Emilia Oscilowicz after their panel "Equitable Urban Planning for a Changing Climate" at the 2026 National Planning Conference.

Recap: Lincoln Institute at the American Planning Association’s 2026 National Planning Conference

In April, the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy participated in the American Planning Association’s annual National Planning Conference, engaging in discussions about climate change, housing, and economic development. The conference was split into an in-person component, held from April 25 to April 28 in Detroit, Michigan, and an online portion, held from May 27 to May 29.

The conference, which attracts practicing planners, academics, researchers, policymakers, and other participants from across the US and Canada, kicked off on April 25 with a session on the “2026 Trend Report: Emerging Trends and Signals.” Copublished by the Lincoln Institute and the American Planning Association (APA), the report was presented by APA staff members Ievgeniia Dulko, Petra Hurtado, Senna Catenacci, and Joseph DeAngelis. While most conventional planning practices lean on past data and current assumptions, the annual trend report emphasizes the importance of accounting for potential futures. During the session, the speakers outlined emerging trends planners should consider, including the role of artificial intelligence in governments.

The next day, the Lincoln Institute’s Alykhan Mohamed joined Dulko, Hurtado, and Catenacci for “Planning with Foresight,” a session on the growing importance of futures literacy for planners. Formatted as a learning lab, the session allowed planners to learn how to better shape present-day decisions by imagining multiple plausible futures and incorporating future scenarios into their work.

Anthony Flint, Lincoln Institute senior fellow and author of Mayor’s Desk: 20 Conversations with Local Leaders Solving Global Problems, moderated “Leading Cities Through Change—Mayors Panel.” The panel comprised three Michigan mayors: Sheldon Neeley of Flint, Christopher Taylor of Ann Arbor, and David LaGrand of Grand Rapids. The mayors addressed an array of topics, from the water crisis in Flint and affordable housing issues to the statewide property tax revolt.

The Lincoln Institute’s Mary Ann Dickinson moderated “When the Cloud Drops—Planning for Data Centers” alongside speakers Brett Gracely, planning practice leader at Plummer; Kyle Mucha, principal planner with McKenna; and Manny Patole of New York University. The group discussed an upcoming Lincoln Institute report on how communities can navigate planning discussions about data center siting. They emphasized the importance of assessing data center proposals based on resource management, equity, and governance, keeping in mind the needs and wants of investors and those affected by data centers. Over 400 people attended the session, with conversations continuing in the hallways afterward.

Lincoln Institute Director of Urban Sustainability Amy Cotter moderated “Equitable Urban Planning for a Changing Climate” alongside speakers Eleanor Sharpe, former planning director of the City of Philadelphia; Emilia Oscilowicz, coauthor of the Lincoln Institute Policy Focus Report Planning in a Polycrisis; and Adam Lyons of Enterprise Community Partners. The session explored how planners can advance equitable policies that reduce climate risks and enhance ecological public health. One particularly well-received point: “Housing policy is climate policy.”

“While there is this impression that climate activists are at odds because of competition for limited resources and the idea that environmental regulations slow down building affordable housing, it seemed like people agreed that good housing policy cannot exist without good climate policy, and vice versa,” said Layla Sastry, Lincoln Institute program coordinator and session attendee.

A meeting of the APA Water and Planning Network, which connects land use planners and water resource and utility planners, was held later that afternoon. Dickinson, the cochair of this network, moderated the meeting, which drew 30 people, some of whom attended after hearing about it in the data center session.

During the Detroit component of the conference, the Lincoln Institute also hosted an exhibition hall booth, where members of its Publications, Communications, Learning Design, and User Experience team (PCLDUX) distributed thousands of copies of the Lincoln Institute’s publications to eager attendees.

On the first day of the conference’s virtual component, in May, Lincoln Institute Director of Planning Practice and Scenario Planning Heather Sauceda Hannon moderated “Navigating Uncertainty—Using Strategic Foresight” with speakers Elizabeth Ginsberg and Austen Edwards of the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP). The panelists explained how they applied Exploratory Scenario Planning (XSP) to the Century Plan, a project in northeastern Illinois that aims to build a stronger future for the region, focusing on transportation, climate, and the economy. Ginsberg and Edwards shared how XSP helped them narrow their focus to regional action, engage with elected leaders and other planners, and use resources from state and regional agencies to encourage local officials to shift to a horizon-based mindset.

Hannon and Consortium for Scenario Planning Analyst Daniela Faria presented “Exploratory Scenario Planning for Brazil’s Public Lands,” diving into the Lincoln Institute’s work with Brazil’s Secretariat for Federal Assets (SPU) on Imóvel da Gente, or “Property of the People,” which aims to make federal public property useable and useful for Brazilian citizens.

Faria outlined the XSP process at the start of the session, which emphasized how collaborative methods and efforts strengthen institutional capacity, broaden participation, and ensure that land use policies serve diverse community needs.

Rounding out the first day of the virtual conference, Hannon moderated “State Preemption for Housing—Benefit or Bane?” with speakers Andreea D. Udrea, deputy director of zoning in the Dallas Planning and Development Department; Lucy Kempf, director of the Metropolitan Nashville–Davidson County Planning Department; and Meagan McMahan, director of planning for the City of Minneapolis. The panelists discussed how states are taking legislative action to preempt planning and zoning by local governments, and the various ways this preemption affects local planning.

The next day, Dickinson served as a panelist for “Integrated Resource Planning—Where Land Meets Water.” Moderated by Steve Epting of the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the panel also included Rachael Belisle-Toler, water resources manager for the Town of Ipswich, MA, and Adam Schempp of the Environmental Law Institute. Their presentations outlined the Integrated Resource Planning project’s methodology, observations, and findings. Key findings included the fact that most states expect local land use plans to identify areas for conservation, water supply, and drainage, and that eight states require water utilities to directly coordinate with land use planners in their communities.

Mary Ann Dickinson, possibly the Lincoln Institute’s most well-rounded 2026 APA Conference attendee—thanks to her work moderating sessions, serving as a panelist on others, and helping out at the exhibition hall booth—described her experience as “intensive, fun, and rewarding,” noting that she especially enjoyed working the booth as it allowed her to talk to many planners.

The Lincoln Institute is excited to attend APA’s 2027 National Planning Conference, which will be held May 15 to 18 in Houston. Stay tuned for more information on our participation!

Eric Xie was a communications intern at the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy.

Lead image: Director of Urban Sustainability Amy Cotter (far right) smiles with Adam Lyons, Eleanor Sharpe, and Emilia Oscilowicz after their panel “Equitable Urban Planning for a Changing Climate” at the 2026 National Planning Conference. Credit: Catherine Benedict, Lincoln Institute of Land Policy.

Consortium for Scenario Planning Advisory Board Application

Application Deadline: September 30, 2026 at 11:59 PM

Apply

The Consortium for Scenario Planning Advisory Board is a group of practitioners, academics, and consultants that drive the mission of the Consortium for Scenario Planning forward. Advisory board members are given responsibilities based on the consortium’s three strategic directions:

Bring more people into the field of scenario planning
Help people doing scenario planning do it better
Improve the tools used for scenario planning

Advisory board members are expected to attend the annual Consortium for Scenario Planning conference, participate in one of three committees within the board (research and education, conference, and recruitment), and attend two out of three advisory board meetings a year.

Currently, four positions are open, each covering a three-year term beginning in January 2027. Students, early career professionals, private sector employees, and public sector professionals working at regional planning agencies or metropolitan planning organizations are especially encouraged to apply.

Applications will close on September 30 at 11:59 p.m. ET. We will notify applicants by October 23.

Details

Application Deadline

September 30, 2026 at 11:59 PM

Keywords

Planning, Scenario Planning

Land Matters Podcast / Season 7 / Episode 5

Growth and Grit in Cleveland: A Conversation with Mayor Justin Bibb

August 4, 2026

Listen on:

By Anthony Flint, August 4, 2026

Of all the postindustrial cities in the US and around the world, Cleveland, Ohio, has perhaps had the most ups and downs, oscillating between decline and revival. The city has come a long way since the polluted Cuyahoga River caught fire in 1969, and has been a pioneer in revitalizing its industrial waterfront. Now the city has a chance to start over once again, with the departure of the Cleveland Browns opening up more than 50 acres of prime lakefront land currently anchored by the football stadium, which will be demolished.

The potential for a transformational redevelopment is not lost on Justin Bibb, who was reelected last November to a second term as mayor of Cleveland—and is the latest municipal chief executive to be featured in the Lincoln Institute’s Mayor’s Desk series.

“We have a historic opportunity to maximize Cleveland’s lakefront for once and for all,” Bibb said in a wide-ranging interview recorded for the Land Matters podcast. “We’ve done some things in piecemeal, but we’ve never had a bold, unified vision for really reinvigorating what I call America’s North Coast.”

Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb. Credit: City of Cleveland.

The stadium site overhaul, adjacent to the popular Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, will be done in coordination with a massive redevelopment of the now largely industrial Cuyahoga River waterfront. “We want this to be a model for America on how a legacy American city like Cleveland can be a two-waterfront city,” Bibb said.

The waterfront plans have been center stage recently, but Bibb has also been active in trying to assist struggling neighborhoods outside of downtown, including the Midline business district and greenway, which aims to make better use of 350 acres of vacant and under-utilized land.

“We are the largest landowner in the city, and we have thousands … of vacant lots that we have failed to put into productive use,” Bibb said. Under the Site Readiness for Good Jobs Fund, the city is taking stock of its industrial past—and the pollution it created—and identifying contaminated sites for clean-up and a quick turnaround for new business seeking to locate in places like the city’s long-struggling East Side.

Cleveland is well positioned to usher in manufacturing that is “re-shoring” to the US, amid greater awareness of the importance of resilient supply chains, he said. “It’s important that cities activate these sites and attract these jobs of the future, and the present, to make sure that America’s industrial future is competitive long-term.”

“We have the land, we have the talent, and we have the strategy to compete in the global economy,” he said.

One of the new businesses to move into one of those empty industrial sites—a long-empty factory that once supplied ore unloaders for the local steel industry—has been especially promising, Bibb said: MMY US, a producer of low-cost, factory-built modular homes.

“They’ll be bringing 150 good-paying jobs to the city, and they’re going to help us build, in six to eight weeks, new homes in Cleveland that are affordable and within reach for our residents,” he said. “Also, because of our location, we can be a net exporter of modular homes to Canada. We think this will be a game changer for Cleveland’s economy long-term.”

Members of the press listen as Mayor Bibb speaks at the Wellman-Seaver-Morgan Engineering Company building, a long-empty factory that will soon be occupied by a modular housing manufacturer. Credit: City of Cleveland.

Born and raised in the Mt. Pleasant neighborhood in Cleveland’s southeast side, Justin Bibb was reelected to a second term as mayor in November 2025. Previously he worked for President Barack Obama during the latter’s time in the US Senate, served as an education and economic policy advisor for Cuyahoga County, and held leadership roles at Gallup, KeyBank, and Urbanova, focusing on civic innovation and data-driven strategies to improve the quality of life in cities. He earned a BA in urban studies from American University in 2009 and an MBA and JD from Case Western Reserve University in 2018.

The Lincoln Institute has special connections with the City of Cleveland. The organization’s founder, John C. Lincoln, was an inventor and entrepreneur there at the turn of the last century, and established the Lincoln Electric company, a major employer to this day. John Lincoln was interested in the ideas of the political economist Henry George, and heard his first speech by George in Cleveland, which famously had a Georgist mayor, Tom Johnson, in the first decade of the 1900s.

John Lincoln eventually moved to Phoenix as he launched all his philanthropic efforts, but the Lincoln family remained involved in many civic affairs. The Kathryn J. Lincoln Speaker Series, an educational deep dive focused on effective urban planning, inclusive community development, and investment in ethical leadership, was established last year at the City Club of Cleveland. That is named for Katie Lincoln, chair of the board of the Lincoln Institute, who is John C. Lincoln’s granddaughter.

In addition, Cleveland was the subject of a documentary film produced by the Lincoln Institute that scrutinizes the city’s various efforts to engineer an urban renaissance. Cleveland: Confronting Decline in an American City, part of the Making Sense of Place series, aired extensively on public television.

The “two waterfronts” of Cleveland: the downtown shoreline of Lake Erie and the snaking curves of the Cuyahoga River. Credit: © 2026 Google Maps, NOAA.

Listen to the discussion with Mayor Bibb here or subscribe to Land Matters on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Further Reading

Analysis: Cleveland Engages a New Lakefront Planning Team to See What’s Possible After Browns Leave | Ideastream Public Media

Our Governing Agenda for the Cleveland ERA | Substack

A Legacy of Innovation: How Leaders in Cleveland Reimagined and Rebuilt Their City After Decades of Decline | Land Lines

Making Sense of Place, Cleveland: Confronting Decline in an American City | Lincoln Institute documentary

Legacy Cities | Lincoln Institute Data & Tools

Anthony Flint is a senior fellow at the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy, host of the Land Matters podcast, and a contributing editor of Land Lines.

Transcript

[00:00:05] Anthony Flint: Welcome back to the Land Matters podcast. I’m your host, Anthony Flint. Of all the post-industrial cities in the US and around the world, Cleveland, Ohio, has perhaps had the most ups and downs, oscillating between decline and revival. The city’s come a long way since those dark days of the Cuyahoga River catching fire, and it has been a pioneer in revitalizing its industrial waterfront, led by the establishment of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Now Cleveland has another chance to re-envision the lakefront and make better connections with the rest of the city, all the while addressing persistent issues of equity and uneven economic opportunity in many neighborhoods that are still struggling.

To talk about all this, we have the honor of having a special guest on the Land Matters podcast, the mayor of Cleveland, Justin Bibb. He’s the latest municipal chief executive to be interviewed as part of our Mayor’s Desk series — Conversations With Local Leaders Solving Global Problems. We’ve caught up with many inventive mayors in this series, but Mayor Bibb has been getting a lot of attention for his creativity and policy innovation and has been described politically as quite a rising star.

Some quick background. Before becoming mayor, he worked for President Barack Obama during his time in the US Senate. Served as an education and economic policy advisor for Cuyahoga County and also held leadership roles at Gallup, KeyBank, and Urbanova, focusing on civic innovation and data-driven strategies. A native of the Mount Pleasant neighborhood in Cleveland’s Southeast Side, he’s a proud graduate of American University with a degree in urban studies and has also pursued advanced studies in social policy and economics at the London School of Economics and earned both a MBA and a law degree at Case Western Reserve University.

Before we begin our conversation, just an additional quick note about the many connections that have linked Cleveland and the Lincoln Institute. Our founder, John C. Lincoln, was an inventor and entrepreneur there at the turn of the last century and established the Lincoln Electric Company, which is there to this day. John Lincoln was interested in the ideas of the political economist Henry George and heard his first speech by Henry George right there in Cleveland, which famously had its fully Georgist mayor, Tom Johnson.

John Lincoln eventually moved to Phoenix as he launched all his philanthropic efforts, but the Lincoln family remained involved in many civic affairs. Twenty years ago, the Lincoln Institute also premiered the Making Sense of Place documentary series with a feature-length film looking at Cleveland’s efforts to engineer a renaissance to bounce back from hard times. We’ve also stayed closely connected with the City Club of Cleveland and its great tradition of civic engagement and its lecture series, which now includes the Kathryn J. Lincoln Speaker Series, an educational deep dive focused on effective urban planning, inclusive community development, and investment in ethical leadership.That’s named for Katie Lincoln, chair of the board of the Lincoln Institute, who is John C. Lincoln’s granddaughter.

So our fates are in some ways interwoven. The bottom line is we continue to be interested in what’s happening in Cleveland, and that’s why we’re so grateful for this opportunity. Mayor Justin Bibb, thank you for joining the conversation at Land Matters, and for being part of our Mayor’s Desk interview series.

[00:03:46] Mayor Justin Bibb: Thanks for having me, Anthony.

[00:03:47] Anthony Flint: Well, as I mentioned, decades ago, Cleveland was really a pioneer in redeveloping its waterfront. I think the most recognizable project is the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, but also the Browns Stadium. Now the Browns are moving to the suburbs. Tell us about that and how will the new redevelopment that’s envisioned be different?

[00:04:08] Mayor Justin Bibb: Well, we fought the good fight to keep the Browns playing good or bad football on our lakefront, but the political winds were not in our favor, and now we have a historic opportunity to maximize Cleveland’s lakefront for once and for all. I’ve joked often since I became mayor four years ago that every mayor since Tom Johnson, for the last 100-plus years has had a lakefront plan in Cleveland. We’ve done some things in piecemeal, but we’ve never had a bold, unified vision for really reinvigorating what I call America’s North Coast.

This next chapter is really about making the lakefront a destination for residents, a destination for tourists. Really, we want this to be a model for America on how a legacy American city like Cleveland can be a two-waterfront city. Not only are we redeveloping the 50-acre site where the Browns Stadium currently sits, we’re also undergoing a nearly $4 billion transformation of our riverfront, really led by the great partnership we have with Dan Gilbert and the Bedrock family of companies. That’s about a $5 billion effort to make Cleveland a dual waterfront city.

Excited about the progress that we’re making. We’ll break ground on the lakefront in the fourth quarter of next year. We already have broken ground, and construction is underway on our riverfront. Folks from around the world will be coming to Cleveland soon because we will be one of the best two-waterfront cities, not just in America, but around the globe in the relatively near future.

[00:05:38] Anthony Flint: When you say the two waterfronts, orient us a little bit. That’s the lakefront and the Cuyahoga River?

[00:05:45] Mayor Justin Bibb: Yes, that’s correct. Cleveland is so unique that we sit on two bodies of water – [Lake Erie and] the Cuyahoga River, which has a storied history in Cleveland and across the country. I sit in the office of the late, great Carl B. Stokes, who was the first Black man and the first Black mayor to lead a major American city. His photo is right behind me and on my chair here at City Hall.

I’m willing to bet when he ran for mayor in the mid-1960s, he didn’t run to be a climate mayor. At the time, industry was not doing right by its cities. They weren’t doing right by its waterways. Our river caught on fire. As a result of that, Carl B. Stokes confronted this crisis. After that crisis happened, he did a nationwide pollution tour, which helped create the Clean Water Act, which then led the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency, the EPA, as we call it today.

Cleveland has a storied history, and 50 years later, our ability to clean up the Cuyahoga River is a model of resilience across the country, and now it’s seeing a nearly $4 billion investment right now through our partnership with Bedrock.

[00:06:48] Anthony Flint: Just pivoting here for a second, what’s your view on the use of government-owned land for creating things like permanently affordable housing, other improvements? You’ve got a fair amount of government-owned land there. What are the prospects for that?

[00:07:02] Mayor Justin Bibb: We are the largest landowner in the city, and we have thousands and thousands and thousands of vacant lots that we have failed to put into productive use. We’re really excited about the work we’re doing to put our assets to work in a more productive way. Currently right now, we are attracting a world-renowned global modular housing manufacturer, MMY. They’re bringing one of their manufacturing headquarters to Cleveland, going to create 150 good-paying jobs, and our new business district called the Midline, which is the largest redevelopment project in the city’s history, a 350-acre site.

That’s one example of the work we’re doing through our site readiness fund for good jobs, where we’re converting a thousand acres of brownfield vacant land, predominantly in the heart of Cleveland’s inner city, and making those sites shovel-ready to go. Not only is it good housing policy to really address our cities’ and our nation’s housing affordability crisis, it’s also a good industrial policy, because as the nation works to have more resilient supply chains, as we see these trends are re-shoring, take shape, it’s important that cities activate these sites and attract these jobs of the future and the present to make sure that America’s industrial future is competitive long-term.

[00:08:19] Anthony Flint: Following up on this idea of repurposing land — there are so many opportunities. Tell us a little bit more about the East Side neighborhoods and the use of different land-based financing to encourage redevelopment and repurposing.

[00:08:35] Mayor Justin Bibb: Yes, Cleveland’s East Side has a long, storied history. My grandparents came up here from the segregated South for jobs in the steel mills and jobs in the auto plants, as well as many immigrants from around the world, particularly from Eastern Europe, who came to Cleveland for those jobs, because Cleveland was a walk-to-work city, and a lot of those jobs were concentrated in Cleveland’s East Side.

For generations, that part of the city has not gotten its fair share of investment. One of the things that we’re doing is we’re using the same taxing tools that we’ve used to spur nearly $5 billion of investment on the waterfronts. We’re using those same tools to attract private investment to the East Side of Cleveland. We’re thinking about vacant parcels differently. We’re activating those vacant lots for shovel-ready job sites to attract good-paying jobs, to put the working class and the middle class back to work in Cleveland.

We’re also using those sites to really address our housing crisis. Particularly in the St. Clair-Superior neighborhood, we are deploying a new housing innovation district to really unlock brand new homeownership and new single-family homes for the future of the East Side of Cleveland.

[00:09:41] Anthony Flint: You mentioned the Site Readiness Initiative. I’m wondering, what have you learned from that experience, and any tips for other legacy cities or cities otherwise on this idea of looking at underutilized industrial land?

[00:09:57] Mayor Justin Bibb: This isn’t just about vacant land. It’s about talent. It’s about infrastructure. It’s about building a resilient manufacturing ecosystem that really builds on the strengths of Cleveland’s economy, so we’re really excited about this. We believe we can attract 2,500 good-paying jobs to the Midline. It costs about $100 million of capital to clean up. It’s 200 acres of vacant land that we’re transforming, and we’re putting about 1.5 million square feet of commercial space back to the market.

For any city to compete, you need two things: you need land, and you need talent. When I took office, we didn’t have any sites, 10 acres or more, to attract or retain companies in the city. Now we have the land, we have the talent, and we have the strategy to compete in the global economy.

[00:10:44] Anthony Flint: You mentioned there’s a modular homes manufacturer that is going into one site. That’s a pretty neat trick.

[00:10:51] Mayor Justin Bibb: Big deal. MMY is the first company to call the Midline home. As I said earlier, they’ll be bringing 150 good-paying jobs to the city, and they’re going to help us build, in six to eight weeks, new homes in Cleveland that are affordable and within reach for our residents. Also, because of our location and the Great Lakes and Lake Erie, we can be a net exporter of modular homes to Canada. We think this will be a game changer for Cleveland’s economy long-term.

[00:11:17] Anthony Flint: Finally, you’ve done a lot of work in climate and climate resilience, but do you think of Cleveland as a climate haven? If so, what needs to be done to take advantage of that kind of interest? Also, are you worried about gentrification?

[00:11:32] Mayor Justin Bibb: I absolutely believe that Cleveland is a climate haven. I believe our climate resilience as a city is second to none. We have access to fresh water. We have a temperate climate, four seasons actually in Cleveland. Although we were, like many cities in the US, exposed to the Canadian wildfires and the air quality, no real hurricanes, no wildfires in Cleveland. When you look at our coastal peer cities, Cleveland has a unique, I think, competitive advantage.

To protect it, number one, we need to make sure we have a resilient housing infrastructure, which is what we’re focused on. We need to make sure that we continue to have an economy that’s growing. We also need to make sure that when we think about climate change and think about this work around environmental justice, that is squarely focused on the cost of living crisis, and that’s our effort.

Now, gentrification means different things to different people. But we have a growth mindset in Cleveland. We need to grow the pie, but also support and uplift existing residents. Our economic philosophy is in all of the above approach to make Cleveland a city where the American dream is alive, within reach, and affordable. That’s the goal.

[00:12:39] Anthony Flint: Mayor Justin Bibb, thank you again for your time. It’s been a pleasure.

[00:12:42] Mayor Justin Bibb: Thanks for having me.

[00:12:43] Anthony Flint: Well, that’s a wrap on the Land Matters podcast. You can find extensive content about Cleveland and legacy cities on our website, that’s lincolninst.edu. Just navigate to the impact area called Land and Communities. You’ll also find the Making Sense of Place documentary series at the website, which includes recent updates on many of the initiatives we looked at 20 years ago. On social media, our handle is @landpolicy.

Please go ahead and rate, share, and subscribe to Land Matters, the podcast of the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy. For now, I’m Anthony Flint, signing off until next time.

[00:29:22] [END OF AUDIO]

Read full transcript

President's Message

Nuevos dirigentes para un momento clave

Unas palabras de la presidente de la junta directiva del Instituto Lincoln, Kathryn J. Lincoln:

Cuando mi padre, David C. Lincoln, fundó el Instituto Lincoln de Políticas de Suelo en 1974, su propósito estaba claro. Al igual que mi abuelo antes que él, creía que fomentar una mejor comprensión de la economía urbana, los impuestos y el suelo “garantizaría que más personas tengan las mismas oportunidades, al margen del lugar que ocupan en el terreno de la vida”. Más de 50 años después, el Instituto Lincoln mantiene su compromiso con la meta de mejorar el acceso a las oportunidades a través de las políticas de suelo. En los primeros años de nuestra sexta década, no podría estar más feliz de que Robert Puentes tome las riendas como el sexto presidente.

Rob, un urbanista veterano que, en el último tiempo, se desempeñó como dirigente de Brookings Metro y el Eno Center for Transportation, ha dicho que el suelo es parte de su ADN. Comparto el sentimiento (no podría ser de otra manera, dadas mis raíces), y espero trabajar de cerca con Rob en esta nueva etapa dentro de la familia del Instituto Lincoln. En este, el primer Mensaje del presidente, comparte su perspectiva sobre por qué este es un momento fundamental para el Instituto Lincoln, las políticas de suelo y las comunidades de todo el mundo.

Es un honor para mí unirme al Instituto Lincoln de Políticas de Suelo como el nuevo presidente y director ejecutivo. La oportunidad de dirigir una institución con un legado tan distinguido en la mejora de la educación, la investigación y la aplicación de políticas de suelo llega en un momento fundamental para las comunidades de los Estados Unidos y todo el mundo. Se les está pidiendo a los dirigentes locales que hagan más con menos, y el papel del Instituto Lincoln como un recurso confiable y no partidista es más esencial que nunca.

A lo largo de mi carrera, he trabajado en la intersección del uso de suelo, la infraestructura y la urbanización metropolitana: donde las comunidades enfrentan sus desafíos más importantes. Desde dirigir el programa de Brookings Institution sobre ciudades y áreas metropolitanas hasta desempeñarme como presidente del Eno Center for Transportation, me he centrado en desarrollar soluciones basadas en datos y evidencia para resolver los problemas que priorizan los dirigentes locales: una mejor accesibilidad para todos los residentes, un clima más saludable, y una economía más fuerte y equitativa. Estas prioridades se alinean directamente con la misión del Instituto Lincoln de integrar las políticas de suelo con la justicia social, las oportunidades económicas y la sostenibilidad medioambiental.

Las políticas de suelo determinan cómo la gente vive su vida diaria: cómo van al trabajo, encuentran vivienda, acceden a servicios y se conectan entre sí. Determina la capacidad de pago de viviendas, el desarrollo económico, la salud medioambiental y la resiliencia ante el cambio climático. Como comisionado de planificación local en Virginia, vi de primera mano cómo la zonificación restrictiva perpetúa la segregación y limita las oportunidades, y cómo las decisiones fragmentadas sobre el uso de suelo profundizan la vulnerabilidad climática. Pero también vi lo que se vuelve posible cuando las comunidades capturan el valor del suelo y conectan las políticas de suelo con la inversión en infraestructura, las estrategias de vivienda y la planificación regional. Esta perspectiva integrada guiará mi liderazgo en el Instituto Lincoln, donde nuestro trabajo debe superar las divisiones tradicionales entre disciplinas y sectores: conectar a planificadores con profesionales del transporte y administradores del agua, a expertos en finanzas públicas con agencias de desarrollo, y a profesionales locales con responsables de formulación de políticas estatales y regionales, porque los desafíos actuales son demasiado complejos para abordarlos de forma aislada.

Al asumir esta función, preveo varias prioridades clave para impulsar el avance del instituto.

En primer lugar, debemos seguir fortaleciendo la base de evidencia para una política de suelo sólida. Esto implica producir investigaciones rigurosas y accesibles que ayuden a los profesionales a comprender qué funciona, por qué funciona y cómo adaptar los enfoques exitosos a sus contextos locales. El Instituto Lincoln siempre ha sido un referente en la generación de conocimiento, y construiremos sobre estos cimientos al participar directamente en nuevos debates sobre políticas, aquí y en el extranjero, donde nuestra experiencia puede aportar rigor e independencia a las conversaciones nacionales relevantes.

En segundo lugar, debemos expandir nuestro rol como conciliadores y conectores, mientras respondemos a la realidad de los profesionales. Las soluciones innovadoras surgen cuando se unen personas de diferentes contextos y sectores, y el Instituto Lincoln está en una posición única para crear espacios (físicos y virtuales) para profesionales, investigadores, responsables de formulación de políticas y líderes comunitarios a fin de desarrollar asociaciones duraderas.

En tercer lugar, debemos hacerle frente al análisis de la equidad. Con demasiada frecuencia, las políticas de suelo han sido una herramienta de exclusión y despojo. No podemos cambiar la historia, pero podemos asegurarnos de que las decisiones actuales sobre políticas de suelo creen oportunidades en lugar de perpetuar la desigualdad, un trabajo que recae cada vez más en los estados, las localidades y las instituciones no partidistas como el Instituto Lincoln. Esto implica centrar las experiencias y la experiencia de las comunidades marginadas por políticas de suelo anteriores, examinar los efectos distributivos de las propuestas de políticas y apoyar a los profesionales que trabajan para promover la equidad en sus comunidades.

En cuarto lugar, debemos tener una participación más directa con el cambio climático. Las decisiones sobre el uso de suelo son fundamentales tanto para la mitigación como para la adaptación, ya sea que eso signifique vincular los planes de desarrollo con la demanda de agua, permitir un crecimiento orientado al transporte público que reduzca las emisiones de los vehículos o implementar soluciones basadas en la naturaleza, en especial, en áreas vulnerables al clima. El Instituto Lincoln no solo debe ayudar a los profesionales a transitar esta complejidad, sino también contribuir a cubrir las deficiencias al brindar la investigación, las herramientas y las redes de pares que las comunidades necesitan para actuar con confianza.

En quinto lugar, debemos asegurarnos de que el campo se beneficie de nuestra asociación transformadora con Claremont Lincoln University. A través de los programas de grado de CLU y la iniciativa Lincoln Vibrant Communities, esta colaboración abre nuevas puertas para fortalecer el trabajo de los profesionales en el terreno. No solo ofrecemos información valiosa sobre la investigación: brindamos las habilidades, las credenciales y las redes necesarias para impulsar un cambio duradero. Y, a medida que evolucionen nuestras ofertas de educación (aprendizaje digital en expansión, asistencia técnica y aprendizaje entre pares), los profesionales contarán con recursos cada vez más relevantes, accesibles y de aplicación inmediata a su labor diaria.

Reconozco la ambición de esta agenda y asumo esta función con claridad sobre las oportunidades y los desafíos que se avecinan. Siento un profundo honor por la confianza que la Junta Directiva del Instituto Lincoln ha puesto en mí, y me comprometo a mantener los más altos estándares de ética, equidad y transparencia articulados por generaciones de la familia Lincoln en todos los aspectos de mi trabajo.

Estas cuestiones son muy personales para mí. Crecí en una familia de obreros y comprendo el valor que tiene el trabajo: un trabajo es una ruta fundamental para salir de la pobreza. Fui el primero de mi familia en asistir a la universidad y sé, de primera mano, lo transformadoras que pueden ser las oportunidades educativas de calidad. A lo largo de mi vida, he mantenido un profundo aprecio por el lugar y la enorme importancia de cómo se usa, grava y administra el suelo. Estas experiencias personales fundamentan mi convicción de que las políticas de suelo son demasiado importantes para dejarlas solo en manos de los especialistas. Afectan a todos; por eso, nuestro trabajo debe ser accesible, práctico y conectado con los desafíos reales que enfrentan las comunidades a diario. Me comprometo a garantizar que el Instituto Lincoln siga siendo un recurso confiable para investigadores y profesionales, una fuente vital de conocimiento para los responsables de la formulación de políticas y un catalizador para un cambio positivo en las comunidades de todo el mundo.

Estoy ansioso por trabajar con el talentoso personal del Instituto Lincoln y nuestra extensa red de colaboradores y profesionales en todo el país y el mundo. En conjunto, podemos impulsar políticas de suelo que construyan comunidades más inclusivas, sostenibles y prósperas para todos.

Robert Puentes es presidente y director ejecutivo del Instituto Lincoln de Políticas de Suelo.

Land Wise

Blog Post

Three people walk along a trail. A rocky mountain obscures most of the sky behind them.

Sembrar agua, sembrar el futuro en las altas montañas del Perú

La camioneta se detuvo y supe que era hora de bajar. Siguiendo el consejo del “guardián del agua” que acababa de conocer, abrí primero la puerta y esperé unos segundos. Respiré el aire denso de la montaña y bajé con cuidado. Apenas había caminado unos metros cuando sentí en el cuerpo el peso de más de 4.500 metros de altitud. Me detuve un momento, un poco mareada, esperando a que pasara el vértigo.

Nada de eso me impidió quedarme allí, de pie, contemplando el paisaje. Ante mí se extendían las montañas andinas del Perú, imponentes y silenciosas. Mientras observaba aquella escena, pensé que probablemente era el lugar más alto al que había llegado en mi vida, y me pregunté si el Instituto Lincoln habría llegado alguna vez tan alto…

Pero la altitud era apenas el comienzo de la historia.

Un pueblo a la base de una montaña verde. — El pueblo de San Pedro de Casta, a unos 3.000 metros sobre el nivel del mar, en la cuenca alta de Santa Eulalia. Fuente: Instituto Lincoln de Políticas de Suelo.

Imaginar el futuro de una subcuenca

La visita a la montaña tuvo lugar el día anterior a un taller sobre resiliencia hídrica en la subcuenca de Santa Eulalia, muchos metros más abajo. El encuentro forma parte de un proceso que se ha venido desarrollando durante varios meses y que busca fortalecer la capacidad de distintos territorios de América Latina y el Caribe para imaginar y prepararse ante futuros inciertos relacionados con el agua.

La herramienta detrás de ese ejercicio es la planificación de escenarios exploratorios (XSP por su sigla en inglés): en lugar de apostar por un único futuro predecible o deseable, se propone navegar por una gama de futuros inciertos para luego regresar al presente y diseñar estrategias para enfrentarlos.

Santa Eulalia es uno de los cinco casos que conforman esta iniciativa regional, liderada por el Instituto Lincoln de Políticas de Suelo a través de su Consorcio para la Planificación de Escenarios y de su programa de suelo y agua, el Centro Babbitt para Políticas de Suelo y Agua. La implementación local estuvo a cargo de Aquafondo, el Fondo de Agua para Lima y Callao, una organización que promueve la seguridad hídrica mediante soluciones basadas en la naturaleza y la colaboración entre múltiples actores.

Durante dos días, integrantes de comunidades rurales, autoridades, organizaciones y otros actores locales trabajaron juntos para imaginar distintos escenarios, construidos en torno a factores de cambio que los participantes consideraron más críticos con base en su incertidumbre e impacto. ¿Cómo se vería esta subcuenca en medio de impactos climáticos frecuentes e intensos y de inestabilidad política? Esa fue la pregunta que abordó el grupo que trabajó sobre el escenario más adverso, al que titularon “Mi querida Santa Eulalia, te estás muriendo —¿dónde cantaremos las Hualinas…?”

El escenario más adverso, imaginado y dibujado por uno de los grupos del taller. Fuente: Instituto Lincoln de Políticas de Suelo.

Más allá de las diferencias entre escenarios, ciertas respuestas aparecían una y otra vez. Y cuando las ordenamos, terminaron dibujando tres grandes ideas.

Primera idea: cuidar la infraestructura natural y ancestral

La primera fue la necesidad de fortalecer las infraestructuras hídricas naturales y ancestrales que durante siglos han permitido gestionar el agua en las montañas. Aquí, las amunas ocuparon un lugar central.

Las amunas son canales construidos en las partes altas de las montañas que captan el agua de lluvia durante la temporada húmeda y la conducen hacia terrenos permeables, donde se filtra y recarga el acuífero. Almacenada en el subsuelo, esa misma agua se libera gradualmente y vuelve a aflorar meses después, en la temporada seca, en manantiales más abajo en la ladera, justo cuando más se necesita. Es un sistema tan sencillo como ingenioso, heredado de tiempos prehispánicos y conservado de generación en generación. La práctica se conoce como “siembra y cosecha de agua”: se siembra cuando el agua es abundante para poder cosecharla cuando escasea.

Su impacto no es menor. Se estima que un kilómetro de amuna aporta alrededor de 148.000 metros cúbicos de agua al año, según los estudios de monitoreo de Aquafondo, y hasta la fecha se han restaurado cerca de 87 kilómetros de amunas. Pero quizá lo más revelador es que el agua sembrada en las montañas no se queda allí: viaja por el subsuelo y puede llegar mucho más lejos, incluso hasta las ciudades.

Bofedales —humedales altoandinos que almacenan agua (izquierda)— y una amuna restaurada (derecha): dos piezas de la infraestructura natural y ancestral que regula el agua en las alturas. Fuente: Instituto Lincoln de Políticas de Suelo.

Segunda idea: recuperar y transmitir el conocimiento

La segunda fue la importancia de recuperar, visibilizar y transmitir el conocimiento ligado a estas prácticas, a través de programas educativos y culturales.

Esta idea me pareció especialmente poderosa. Porque lo que no se visibiliza rara vez se valora. Y lo que no se valora rara vez se transmite a las nuevas generaciones. Cuando ese conocimiento se pierde, no solo desaparecen técnicas o prácticas concretas: también se pierde una manera de entender el territorio, de relacionarse con el agua y de construir resiliencia.

Esta no es una intuición aislada. El propio Grupo Intergubernamental de Expertos sobre el Cambio Climático (IPCC), en su informe sobre impactos, adaptación y vulnerabilidad (2022), reconoce que el conocimiento indígena y local ofrece una comprensión valiosa para actuar frente al riesgo climático y puede enriquecer las políticas y prácticas de adaptación. En las amunas, ese principio se vuelve tangible: un cuerpo de conocimiento de más de mil años de antigüedad que hoy demuestra ser una herramienta concreta para adaptarse a la incertidumbre hídrica.

Un grupo de personas, la mayoría en camisas y gorras azules, se reúnen alrededor de una mesa para ocmpartir sus experiencias y planear para el futuro. — Distintos actores —comunidades, autoridades y organizaciones— comparten sus conocimientos y visiones durante el taller en la subcuenca de Santa Eulalia. Fuente: Aquafondo.

Tercera idea: financiar lo que la montaña nos da

La tercera fue diseñar mecanismos de financiamiento para restaurar y mantener estos ecosistemas —y ahí, en cierto modo, se juega todo el esfuerzo—. Las amunas y los bofedales no se mantienen solos: necesitan manos que los restauren y recursos que hagan posible ese trabajo año tras año. La pregunta que estaba debajo de cada idea planteada en el taller era la misma: ¿quién paga por la infraestructura que hace posible el agua, y cómo llegan esos recursos a quienes la mantienen en pie?

No hay una sola respuesta, y por eso mismo vale la pena explorarla —desde instrumentos de financiamiento basados en el suelo hasta mecanismos voluntarios de conservación—. Este es el terreno en el que trabaja una institución como el Instituto Lincoln: articular cómo se usa, se gobierna y se financia el suelo, para que cuidar un territorio y pagar por ese cuidado dejen de ser dos decisiones separadas.

Lo que vale la pena subrayar es que no existen territorios aislados: el agua lo conecta todo. El agua que llega a Lima nace en las montañas, y mientras ese vínculo no se reconozca, quienes cuidan las fuentes en lo alto seguirán sosteniendo, casi en silencio, el abastecimiento de agua de millones de personas aguas abajo. El desafío es que estos mecanismos lleguen, sin diluirse en el camino, a las comunidades que cuidan el agua en las alturas.

La verdadera altura

Hoy, de vuelta en mi propia ciudad, apenas unos metros sobre el nivel del mar, todavía recuerdo aquel mareo que sentí en las montañas. Pero cuando pienso en este viaje, la altitud ya no es lo que más importa.

Lo que me queda es la imagen de comunidades que se reunieron para imaginar su futuro colectivo y, al hacerlo, reconocieron el valor del conocimiento acumulado a lo largo de generaciones. Quizá esa fue la verdadera altura alcanzada durante aquellos días: no la de los 4.500 metros sobre el nivel del mar, sino la de una conversación que llegó a lugares donde rara vez se piensa el futuro de manera colectiva, y donde el conocimiento del pasado todavía ofrece respuestas a los desafíos del mañana. Como lo expresó un integrante de la comunidad, con una sencillez que se me quedó grabada: “Muchas veces creemos que el pasado fue mejor, pero somos nosotros quienes podemos hacer que el futuro sea aún mejor”.

Un grupo de personas, la mayoría con gorras y camisas azules, se reúnen afuera para tomarse una foto. — Participantes del taller de planificación de escenarios exploratorios en la subcuenca de Santa Eulalia, mayo de 2026. Fuente: Aquafondo.

Melinda Maldonado es abogada basada en Argentina con Doctorado en Estudios Urbanos. Sus líneas de trabajo incluyen financiamiento urbano, cambio climático y conflictos urbano-ambientales. Tiene amplia experiencia como investigadora, docente y consultora en el sector público y privado. Es colaboradora del Programa para América Latina y el Caribe del Instituto Lincoln desde 2010 en cursos de cambio climático y fundamentos jurídicos de políticas de suelo. Aquí también es investigadora de financiamiento de medidas para el cambio climático con tributos y cargas urbanísticas, y especialmente las soluciones basadas en la naturaleza.

Imagen principal: Integrantes del equipo del Instituto Lincoln y de Aquafondo recorren la zona de amunas, a unos 4.500 metros sobre el nivel del mar. Fuente: Instituto Lincoln de Políticas de Suelo.

President's Message

New Leadership for a Pivotal Moment

A word from Lincoln Institute Chair Kathryn J. Lincoln:

When my father, David C. Lincoln, started the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy in 1974, his purpose was clear. Like my grandfather before him, he believed that fostering a better understanding of urban economics, taxation, and land would “ensure that more people have the same opportunities, whatever their lot in life.” More than 50 years later, the Lincoln Institute remains committed to the goal of improving access to opportunity through land policy. In the early years of our sixth decade, I couldn’t be more pleased that Robert Puentes is taking the helm as our sixth president.

Rob, a veteran urban planner who served most recently as a leader at Brookings Metro and the Eno Center for Transportation, has said that land is in his DNA. I share that sentiment—it would be hard not to, given my roots—and I’m looking forward to working closely with Rob as he joins the Lincoln Institute family. In this, his first President’s Message, he shares his thoughts on why this is a critical moment for the Lincoln Institute, for land policy, and for communities around the world.

I am honored to join the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy as its new president and CEO. The opportunity to lead an institution with such a distinguished legacy of improving land policy education, research, and practice comes at a pivotal moment for communities across the United States and around the world. Local leaders are being asked to do more with less, and the Lincoln Institute’s role as a trusted, nonpartisan resource has never been more essential.

Throughout my career, I have worked at the intersection of land use, infrastructure, and metropolitan development—where communities confront their most consequential challenges. From leading the Brookings Institution’s program on cities and metropolitan areas to serving as president of the Eno Center for Transportation, I have focused on developing data-driven, evidence-based solutions to the problems local leaders prioritize: improved accessibility for all residents, a healthier climate, and a stronger, more equitable economy. These priorities align directly with the Lincoln Institute’s mission to integrate land policy with social justice, economic opportunity, and environmental sustainability.

Land policy shapes how people live their daily lives—how they get to work, find housing, access services, and connect with one another. It determines housing affordability, economic development, environmental health, and climate resilience. As a local planning commissioner in Virginia, I saw firsthand how restrictive zoning perpetuates segregation and limits opportunity, and how fragmented land use decisions deepen climate vulnerability. But I also saw what becomes possible when communities capture the value of land and link land policy with infrastructure investment, housing strategies, and regional planning. This integrated perspective will guide my leadership at the Lincoln Institute, where our work must bridge traditional divides between disciplines and sectors—connecting planners with transportation professionals and water managers, public finance experts with development agencies, and local practitioners with state and regional policymakers—because today’s challenges are too complex to address in isolation.

As I step into this role, I envision several key priorities for the institute moving forward.

First, we must continue to strengthen the evidence base for sound land policy. This means producing rigorous, accessible research that helps practitioners understand what works, why it works, and how to adapt successful approaches to their local contexts. The Lincoln Institute has always been a leader in generating knowledge, and we will build on this foundation by engaging directly with new policy debates—here and abroad—where our expertise can bring rigor and independence to consequential national conversations.

Second, we must expand our role as convener and connector, while meeting practitioners where they are. Innovative solutions emerge when people from different backgrounds and sectors come together, and the Lincoln Institute is uniquely positioned to create spaces—physical and virtual—for practitioners, researchers, policymakers, and community leaders to build lasting partnerships.

Third, we must address equity head-on. Land policy has too often been a tool of exclusion and dispossession. We cannot change this history, but we can ensure today’s land policy decisions create opportunity rather than perpetuate inequality—work that falls increasingly to states, localities, and nonpartisan institutions like the Lincoln Institute. This means centering the experiences and expertise of communities that have been marginalized by past land policies, examining the distributional effects of policy proposals, and supporting practitioners who are working to advance equity in their communities.

Fourth, we must engage more directly with climate change. Land use decisions are fundamental to both mitigation and adaptation—whether that means linking development plans to water demand, enabling transit-oriented growth that cuts vehicle emissions, or implementing nature-based solutions, especially in climate-vulnerable areas. The Lincoln Institute must not only help practitioners navigate this complexity but also help fill the gap, providing the research, tools, and peer networks communities need to act with confidence.

Fifth, we must make sure the field benefits from our transformative partnership with Claremont Lincoln University. Through CLU’s degree programs and the Lincoln Vibrant Communities initiative, this collaboration opens new doors to strengthen the work of practitioners on the ground. We provide more than valuable research insights—we deliver the skills, credentials, and networks needed to drive lasting change. And as we keep evolving our education offerings—expanding digital learning, technical assistance, and peer learning—practitioners will find them increasingly relevant, accessible, and immediately applicable to the work they are already doing.

I recognize the ambitiousness of this agenda and approach this role clear-eyed about both the opportunities and challenges ahead. I am deeply humbled by the trust the Lincoln Institute Board of Directors has placed in me, and I pledge to uphold the highest standards of ethics, fair dealing, and transparency articulated by generations of the Lincoln family in all aspects of my work.

These issues are deeply personal to me. I grew up in a blue-collar family and understand that work is precious—that a job is a critical pathway out of poverty. I was the first in my family to attend college and know firsthand how transformative quality educational opportunities can be. Throughout my life, I have maintained a deep appreciation for place and the enormous importance of how land is used, taxed, and stewarded. These personal experiences inform my conviction that land policy is too important to be left to specialists alone. It affects everyone, and our work must be accessible, actionable, and grounded in the real challenges that communities face every day. I am committed to ensuring that the Lincoln Institute remains a trusted resource for researchers and practitioners, a vital source of knowledge for policymakers, and a catalyst for positive change in communities everywhere.

I look forward to working with the talented staff at the Lincoln Institute and with our extensive network of collaborators and practitioners across the country and around the world. Together, we can advance land policies that build more inclusive, sustainable, and prosperous communities for all.

Robert Puentes is president and CEO of the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy.

Topic: City and Regional Planning