Amidst global wars, the inevitable and forthcoming climate catastrophes, an ongoing and ever changing economic crisis, we must ask ourselves what is the future of planning? What are we planning for? For whom? This webinar seeks to answer these questions and problematize the role of the urban planner as we prepare for uncertain futures.
This installment of the webinar series brought together:
Rachel Hatch serves as Chief Operating Officer of Institute for the Future, whose mission is to help organizations, communities, and leaders become future-ready. For more than 55 years, IFTF has pursued a vision of a world that systematically harnesses futures thinking to steer toward more equitable and sustainable societies. Community-based foresight is a passion area for Rachel, including current research on how people living with low-income are facing climate futures first, as an input to the state’s 5th Climate Assessment. In 2024, Rachel has launched IFTF’s Future-Ready Regions Fellowship program, and has recently led projects on the future of affordable housing with Neighbor Works, future of land use with 1000 Friends of Oregon, and future of community colleges with Frederick Community College.
Angela Brooks is the Director of the Illinois office of the Corporation for Supportive Housing. She currently serves on the Chicago Board of Zoning Appeals, the Illinois Affordable Housing Advisory Commission, and is co-chair of the national Housing Supply Accelerator helping communities meet the housing needs of residents. Brooks is a native of Seattle and a graduate of Jackson State University, where she received her Bachelor of Arts in Urban Studies, and the University of New Orleans, where she received a Master of Urban And Regional Planning. An active member of APA since graduate school, Brooks has held numerous leadership positions in the Housing and Community Development Division, Planning and the Black Community Division, Diversity Task Force, Washington Chapter, and co-chair of the Housing Policy Guide. She is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. and The Links, Incorporated.
Connie Razza is the Executive Director of Social and Economic Justice Leaders Project (SEJ), a movement utility that provides progressive leaders space to plan along a longer time horizon that they otherwise are able to, to prepare to meet conditions beyond our control, and to practice responding to crisis and opportunity across organizational lines. Before joining SEJ, Connie built the strategic research department and served as chief of campaigns at the Center for Popular Democracy. She also served as the vice president of policy & research at Demos, a senior policy analyst for health issues at the New York City Council, and a union organizer and strategic research campaigner.
Jose Richard Aviles (Moderator) is a Transportation Analyst for the Othering and Belonging Institute. As part of the Community Power and Policy Partnerships team, they support government agencies and partners with community organizations by providing trainings, technical assistance, and evaluation support centering lived experience, vision, and self-determination of the communities most impacted by transit inequities. Aviles draws inspiration from their involvement with the Bus Riders Union in Los Angeles and participation in other social justice movements like marriage equality.