OCS Conference Funding Submission

Event Photo:

Panel on Planning for Multigenerational Living + Resilient Communities

Name: Jackie Bein

Degree Program: MASTER OF URBAN PLANNING

Specialization: MUP-City and Community Planning

Conference Host Organization/Institution: American Planning Association

Conference/Competition Name: National Planning Conference

Conference Term: Spring Conference Start Date: 2021-05-05 Conference End Date: 2021-05-07

What were your takeaways from this conference/case competition?
There were so many great sessions as part of this conference. I was particularly interested in a session on planning for multigenerational communities, which highlighted a global interview project to understand how different cultures approach multigenerational living and how planning practices such as zoning regulation can better support these households.

How will your participation in this conference/case competition support your professional development?
The conference exposed me to many types of careers within the urban planning field that I didn't know about. It was also great to hear from planners from a mix of private, nonprofit, and government sectors and see the similarities and differences across their work. I also learned about a variety of different softwares that planners are increasingly using that I hadn't heard of, and about new features of softwares I am more familiar with, such as Esri.

What are some next steps or action items this conference/case competition inspired?
The conference inspired me to learn more about planning practices and innovations in other areas across the US that I’m not as familiar with. Most of my prior experience and coursework at Wagner has focused on the New York City area, and hearing from speakers and attendees from all over the country reminded me why I love planning and how much there is to learn from different geographies.

What are some tips or best practices that you would like to share with other Wagner students who attend a conference/case competition?
Review the conference schedule beforehand and choose the sessions you want to attend carefully. Especially in an online format, a multi-day conference can be information overload at times, so definitely know which sessions to prioritize and give your full attention so you get the most out of it rather than feeling pressure to attend every session.

Wagner Areas of Impact: Cities, Government, Housing, Inequality, Race, and Poverty, Transportation