Penn State Extension Land Use Webinar Series
In 2025, the NERCRD began a partnership with Penn State Extension and the Pennsylvania Chapter of the American Planning Association (PA-APA) on a collaborative webinar series that focuses on issues of land use in Pennsylvania. John Turack is the series’ lead organizer, with support from Stephen Alessi (NERCRD) and Neal Fogle (Penn State Extension).
Since NERCRD began supporting this series, it has included the following webinars:
Current series (Fall 2026) under way:
- September 2, 2026 — Geospatial Analysis Tools and Methods for Community Planning. Presented by Harry Crissy (Penn State Extension) and Jordi Comas and Justin Dula (Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection)
- September 16, 2026 — Managing Conflict from a Planner’s Perspective. Presented by Neal Fogle (Penn State Extension)
- October 21, 2026 — Greenways and Trails Planning for Transportation Connectivity. Presented by Stephen Buck, Landscape Architect) and Adam Mattis and Adriene Smochek (Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources)
- November 18, 2026 — Data Centers and Their Impact on Workforce and Land Use. Presented by Zheng Tian and Yuan (Timothy) Zhuang, Penn State/NERCRD.
- December 16, 2026 — Appreciative Inquiry and Asset Mapping – A Brief Tutorial for Community Planners. Presented by Justine Lindemann and Andy Smolski (Penn State).
Spring 2026:
- January 21, 2026 – Planning for Intergenerational Communities. Presented by David Rouse (American Institute of Certified Planners) and Matthew Kaplan (Penn State Extension)
- February 18, 2026 – From Data to Action: Using Community Report Cards for Equitable Land Use Planning. Presented by Cristy Halerz Schmidt and Justine Lindemann (Penn State Center for Economic and Community Development)
- March 18, 2026 – Planning for Community Food Access: Community Gardens, Farmers Markets, and Food Systems. Presented by Claudia Schmidt, Brian Moyer, and Robin Perry-Smith (Penn State Extension).
- April 15, 2026 – Community Development Essentials: A Process Before a Plan. Presented by Michael Dougherty (West Virginia University Extension) and Hunter Goodman (University of Arkansas).
- May 20, 2026 – Rural Housing Affordability and Livability in PA. Presented by Stephan Goetz and Zheng Tian (Penn State/NERCRD)
Fall 2025:
- August 6, 2025 – The economic impact of small farms: What it means for community plans and planners. Presented by Tim Kelsey (Penn State) and Ted Ritsick (Hailstone Economics)
- August 20, 2025 — Local Ordinances and Green Infrastructure in Pennsylvania. Presented by Christine Kirchhoff and Bhavik Gupta (Penn State).
- September 17, 2025 — Solar Energy Update for Municipal Officials. Presented by Matt Svetz and Rob Davidson (Penn State Extension).
- October 15, 2025 — Stormwater Management Planning and Community Trees – Green Infrastructure for the Future. Presented by Vincent Cotrone (Penn State Extension).
- November 19, 2025 — Practical AI for Community Development & Planning: Tools, Tips, and Useful Everyday Applications. Presented by Jim Ladlee and John Turack (Penn State Extension)
Spring 2025:
- February 19, 2025 – Motivating and Engaging Volunteers – Strategies to inspire and retain volunteers in local governance and community planning. Presented by Neal Fogle and Suzanna Windon (Penn State Extension), and Molly Kathleen Sarver (Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development)
- March 12, 2025 – Addressing the Housing Crisis – Collaborative approaches to developing local solutions with insights from the New Hampshire Housing Academy and the InvestNH program. Presented by Sue Cagle and Scott Slattery (University of New Hampshire Extension) and George Reagan and Sarah Wrightsman (New Hampshire Housing).
- April 16, 2025 – Data-Driven Decision-Making – Understanding how data informs community planning and policy development. Presented by Kara Salazar (Purdue Extension) and Jeff Raykes (The Stuart Group)
- May 7, 2025 – Changes in Pennsylvania Demographics – Trends and shifts impacting communities and planning efforts. Presented by Kyle Kopko (Center for Rural Pennsylvania)
- May 21, 2025 – The Impact of Tourism and Outdoor Recreation – Exploring economic effects at local and state levels. Presented by Doug Arbogast (West Virginia University Extension), Nathan Reigner (PA Office of Outdoor Recreation), and Katie Wickert (Pennsylvania Department of Community & Economic Development)
Principal Investigator: John Turack
Lead Institution: Penn State Extension
Accompanying Institution(s): NERCRD and the PA Chapter of the American Planning Association
Start Date: January, 2025