Youth Engagement in Planning at the APA Conference

Every year, the American Planning Association's national planning conference includes sessions on getting youth involved in planning. In Minneapolis, April 25-29, 2009, a special track of sessions is devoted to the topic.

Youth Voices and the Future of Planning (S494)
Sunday, 2:30 p.m. to 3:45 p.m.
Young people are making choices, taking action, and educating others on issues vital to their future. Hear case studies, including the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning Future Leaders in Planning programs. Students apply the principles of coordinated planning and governance while exploring transportation and other topics. CMAP and other organizations empower students, enhance their career opportunities, and often provide community service credit hours.

Developing Global Citizens (S532)
Monday, 3:00 p.m. to 4:15 p.m.
Hear how young people are creating a shared vision for our common future through specific actions that reflect a commitment to the values and ethics that govern human conduct on the planet. The aim is a more sustainable future. The platform is personal and collective responsibility in an interdependent world.

Teaching Children Design through Collaboration (S559)
Monday, 4:30 p.m. to 5:45 p.m.
As perceptions of both the impact of humans on the environment and the built environment on human experience shift, children need to understand design. SiteLines Education and AIA Minnesota’s Architecture in the Schools Committee are partnering on initiatives to introduce design as a tool in creating healthy communities to future generations.

Involving Students in Transportation Planning (S586)
Tuesday, 10:30 a.m. to 11:45 a.m.
Engaging middle and high school students in a planning process educates the next generation of users and managers. Explore student programs for a scenic byway in the Navajo Nation; NJDOT’s 2030 Long Range Transportation Plan; and a light rail project in Aurora, Colorado. Discover tools to energize students and cultivate school partners.

Youth as Community Board Members (S609)
Tuesday, 2:30 p.m. to 3:45 p.m.
Getting youth involved in planning takes many forms. Some planners engage students in classrooms; others seek input on specific issues. Why not try something different? Discover how several communities created longer term opportunities by appointing students as active members of town boards.

Learn more about APA's National Planning Conference at www.planning.org/nationalconference.