APA NPC ’26 – Detroit – The Aftermath

Once again, the APA National Planning Conference (NPC ’26) turned out great this year! For four days, planning nerds from around the nation (and the world) descended on the Motor City in their desire to fulfill their desires for more planning knowledge.

Detroit as the Venue

For the third straight year, the event has been held in the upper latitudes of the US, hence I was wary of this year’s location. Motown is not typically warm during the month of April. I decided to head to Detroit a couple of days early to take a look around, and the temperatures were fantastic! Downtown Detroit is a lively and interesting destination with pedestrian plazas, numerous murals, and an interesting mix of new and older buildings.

Comerica Park

Part of the reason that I went early was to catch a Tigers baseball game. The Tigers have always been one of my second-tier favorites, and I wanted to see Comerica Park. The park didn’t disappoint, and neither did my tickets! A good game ended in another win for what used to be Sparky’s team.

Although Comerica Park was great in itself. I also got to see the first of a few small parks on my walk back to the hotel that night. Each of the plazas has a different look, including this one, Harmonie Park. Amongst the vine-covered trees, the stone walls, and a variety of seating types is a mix of lighting types that add ambiance at night.

Numerous Splines of Parks

Downtown Detroit has a mix of node and linear parks lined in splines that connect different areas amongst the high-rise development around them. Although there are plenty more parks in the downtown area, I was able to visit Campus Martius Park, Cadillac Square Park, and Esplanade on Woodward Avenue while I was in town. As with Harmonie Park, each park in Downtown Detroit offers a different set of amenities, giving each its own unique placemaking scheme.

Detroit River Front

Detroit’s 5.5-mile revitalized waterfront spans from the Ambassador Bridge to Belle Isle. It has been voted the best riverfront in the United States multiple times. So I was quite excited to check it out when I was there. Unfortunately, I only made it a mile before my leg started to give out on me. Provided below are some pictures of the experience, many of the areas will look much better during the summer months.

I’m a Foodie, of Course I’m Going to Talk About Food!

As with every year, part of my excitement with NPC is the food. A new city each year brings with it new restaurants to try. This year was no different.

Of course, I found a few pubs that filled my hankering for fish and chips as well as a shepherd’s pie (as I do each year). I don’t think it’s a coincidence that The Three Legged Goat had the best fish and chips, it just makes sense. But the best food I had at a pub while I was there was at Grand Trunk Pub. After one of the better pub burgers I had in a while, I went back for more. The second time around, I grabbed the Eggs Benedict. The dish was smothered in such a light and creamy Hollandaise sauce that it took considerable restraint not to lick the plate clean!

We also visited two pizza joints in town. Supino Pizzeria, a former stop for Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, served good New York-style pizza. But the best in my eyes was Buddy’s Detroit-style pizza. I could go back to Buddy’s again and again!

The Conference Itself

APA CEO Joel Albizo (@JoelAlbizo), APA Board President Sue Schwartz, and the Mayor of Detroit, Mary Scheffield (@MsMarySheffield) welcomed everyone to the event. Sue, who spoke in 2025 at the Nebraska Planning Conference, welcomed everyone with her typical infectious energy. However, the Mayor stole the show in her statement, “What makes this conference so powerful is that it’s not just about ideas but also action and implementation.” That definitely stirred the souls of many of the planners who were in the audience.

The opening keynote was Jaz Ampaw-Farr, a multi-award-winning inspirational speaker and one of the top female motivational speakers in the UK. Jaz shared her challenging and often brutal childhood with those in attendance, but also used honesty and humor to empower people to think differently about leading and empowering change.

Here’s a short video of her speaking on TEDx:

Rural Planning at NPC

As mentioned in my pre-conference post on NPC ’26, there were a number of sessions that piqued my interest from a rural mindset.

Data Centers and AI

This year, it seemed as though half of the sessions had to deal with data centers of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Both technological issues are having quite an impact on the planning and zoning world in various ways.

For data centers, the topic involved allowing for their development while limiting the negative impacts. Considerations of zoning text amendments and development agreements were discussed quite a bit. One community discussed five different changes that they had implemented in their zoning ordinance and comprehensive plan over the years as they have adjusted to the rapidly changing landscape of data center development.

The topic of AI was rampant throughout many of the sessions. Even in the sessions where it wasn’t a central part of the main topic. From adjusting to autonomous vehicles to gathering public input to streamlining the permitting process, AI was an integral part of many of the presentations. There was even a session on ethics-related aspects tied to AI, something that makes one’s mind wander about how it can be misused in a government-related environment.

Regionalism

One of the sessions that I really enjoyed was about regionalism in rural areas. Entitled “New Ruralism: Town and County Collaboration in Planning”, the session discussed how Shenandoah County, Virginia, and the communities within it are working together on a variety of planning-related projects.

On top of the projects that they’ve been collaborating on, the presenters discussed the various ways they keep up the relationships between the governments. They hold a monthly town manager / county administration breakfast. There are also monthly planning coffee/lunch gatherings. It appears to be a highly cooperative arrangement between these entities that should be a foundation for others to strive to be like.

My Disdain with Placemaking Sessions

One topic that frustrated me during the conference was “placemaking”. Presenters are putting that word in presentation titles without restraint. Yet the presentation topics are turning out to be more about general economic development or redevelopment, with little if any consideration or discussion of actual placemaking. It makes me want to get up and thumb my nose at them as I walk out!

There, I’ll step down off my soapbox now.

A Wigged Judge on a Curb

Yeah, you read that right.

By far the most entertaining session of the entire conference was “Curb Court: Trials of the Right-of-Way”. The session involved one witty “judge” with a powdered wig on, as well as four other “cast members” playing various parts. As worded in the session description, it involved:

“Two cases, grounded in real-world examples and data-driven insights, incite a lively debate featuring curbside users arguing about various curb-space needs ranging from micromobility, loading zones, paid parking, bike lanes and ride-share pickups. Industry leaders serving as judge, prosecution, and defense, present compelling and nuanced arguments to advocate for their respective positions. Participants act as jurors, engaging in discussion, deliberation, and consensus-building to determine an equitable and effective verdict.“

What was delivered was an enjoyable learning experience laced with comical one-liners and puns. One of my favorite sessions.

Wrapping Up NPC

Finishing out the conference, attendees were able to listen to John Register. John’s speech hit me a little differently than past keynotes. John’s story is related to the loss of his left leg. It focused on his post-amputation journey and how he “hurdled” adversity. As a fellow amputee, his speech spoke volumes to me and made me reflect on my own journey.

Here’s a brief video about John Register:

In Summary

Detroit was much better than I thought it would be. We’ve all heard of the bankruptcy, the massive areas of disinvestment and demolition, and the loss of affordable housing. But downtown Detroit was vibrant, with more improvements under construction. Comerica Park and the Detroit Riverfront were great. Overall, it was a pretty good venue for a conference of 4,700 planning geeks. Check out the Rural Resurrection Instagram account for more pictures from this year’s NPC.

As usual, I’m already looking forward to next year’s conference. In the spring of 2027, Houston residents will have to get used to the hordes of planning nerds trouncing through their community as well. Look out, Space City, here we come!