New Zealand Sunday Seminars: City Planning in Practice and Context: Utilizing the Tools of Professional Urban Planning to Help Communities Thrive

Description: This talk will provide an overview of American City Planning, and the type of contexts professionally trained planners work in to achieve the goals and visions outlined by community members and elected officials in local government. After introducing some keystone events and studies that set the foundation for how urban planning is done in the United States, Mr. Katz will outline the subdisciplines of urban planning that allow professionals with different academic and personal interests and passions to achieve different types of goals for communities through their work. Then Mr. Katz will outline in more detail several recent award-winning projects he has worked on that assisted his government in achieving broader goals of environmental sustainability, hazard resiliency, land use improvements, and attracting economic development. These projects demonstrate how successful urban planning truly involves adaptability, interdisciplinary knowledge, and a robust understanding of the context in which local government decision-making is made.

Speaker Bio: Jonah Katz, AICP* is Principal Planner in the Community & Infrastructure Planning Department with Hillsborough County, Florida, United States. He has worked for Hillsborough County for 6 years. Hillsborough County is the 25th most populous County in the United States, and the most populous County in Florida outside of the Miami Metropolitan area. His career experience has focused on utilizing interdisciplinary teams to develop inventive approaches in addressing the ambitious goals and strategic visions outlined by community planning efforts across a wide range of American communities. Throughout his 18 year career, he has worked for organizations focused on community development, economic development, transit service delivery, urban revitalization and downtown redevelopment efforts.

* American Institute of Certified Planners

These FREE seminars are held via Zoom and are open to all current Mensa members (NZ and international) and invited guests.

For details of how to access this seminar:

• Please download and complete this fillable form and return to seminars@mensa.org.nz.

Please note the date and time for the seminar: Sunday, Dec. 7, noon (NZST) / Saturday, Dec. 6, 5 p.m. (Central Time). To learn the start time where you live, consider using WorldTimeBuddy.

Mary Ellen Gordon at seminars@mensa.org.nz.