Planner Profile: Meet Sarah Lucas, FAICP
Planner Profile is a series spotlighting the unique experiences of our peers who are making a difference in the profession and at APA.
Sarah Lucas, FAICP, is the director of the Michigan Office of Rural Prosperity and a member of the American Planning Association's (APA) Small Town and Rural (STaR) Planning Division. Lucas lives in Traverse City, Michigan.
How did you discover planning as a profession?
Sarah Lucas, FAICP. Photo courtesy of Sarah Lucas.
As a college freshman, I took a cultural geography class that featured the book The Interpretation of Ordinary Landscapes, which really spoke to my lived understanding of place as one of the most important forces of our lives. I grew up as the fifth generation on a family farm and had been shaped by the history of my home and community. In college, far from home, I was discovering Detroit's turbulent, fascinating history, its unique everyday life, its beautiful architecture and cultural gems, and the tremendous challenges and opportunities it faced in the '90s.
The class and its readings helped me see and articulate the connections between culture, policy, and place that surround us everywhere we go, whether we're aware of it or not. "What job can I do that is ... this?" I asked the professor. "Well, I guess you could be a planner," he answered. At the risk of dramatically oversimplifying the next 25-plus years of my life, here I am.
What aspect of your work have you found most fulfilling?
I love working with and supporting people who are trying to make their communities better: planners, city and village managers, and other community leaders. So often, they have such few resources and are managing a wildly complicated web of external forces. At the same time, they're under relentless scrutiny and are the target of heated, often personal criticism. The work can be thankless, and it may take decades for it to pay off. Yet, they carry on, knowing they may not be recognized for what they've done to make the world a better place. I find it noble and inspiring.
If you could invent any tool to make your job easier, what would that be?
A crystal ball. ;)
Also, is there a way to un-invent a tool? Planning and public administration would be easier without Facebook comments.
What's your favorite third space?
The waterfront park, beach, and marina near my house is a busy meeting ground for tourists and locals of all ages in every season but winter. It hosts festivals, dance parties, family reunions, kayaking rentals, a splash pad, playground, bike trails, concessions, dog walkers, dates, and high school meetups, just to name a few. It's great for swimming and even better for people watching. Sometimes, I'll go with a book and get so distracted by everything that I'll forget to read.
If you could create the perfect town, what would that look like?
I love where I live in Traverse City, Michigan. It's vibrant, beautiful, safe, friendly, and has lots of access to water, trails, nature, and cultural amenities. I would take that recipe and add a lot more affordable housing, transportation alternatives, and basic commercial services for locals near the downtown to make it accessible and welcoming to all. It would be much improved with more diversity, year-round residents, and families, many of whom are priced out due to the highly seasonal housing market. It could also use a lot more sunshine. :)
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