2025 Delaware Planning Conference and Annual Meeting

Welcome to the 2025 Delaware Planning Conference and Annual Meeting! Join us for a full day of discovery, learning, networking and fun at Bally's Dover Casino Resort - Rollins Center. This in-person annual event is a great opportunity to connect with fellow planners, share ideas, and gain insights into the latest trends in community planning. Don't miss out on this exciting gathering of professionals, civic leaders and community advocates across multiple sectors. Register now to secure your spot!

Info: Upon arrival, please check in at the registration desk located in the Rollins Conference Center. Relax and enjoy a light breakfast, network with fellow planners and colleagues, and visit our sponsors! As a reminder, all conference sessions and activities will take place in Ballroom C.

Info: The American Planning Association-Delaware Chapter President, Michael S. Tholstrup, will welcome all attendees to the 2025 Planning Conference and Annual Meeting and recognize this year's sponsors. To kick off the event, Tricia K. Arndt, Councilwoman for the City of Dover, will offer a special greeting to all and brief opening remarks.

Info: Keynote speaker, Rita Landgraf, will address the core elements of healthy communities and the essential role of planning, partnerships, public input and policies in bringing these to life. Will identify common barriers and highlight innovative practices and policies for accelerating progress and better outcomes. “Rethinking Delaware” is an exciting initiative focused on transforming zoning and land use policies to address the state’s most pressing challenges that impact communities. From unaffordable housing and worsening public health to declining environmental resilience and rising pollution, this keynote presentation will address how bold, integrated reforms and strategic collaborations can build healthier, more equitable communities across Delaware.

Info: The Vital Conditions Framework is a nationally recognized model adopted in Delaware that integrates public health principles into land use, transportation, housing, and community development planning to support healthy, equitable, and thriving communities. Healthy Communities Delaware is a public-private collaboration that applies the Vital Conditions Framework to assist communities in developing local solutions that support health and well-being initiatives. In their Comprehensive Plans, counties and municipalities are aligning their long-range planning goals with health-promoting policies such as active transportation networks and mix-use development. The Delaware State Health Improvement Plan (SHIP) is a multi-year strategic plan to address the state's most urgent health issues. This panel will address the roles and value that Healthy Communities Delaware and the SHIP contribute to the broader community planning process. Will highlight progress to date, challenges and next steps.

Info: Back by Popular Demand! The Delaware Planning Thespians, made up of local Delaware planners, bring planning ethics to life in this unique and interactive performance. Through live theater, the Delaware Planning Thespians will act out real-world scenarios where our hero planners face challenging ethical dilemmas that are not for the faint of heart! At key moments, the performances pause for audience discussion and reflection on how the planner should proceed in order to align with the AICP Code of Ethics. This engaging session combines education and fun, while exploring the gray areas of ethical decision-making in the planning process.

Info: Enjoy lunch and networking with fellow planners, friends and colleagues. Then join us for the Chapter's 2025 Annual Meeting report, awards and a special presentation by Nikko Brady, Deputy Chief of Staff for Climate, Food Systems and Planning from the Office of the Governor. Discover more about the Delaware Chapter and our diverse educational and networking opportunities for professional and emerging planners. Learn about the First State's planning and community priorities, highlights and challenges from the Office of Governor Meyer. Take a moment to visit with our sponsors!

Info: Max Walton, partner at Connolly Gallagher and one of Delaware’s foremost land use attorneys, gives his annual legal review tailored to planning professionals. In this insightful session, Mr. Walton will examine recent and precedent-setting land use cases from Delaware and throughout the country, highlighting emerging legal trends that may shape the future of zoning, comprehensive planning, and development regulations. Designed for professionals, government officials, civic leaders, as well as citizen planners, to gain essential legal context to help communities navigate an evolving regulatory landscape.

Info: Delaware is taking bold steps to address its affordable housing crisis. This panel discussion will focus on two major initiatives shaping the future of housing policy in the First State: the Affordable Housing Production Task Force Final Report and Delaware SJR 8, the new pilot program providing technical assistance for local zoning reform. Panelists will unpack the key recommendations, and practical implications of these efforts—highlighting how they aim to empower local governments, remove regulatory barriers, and accelerate the production of affordable homes. Attendees will gain actionable insights into how these strategies can be implemented into local zoning regulations and Comprehensive Plans to further the goal of affordable housing production.

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Host or Publisher American Planning Association - Delaware Chapter