Search
Member Login

Planner's Pick: August 2026

Each month, we're featuring standout planning-related content - books, podcasts, films, and more. Got a favorite? Send it our way for next month’s picks!

Listen:

Talking Headways: A Streetsblog Podcast, Episode 587, "Dangerous by Design" (July 23, 2026) 

Host Jeff Wood sits down with Steve Davis of Smart Growth America to unpack the latest edition of Dangerous by Design, the annual report on pedestrian traffic deaths in the U.S. They dig into where the numbers stand, how the data gets collected and told as a story, and the big unanswered question of how we create real consequences for states that keep underperforming on safety. Essential listening for anyone working on Complete Streets, corridor safety, or Safe Streets and Roads for All action plans. 

Listen: Talking Headways Episode 587

Read:

Planning Magazine, "As Robotaxis Arrive, Cities Face a New Transportation Challenge" (July 16, 2026)

Robotaxis have moved from pilot novelty to on-street reality, and this Innovations piece looks at what that shift means for curb management, safety, and the way planners write policy for a technology that is already here. A timely read for anyone thinking about how emerging mobility fits into corridor studies and multimodal planning. Also worth a scroll this month from the same section, a look at corporate homeownership and the online engagement fraud alert that has been making the rounds.

Watch:

Planning Webcast Series, upcoming August live sessions (Fridays and one Thursday, 1:00 to 2:30 PM ET, 1.5 AICP CM each) 

Two August sessions carry the Sustainability and Resilience credit that many of us still need before the reporting deadline. The August 7 webcast is co-hosted by the APA Smart Cities Interest Group and the Water and Planning Network (1.0 SR), and August 20 (a Thursday) is hosted by the Water and Planning Network (1.0 SR). Both are free for members of participating chapters and worth a calendar hold if you are working on stormwater, drainage, or climate elements. An August 28 session hosted by the LGBTQ and Planning and Hazard Mitigation and Disaster Recovery Divisions rounds out the month. Watch on demand now: The"Behind the Cloud: Planning for Data Centers" session (APA Technology Division, 1.5 CM) is especially topical, including a case study on how a community plans for a facility the scale of the Microsoft data centers in Mount Pleasant, WI, a project that breaks every metric in a standard code. 

Register or watch: APAOH Planning Webcast Series

Bonus:

MRSC Comprehensive Planning update + Commerce 2027 Periodic Update resources

MRSC has refreshed its Comprehensive Planning page to flag new 2026 legislation that is now in effect. Highlights include HB 1974 (effective June 11, 2026), which lets a city or county authorize a public corporation, housing authority, or nonprofit to establish a land bank, and SB 6062, which limits local restrictions on residential development in commercial and mixed-use zones and preempts conflicting local regulations after December 10, 2027. Pair that with Commerce's Periodic Update page, where the 2027 workshop series recordings (kickoff, transportation, critical areas, tribal participation, environmental justice, and public engagement) are all posted. Useful groundwork for anyone scoping the 2027 update or revising development regulations this summer. 

Skim: MRSC Comprehensive Planning and Commerce Periodic Update