2024 MPCA / APA MD Conference Registration Now Open!

The wait is over! You can now register yourself, your staff, or your planning board members for the joint MPCA / APA MD conference, Two Tracks One Destination, at the Turf Valley Resort in Ellicott City on October 20-22. 

The MPCA and APA MD are offering an early bird discount of $20 off the professional rate and $10 off the student rate) to all who register before midnight on September 20.

The Maryland Planning Commissioners Association (MPCA) and the American Planning Association Maryland Chapter (APA MD) are hosting this first-of-its kind joint conference over two and a-half days. American Planning Association Maryland Chapter (APA MD) are hosting this first-of-its kind joint conference over two and a-half days.

With the multiple challenges of climate change, the affordable housing crisis, and the concurrent – and sometimes competing – needs of sustainable development and economic growth facing Maryland and the country, this conference could not be more timely.

Gray background with 4 golf related images including a gold ball, putter and ball, shoes, and a woman taking a swing. Text: golf anyone? Date: Sunday, October 30. Tee time 7:30am (Finishing 12pm). Contact: ronbeattie@gmail.com

CONFERENCE SESSIONS: This conference will feature more than 40 sessions (and a chance to golf for those duffers amongst us!) and promises to be an outstanding network and educational opportunity for professional and citizen planners alike. 

Throughout the conference, experts in their fields will be sharing best practices, insights, and lessons learned on topics such as equity in the planning process and within our communities, sustainable planning practices, the importance of community engagement, hazard mitigation strategies, transportation planning trends, and affordable housing challenges.

These are just a few of the compelling and highly instructive presentation topics available at this year’s MPCA / APA MD conference! The MPCA and APA MD will be sharing updates on the conference program and speakers over the next few months.

Here is a small sampling of the many engaging sessions lined up for this year's conference:

• Balancing Conflicting Priorities

• Planning for Common Ground through Brownfields 

• Planning Accessibility: Solving Challenges  

• Cultivating Happier Citizens Through the Planning Process 

• Building a Better Maryland; The Bottom-Up Approach 

• How to Work with Your Local Indian Tribe 

• On Track Towards a More Sustainable Maryland: Promoting Transit-Oriented Development along the MARC Penn Line 

...not to mention some exciting 15-min lightning round sessions on topics including:

• Joy and Lamentations: Emptying Houses of Worship

• Strong Codes for Small and Rural Communities – How the Maryland Zoning Check-Up Can Help

• Top Sex Reasons to Spell Check Your Pubic Documents (yes, you read that right) 

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HOTEL REGISTRATION: Take advantage of all the conference has to offer by booking a room at the Turf Valley Resort! We have secured a block of rooms at a discounted price, valid until September 20, 2024. Make sure to take advantage of all the conference has to offer by booking a room at the Turf Valley Resort! We have secured a block of rooms at a discounted price, valid until September 20, 2024.

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SPONSORSHIPS: While some of the special offerings have been taken, some terrific opportunities for conference sponsorships including unique company branding ideas are still available. You can learn more on the conference webpage and by accessing e Conference Sponsorship Package and Sponsorship Form. 

Sponsors will have ample opportunities to engage with planners from Maryland and the Mid-Atlantic region, including access to conference offerings, depending on sponsorship amount. Sponsors will also be included in digital conference communications and materials. 

Sponsorships go a long way in helping these important volunteer-based organizations expand their educational and assistance offerings to Maryland’s planners year-round. Learn more about sponsorship opportunities in the links above.  

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The MPCA and APA MD are looking forward to joining everyone at the Turf Valley Resort and sharing best practices, networking, and enthusiasm for the next generation of planning in Maryland! Please submit any registration questions or inquiries about becoming a sponsor to contact@apamaryland.org. 

Site Visit and Networking Opportunity!

Join us to discover the proposed enhancement in the Wilmington Area Planning Council’s East Elkton Plan!

Fields of Progress: Cultivating Success for Agricultural Expansion

Join the Maryland Chapter of the American Planning Association (APA Maryland) on Thursday, May 23, as four experts examine the ever-changing nature of agriculture and agritourism in Southern Maryland.

This day-long session will look at the evolving landscape and significance of agriculture and agritourism in the region, examine activities that go beyond the traditional farming of crops and cattle, and explore county and state regulations that affect growth in these sectors.

The event begins at 9 a.m. and runs through 4 p.m. at Fridays Creek Winery, 3845 Chaneyville Road, in Owings, MD.  A wine tasting will be held at 4 p.m. The event begins at 9 a.m. and runs through 4 p.m. at Fridays Creek Winery, 3845 Chaneyville Road, in Owings, MD. A wine tasting will be held at 4 p.m. Following the conference, participants can participate in an optional wine tasting for an additional $10 (this will be paid at the event).

Speakers include:

Ron Marney, AICP, CFM, Calvert County Environmental Planning Regulator, who will discuss how to align proposed uses for farms and agritourism activities with county and state regulations.

Craig Sewell, Program Director, Southern Maryland Agricultural Development Commission, who will discuss the support the Commission provides for farmers and producers to support the sustainability of agriculture.

Bernie Fowler, Founder of Farming 4 Hunger, Inc., who will explain how the program, rooted in southern Maryland, has expanded its reach beyond state and national borders. By collaborating with farmers and communities, this initiative goes beyond food provision, by emphasizing the importance of coming together to address broader needs beyond hunger relief.

Rich Cleary, co-owner of Fridays Creek Winery, will explain his company’s efforts to transition from traditional farming to cultivating grapes while working to foster a sense of community by establishing a welcoming space. This endeavor has required adapting to new agricultural practices, mastering the art of winemaking, and navigating regulatory hurdles.

Four AICP CM credits are available for session participants.

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2024 APA MD & MPCA Joint Conference: Call for Session Proposals

Submit Session

Proposals Today!

Deadline to Submit: May 31, 2024

The Maryland Chapter of the American Planning Association (APA MD) and the Maryland Planning Commissioners Association (MPCA) announce a Call for Session Proposals for the 2024 joint planning conference, to be held October 20 through 22 at the Turf Valley Resort in Ellicott City, Maryland.  

Across the state, citizen planning boards work with professional practitioners and state and local planning departments to tackle 21st century planning challenges and to implement change. This year, APA MD and the MPCA have joined forces to celebrate the collaborative work of citizen and professional planners over the course of this two-and-a-half-day event. 

We hope you will be inspired by this year’s theme:

Two Tracks, One Destination: Citizen and Professional Planners Working Together to Shape Sustainable Development Across Maryland

We aim to address current issues, trends, challenges, and solutions that are shaping the work of professional and citizen planners, and we need YOU to make that happen. Attendees will include planning commissioners, board of zoning appeals members, historic district commissioners, professional planners, Maryland county and municipal staff, and planning students.  

We encourage you to propose new ideas, new presentation formats, solutions, tools, interactive sessions, and mobile workshops that engage our state and/or the Howard County landscape.  

Submissions should identify a presentation team (one to five people), focus on a topic that expands on this year’s theme, be formatted for either 15 minutes, 45 minutes, or 1.5 hours, and propose an engaging presentation.  

We also invite participants to consider presenting our Lightning Round sessions, where they join others in a fast-paced series of entertaining 15-minute mini-presentations. Note that the 15-minute Lightning Round proposals will be combined with other Lightning Round proposals into a session of 90 minutes (15 minutes per speaker/topic, 5 speakers maximum). 

Download full document for more information.

Visit Website for more Conference Information

Save the Dates! APA MD and MPCA to Host First Collaborative Conference in Ellicott City October 20 – 22, 2024

“Two Tracks, One Destination”

Citizen and Professional Planners Working together to Shape Sustainable Development Across Maryland

Tackling challenging, but promising, 21st-century issues requires collaboration between engaged citizen planning boards and local planning departments. It takes an “all hands on board” approach to fuel sustainable development, creating vibrant places while protecting Maryland’s natural resources and supporting a healthy economy.

To further this venture, the Maryland Chapter of the American Planning Association (APA MD) the Maryland Planning Commissioners Association (MPCA) and will hold a combined conference in 2024 at Turf Valley Resort in Ellicott City.

Over two and a half days, this conference will feature required training sessions and workshops on topics of interest to members of each organization as well as workshops and plenary sessions of importance to both. Additionally, tours of nearby Columbia and Historic Ellicott City are in the works

Be sure to visit the APA MD and MPCA websites for more information and look for updates and announcements right here in the “MPCA Corner.” (Subscribe today to have Planning Practice Monthly delivered to your inbox and never miss important planning news. Subscribe to receive APA MD updates)

APA MD is committed to advancing the planning profession and supporting its members across the state. Its mission is to foster collaboration, provide education, and recognize excellence within the planning community. Through effective communication, inclusive programming, and opportunities for professional growth, APA MD strives to empower planners at all stages of their careers. By promoting certification, facilitating networking, and celebrating achievements, the organization aims to attract and retain members while securing vital sponsorship to sustain its initiatives.

The MPCA is a statewide, nonprofit educational organization of municipal, county, and regional planning commissioners, and boards of zoning appeals members. It is dedicated to the continuing education and professionalism of its members, supporting improved efficiency and effectiveness of local planning boards and commissions. MPCA’s members work to improve the quality of life for all Marylanders through planning, environmental protection, historic preservation, and growth management.

NPC23 Conference Highlights from University of Maryland Community Planning Students

Students Pictured Left to Right: Sam Gordon, Maura Dwyer, Salma Haoudi, Angela Brooks, Alanna Anderson, Pamela Owusu Nkwantabisah, Dominique Gebru, Hoang Edullantes

During this years’ NPC23 annual conference, eight students from the University of Maryland’s Masters Program in Urban Studies and Community Planning attended the in-person conference on the weekend of April 1 - 2nd. 

Below are a few highlights and photos to document our time. Overall, it was a great opportunity to connect with planning professionals across the country, learn more about potential job pathways in planning, and understand where our academic studies and personal interests intersect with the real-world planning issues. 

Several students appreciated the tours of the area on the first and second day. As a place-based profession, it’s only appropriate that the National Planning Conference (NPC) featured sessions in and about the host city of Philadelphia! 

Highlights:

Second year Community Planning student Dominique Gebru noted, “Before starting my MCP, I spent more than five years working in communications for the federal government. My favorite sessions at NPC helped me see the ample opportunities there are to tie in my past career with my next one in the planning space, as well as how necessary storytelling is in the planning process.” 

Second year Community Planning student Pamela Owusu Nkwantabisah shared that one of her highlights was a session on leadership specifically about mentoring women leaders and women in minority groups within the planning field, “considering that Black, female, professional planners make up only 3% of the field. The speakers and participants alike shared how to identify individuals with potential and ways” to support their growth. 

First year Community Planning student Maura Dwyer appreciated the emphasis on professional development with a student’s perspective in mind. She was able to take advantage of the free headshot service, attend multiple workplace culture info sessions that compared working in the public and private sector of planning, and spoke with Program Coordinators of internship positions she’ll be applying for next year. “My background is primarily in non-profit arts administration and cultural planning, so it was helpful to hear details about what it might be like to work for a private consulting firm or public agency from those currently in the field.”

During lunch and evenings, we found nearby Chinese and Vietnamese restaurants in Philadelphia’s bustling Chinatown community and visited the renowned Reading Terminal for the best sandwiches and coffee in Philadelphia more than once! 

We ended the weekend with Urban Studies and Planning alumni and current students during a celebratory reunion on Sunday evening at the Caribou Café in Philadelphia. It was a great reminder that conference presenters and alumni are our future colleagues, and we will continue to learn about new tools and strategies together to sharpen our skillset and impact.

Sarah Diehl Appointed as New Chapter Secretary

On November 15, 2019, the APA Maryland Board voted to appoint Sarah Diehl to fill the remainder of the term of Board Secretary to replace Holly Tompkins, who unfortunately needed to step down for personal reasons. Sarah will serve as one of the 11 voting members of the APA Board until December 31, 2020.

Sarah currently works at JMT where she is an urban planner and landscape designer. She enjoys focusing on multi-modal transportation planning efforts and streetscape design projects. She is experienced in transportation planning, research techniques, GIS data analysis, technical writing, public meeting facilitation, and graphic design and holds a bachelor’s degree in landscape architecture and a master’s degree in urban/regional planning. She recently served on the MD APA 2019 Conference Committee and was instrumental in planning and executing our successful fall conference at Rocky Gap, Maryland. Outside of the office, Sarah enjoys reading, cooking, taking on DIY projects, and traveling with friends and family. She is currently working towards her AICP certification.

APA Maryland welcomes Sarah aboard, and wishes Holly good luck in all of her future endeavors. If you are interested in volunteering with APA Maryland, send us an email at contact@apamaryland.org and let us know how you would like to become involved.