Lincoln Institute at the 2026 National Planning Conference

Experts from the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy will lead and participate in discussions about planning for data centers, equitably addressing climate change, leveraging scenario planning, and more at the American Planning Association’s National Planning Conference from April 25 to April 28 in Detroit, Michigan.

In late May, Lincoln Institute researchers will present an additional set of online sessions in the virtual portion of the conference. 

Learn more about the in-person and online sessions featuring Lincoln Institute programs below. 

SATURDAY, APRIL 25

11:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m. ET  | The 2026 Trend Report: Emerging Trends and Signals (HPCC, Room 310AB)

We live in a world characterized by accelerating change and increased uncertainty. Planners are tasked with helping their communities navigate these changes and provide guidance on preparing for an uncertain future. However, conventional planning practices often fail to adequately consider the future, even while planning for it. Most plans reflect past data and current assumptions but do not account for trends emerging on the horizon. 

To create resilient and equitable plans for the future, planners need to incorporate foresight into their work. This presentation outlines emerging trends that will be vital for planners to consider and introduces strategies for making sense of the future while practicing foresight in community planning. By embracing foresight, planners can effectively guide change, foster more sustainable and equitable outcomes, and position themselves as critical contributors to thriving communities. The practice of foresight is imperative for equipping communities for what lies ahead. 

Moderator and Speaker: Ievgeniia Dulko, American Planning Association

Speakers:

• Petra Hurtado, PhD, American Planning Association
• Senna Catenacci, American Planning Association
• Joseph DeAngelis, AICP, American Planning Association

SUNDAY, APRIL 26

10:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m. ET | Planning with Foresight (Room 250A-C)

Futures literacy is becoming increasingly important in planning. It is the skill that allows people to better understand the role the future plays in what they see and do. This involves imagining multiple plausible futures, incorporating future scenarios into our work, and planning with foresight.  

This interactive learning experience, presented in a learning lab format, focuses on applying strategic foresight in planning and serves as an essential learning lab for individuals dedicated to shaping a better future for their community.  

Moderator and Speaker: Ievgeniia Dulko, American Planning Association

Speakers:

• Petra Hurtado, PhD, American Planning Association
• Senna Catenacci, American Planning Association
• Heather Sauceda Hannon, AICP, Lincoln Institute of Land Policy

1:00 p.m.–1:45 p.m. ET | Leading Cities Through Change—Mayors Panel (Room 420AB)

Local leaders will discuss innovations in planning, affordable housing, climate resilience, and public finance in the context of a rapidly changing political environment.  

Moderator and Speaker: Anthony Flint, Lincoln Institute of Land Policy

Speakers: 

• Mayor Sheldon Neely, City of Flint
• Mayor Christopher Taylor, City of Ann Arbor
• Mayor David LaGrand, City of Grand Rapids

1:00 p.m.–1:45 p.m. ET | When the Cloud Drops—Planning for Data Centers (Room 410AB)

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.  

Moderator and Speaker: Mary Ann Dickinson, Lincoln Institute of Land Policy

Speakers: 

• Kyle Mucha 
• Manny Patole
• Brett Gracely  

2:00 p.m.–2:45 p.m. ET | Equitable Urban Planning for a Changing Climate (Room 410AB)

This presentation offers actionable strategies to help planners advance equitable policies that simultaneously address climate change, housing affordability, and economic inequality. A new Lincoln Institute Policy Focus Report, Planning in a Polycrisis, synthesizes responses from surveys of professional planners and policymakers working in cities across North America. It highlights emerging innovations and the trade-offs in effectively integrating these considerations into their work. Other constraints are caused by shifting political landscapes, limited funding, and deepening social vulnerabilities. However, these planners’ work also advances integrated, equity-driven urban climate planning, and their innovations form a framework for cities to move from ad hoc responses toward a long-term equitable climate urbanism.  

The report’s authors and practicing planners explore practical strategies to address the barriers and trade-offs cities face. The conversation sheds light on how climate and housing planning can co-adapt to counter rising socioeconomic vulnerability, with a focus on the most recent shifts in practice. Showcasing these examples aims to empower city leaders with specific recommendations and strategies for advancing a model of climate urbanism that responds to the demands of a polycrisis.  

Moderator and Speaker: Amy Cotter, Lincoln Institute of Land Policy

Speakers: 

• Eleanor Sharpe 
• Emilia Oscilowicz 
• Adam Lyons  

THURSDAY, MAY 28 (VIRTUAL)

1:30 p.m. – 2:15 p.m. ET | Navigating Uncertainty—Using Strategic Foresight for Action-Oriented Planning (Channel 2)

Planners are fielding more “what-if” questions than ever as residents and local officials cope with increasing uncertainty and rapid change. Scenario planning is a systematic approach to answering these questions and kickstarting conversations with stakeholders about possible futures and their implications for today’s better decisions. These foresight tools can help planners create more flexible, resilient strategies to achieve local goals, come what may.  

 This presentation highlights how the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP) is using horizon scanning and exploratory scenario planning to define a long-term vision (the Century Plan) in a large, complex metropolitan region composed of seven counties, 284 municipalities, and 8.5 million residents. CMAP is considering drivers of change and an understanding of regional systems—including transportation, natural resources, and the economy—to explore the grand challenges and strategic responses that should define the region’s next era. Presenters explore how these tools are bringing foresight into planning and discussions for bold regional action. Learn how CMAP engaged with elected leaders and other planners, and how you can use resources from state and regional agencies to encourage local officials to shift to a horizon-based mindset.  

Moderator and Speaker: Heather Sauceda Hannon, AICP, Lincoln Institute of Land Policy

Speakers: 

• Elizabeth Ginsberg 
• Austen Edwards

2:30 p.m. – 3:15 p.m. ET | Exploratory Scenario Planning for Brazil’s Public Lands (Channel 1)

Brazil’s Secretariat for Federal Assets (SPU), an agency within the Ministry of Management and Innovation in Public Services (MIG), collaborated with the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy to apply exploratory scenario planning (XSP) to federal land policy. The work supports the Imóvel da Gente (Property of the People) program, which positions federal land as a strategic asset for socioenvironmental development.  

Attendees will learn how futures thinking can be integrated into national policy frameworks with practical methods for designing participatory scenario planning processes in complex governance settings. The session will present strategies for engaging multiple agencies, fostering collaboration among jurisdictions, and embedding equity goals into long-term planning.  

Through the case of Brazil’s first XSP initiative, participants will explore tools for identifying drivers of change, developing plausible future scenarios, and translating scenario outcomes into actionable strategies. These approaches can help planners address uncertainty, adapt to shifting conditions, and create policies that are resilient and inclusive.  

The session emphasizes how collaborative, futures-oriented methods can strengthen institutional capacity, broaden participation, and ensure that land use policies serve diverse community needs. Attendees will leave with transferable strategies to support equitable, future-ready planning in their contexts.  

Moderator and Speaker: Daniela Faria, Lincoln Institute of Land Policy

Speakers: 

• Heather Sauceda Hannon, AICP, Lincoln Institute of Land Policy

3:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. ET | State Preemption for Housing—Benefit or Bane? (Channel 1)

Increasingly, states are taking legislative action to preempt planning and zoning decisions by local governments. Sometimes this can pave the way for important planning initiatives, but it can also prevent cities from achieving their goals. Hear a national land use law expert and planning directors from across the country discuss how state preemption is affecting local planning—for better and for worse.  

Moderator and Speaker: Heather Sauceda Hannon, AICP, Lincoln Institute of Land Policy

Speakers: 

• Andreea D. Udrea 
• Lucy Kempf 
• Meagan McMahan

FRIDAY, MAY 29 (VIRTUAL) 

12:30 p.m.–1:15 p.m. ET | Integrated Resource Planning—Where Land Meets Water (Channel 1)

Pick up a range of perspectives and tools, including foundational context, local examples, and strategies using various planning frameworks, to advance the integration of land and water planning. Presenters bring a wealth of experience at multiple planning scales and contexts, both governmental and nongovernmental. 

Moderator and Speaker: William E. Cesanek, AICP, CDM Smith

Speakers:

• Steve Epting
• Rachael Belisle-Toler
• Adam Schempp
• Mary Ann Dickinson, Lincoln Institute of Land Policy

Catherine Benedict is the senior digital communications manager at the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy.

Lead Photo: The skyline of downtown Detroit, where the 2026 National Planning Conference will take place. Photo Credit: Vadym Terelyuk via iStock / Getty Images Plus.