Webinars

OAPA's Professional Development Committee organizes and hosts various webinars throughout the year. Upcoming webinars are listed on the Conferences & Events page and on the event calendar, and are also promoted on our social media channels. A selection of recorded webinars are available for viewing, many of which also qualify for Certification Maintenance credit.

Planning Webcast Series

OAPA is a member of the Planning Webcast Consortium, which hosts a series of webcasts throughout the year. The series’ 90-minute webinars are hosted by various chapters and divisions of APA and are available almost every Friday from 10:00-11:30 am. All consortium webinars are free to OAPA members and Division members and qualify for 1.5 CM credits when viewed live.

Upcoming consortium webinars are listed on the Planning Webcast Series website, including on-demand webinars with Law and Ethics credits, which an be found under the On-Demand Webcasts tab.

Recorded Webinars

Planning for Accessibility in Housing
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Everyone needs access to housing where they can be safe, comfortable, and independent. Planners in Oregon are increasingly recognizing the need for more housing that is accessible to older adults and people with disabilities. This webinar will help planners understand why it is important to proactively plan for accessible housing, what the legal requirements are, what is meant by the terms “accessibility”, “universal design”, and “visitability”, and how jurisdictions and partner organizations are working to address this critical need. 

Panelists: Connie Saldaña, Lifelong Housing Program Coordinator, Rogue Valley COG and Lena Roper, Universal Design Specialist, MIG

Making Planning More Accessible
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How accessible is your planning for people of different abilities? This webinar will cover the various needs of different communities, common barriers to access, and tips and tricks for making your meetings, presentations, and planning products more accessible to all members of your community.Panelists will discuss: Different needs among the population; Common barriers to access; Legal requirements; Best practices and technical how tos.  Panelists include:  Sabine Rear, Community Vision AT Lab and Northwest ADA Center and Allyson Powers, WSP USA.  (Recorded on 4/19/2022)

(Fatigue in) Anti-Racist Planning: A BIPOC Perspective
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Racial equity must be institutionalized in every organization with a goal to always address systemic barriers to opportunities for historically underserved communities. In addition, they must understand that constant discussions of injustice, racism, and oppression without action are leaving some professionals fatigued. Join us to learn from personal stories, data driven evidence, and opportunities for wellness. Panelists include: Samuel De Perio Garcia , Housing Planner, Oregon Department of Land Conservation and Development; Walle Brown, Principal Planner at Equity Urban, and Equity and Data Analyst, City of Portland; N. Janine Gates (she/her/hers), Housing and Economic Development Program Manager, City of Milwaukie; and Moderator Genevieve Middleton, Equity Planning & Engagement Consultant, and Senior Manager, Community Development, City of Eugene. (Recorded 11/5/21)

2021 Oregon Land Use Legislative Wrap Up
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The 2021 Oregon Legislative session ended in June. Do you know what happened to land use related legislation? While housing, shelter siting, and wildfire recovery bills got a lot of attention this session, a variety of other land use bills were considered related to land divisions, systems development charges, permitting for renewable energy facilities, community engagement and public meeting accessibility, environmental justice, and climate change, among others. Ariel Nelson from the League of Oregon Cities and Palmer Mason from the Department of Land Conservation and Development join Eunice Kim, OAPA’s Legislative and Policy Affairs Committee (LPAC) Chair, and Damian Syrnyk, LPAC's Vice Chair, to talk about how the bills passed in the 2021 legislative session will impact planners and communities across the state.  (Recorded 7/15/21.)

Local Climate Action in Oregon

The global climate crisis is one of the most serious threats facing us today and action must be taken at every level of government. Local planners have a key role to play in helping to mitigate climate change impacts and to ensure our communities adapt to a changing climate. In Oregon, several cities and counties have developed Climate Action Plans for reducing the generation of greenhouse gases and for addressing the potential risks and hazards that rapid climate change can pose to local communities. In this webinar, speakers from the Cities of Portland, Corvallis, and Milwaukie will share their insights into the purpose, process, and challenges of local climate action planning--including integrating climate policy into other local planning and sustainability efforts, giving extra attention to equity and social justice, and the challenges of turning plans into action. Download the presentation here. This webinar was presented as part of the Planning Webcast Series.  (Recorded 6/18/21)

Opening Doors and Minds: Planning and Running Virtual Open Houses
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This webinar details the nuts and bolts of planning and running virtual open houses. We discuss the approach to two styles of events (a live “town hall” style open house and an open house webpage). Speakers walk attendees through their process to design, prepare, and run virtual open houses. Panelists discuss:

• The start-to-finish process for hosting a virtual open house.
• Behind the scenes moderation and technical how-tos.
• Best practices for managing public comments and audience participation. (Recorded 04/29/21)

Anti-racist Planning Practice: An Indigenous Perspective
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This webinar features a moderated round table discussion on anti-racist planning practice from an informed Indigenous perspective. Panelists discuss:

• Land acknowledgement practices and why they’re important.
• Tribal and government relations, including key takeaways for planners working with sovereign nations and Tribal people who are unaffiliated.
• Tribal land agreements and consultation, including best practices, legal requirements, and other strategies for working with Tribes related to long range land use planning, housing solutions, parks and recreation, and more.
• Recognizing Indigenous people, places, and practices and how planners cross over and communicate with Tribes or other local Indigenous people. (Recorded 12/16/20)

OAPA/DLCD Planning Commissioner Training

“Keeping Out of Hot Water: Land Use Decision-making for Planning Commissioners, Elected Officials, City Administrators, and Planners” – Oregon Department of Land Conservation and Development (DLCD) Community Services Manager Gordon Howard, and David Doughman, contract attorney for the City of Cornelius, Oregon, cover the basics of state and local responsibilities, the role of planning commissioners and staff, decision-making bodies, ethical behavior, ex parte contact, quasi-judicial vs. legislative hearings processes, and legally defensible findings. (Recorded 9/16/20)

Additionally, in 2015 OAPA worked with DLCD to update the Oregon Planning Commissioner Handbook. The Handbook is based almost entirely upon the Planners Training Team’s Planning Commissioners Training Manual, and has been updated and reformatted to link to the vast amount of information available via the internet. Download for free.

State Climate Policy Update
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This webinar provides an update on the work of State agencies to implement Governor Brown’s Executive Order EO 20-04, which establishes new science-based emissions reduction goals for Oregon. The Executive Order directs certain state agencies to take specific actions to reduce emissions and mitigate the impacts of climate change; and provides overarching direction to state agencies to exercise their statutory authority to help achieve Oregon’s climate goals. (Recorded 7/15/20)

Virtual Planning Tools
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Public engagement and participatory planning methodologies are critical to inclusive and equitable planning processes, and during the Covid-19 Pandemic effective virtual tools have become increasingly important. Oregon APA and Northern California APA have partnered in a regional knowledge-sharing effort to provide this online learning opportunity, and this webinar will feature planners from both APA Chapters. Yosef Yip, Senior Project Coordinator at WSP in San Francisco, will discuss the opportunities for expanding audience reach and achieving equitable processes using social media innovation outreach methods. Oregon’s Nathan Jones, Planner at Otak, Inc. in Portland, will share his experience using GIS and interactive online deliverables to facilitate public engagement through storytelling and virtual participation. (Recorded 6/30/20)

Parking Reform: The How and Why
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Parking mandates can have a tremendous impact on housing design and development, and communities across Oregon are revisiting their parking standards with this in mind. This webinar will explore the benefits and challenges of parking reform from the local government and nonprofit perspectives, and discuss how new DLCD resources can assist communities in navigating communication and implementation processes. (Recorded 5/27/20)

Planning for Pollinators in the Pacific Northwest
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As planners, we can be part of the solution for so many problems. One problem facing all of us? The decline in pollinators across the nation. This webinar will discuss the state of pollinators in the Pacific Northwest, what this means for our communities and the natural systems we depend on, and provide answers to a key question: What can planners do for pollinators?  Participants will walk away with ideas for policies, partnerships, and initiatives that can be enacted whether you work in a large city, a small town, or a rural area. (Recorded 2/13/20)

Making Room for Middle Housing – HB 2001 and Lessons from Oregon

Equity in housing access is an issue facing communities across the US. As planners, we know that a diversity of housing choices is needed, but grapple with how to address the “missing middle.” With the recent passing of Oregon House Bill 2001 (HB 2001), Oregon is taking a lead role in addressing this gap in the housing market. Passed in Summer 2019, HB 2001 requires middle housing zoning in single-family residential zones throughout the state.

This webinar covers the underlying zoning issues at the heart of the bill, the legislative goals -- and anticipated impacts -- from increased middle housing development, and the challenges and successes in moving HB 2001 from thought to reality. Speakers from the legislative, advocacy and state perspectives will discuss their experiences with the creation and passing of HB 2001, and expectations for the future of middle housing. Participants will walk away with lessons learned on affecting change in the housing market, building support for middle housing, and what it takes to move a housing bill from start to finish. This webinar was presented in conjunction with the Planning Webcast Consortium. A pdf of the presentation is available here. (Recorded 11/8/19)

Untangling Clear & Objective Standards for Housing
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In the wake of SB 1051, cities and counties across Oregon are grappling with the challenge of adopting clear and objective standards for housing. The 2017 Senate bill expanded the requirement for clear and objective standards to now apply to all residential development (not just “needed housing”), and prohibited cities from denying applications that meet clear and objective standards. The new provisions are aimed at removing barriers to residential development as part of efforts to increase the supply of affordable housing options across the state. But many planners are finding that adopting clear and objective standards for housing can be anything but clear. In this session, Oregon DLCD staff will provide some clarity around this complicated issue. (Recorded 4/25/19)

Tribal Planning
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How does planning differ on Native lands? Planning professionals rarely understand the complexities of tribal planning, the police powers derived from federal sources, and the inherent tribal sovereignty that enables the development of planning and zoning regulations within Indian tribal governments. In this webinar, we’ll learn about the Tribal Planning Office of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (CTUIR), as their Planning Director guides attendees through the CTUIR’s history and planning process. Attendees will learn about historical and contemporary tribal government planning structures, familiarizing non-tribal planners with the planning issues of Indian country. (Recorded 2/21/19)

Unleashing the Power of Data: The Census and Beyond
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So you know about the decennial census…but what about SAIPE, LODES, and HMDA? Socio-economic data is a vital resource in keeping up with our constantly evolving communities, but while we have access to a vast wealth of data that is free and publicly available, sometimes we don’t know where to start, or how to uncover the story that data wants to tell us. Join us for a look at some of the lesser known capabilities of the U.S. Census, State Data Center Programs, Bureau of Labor Statistics, and other sources of publicly available data. Attendees will learn what this information can reveal about their communities, and how to use these resources to both understand existing conditions and plan for the future. (Recorded 5/31/2018)

Visual Communication as a Planning Tool
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People tend to process visual information much faster than text. As planners, we can use this to our advantage in communicating ideas to the public… yet many of us could use a refresher on what makes for effective visual communication. This webinar will present simple strategies for conveying complex planning ideas through visual media and through well-designed materials. Panelists Drew Meisel of Nelson\Nygaard and Nick Baker of the City of Hillsboro will share their expertise in creating beautiful and compelling planning documents and help you develop an effective visual communication strategy. You’ll learn: what to ask yourself before getting started, top practical tips and tricks, and common mistakes to avoid. (Recorded 3/22/18)

Envisioning Future Cities with Automated Vehicles
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This webinar will review the innovative work Florida Department of Transportation and Florida State University are doing to take the first steps toward envisioning the future in an AV world, a future that can yield attractive, people-friendly, efficient and safe urban environments. In addition, this webinar will identify near and medium-term infrastructure investments and policy decisions that could enable a smooth transition to a transportation system dominated by AVs. Few understood and foresaw the massive impact the automobile would have upon travel behaviors, transportation systems, and the built environment over a century ago. This session hopes to prepare and equip local governments with the tools necessary to take advantage of this remarkable opportunity to reshape the built environment into more livable communities. (Recorded 1/24/2017)

Oregon Legislative 101

This webinar will walk participants through the steps to track land use legislation in the Oregon Legislature. From weeding through the 1,000s of bills that are introduced (don’t worry, someone else will go through them) to being assigned to committees, and, if it makes it through the House and the Senate, to the Governor’s desk for signature (or not), this session will give you all the information you need to track and participate in the legislative process. (Recorded 1/12/17)

Ethics and Planning
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A panel of planning professionals will examine a series of “real world” scenarios that pose moral and ethical issues and use APA’s Professional Ethics Guidelines to work out an appropriate course of action. The scenarios are taken from materials developed for the APA National conference and examine the intersection of public and private sector interests and motives. The session will allow for participants to ask questions and weigh in with their opinions about the “ethical” course to take in these situations. (Recorded 8/11/2016. This webinar is no longer eligible for Ethics CM credit as it is only available for one year from date of webinar recording.)

Inclusionary Zoning

The 2016 Oregon Legislature lifted the ban on inclusionary zoning in Oregon, allowing cities to require developers to build affordable housing units in buildings with 20 units or more. Now the City of Portland is in the process of developing and adopting an inclusionary zoning policy and program. Given that over 80-90% of housing in the City of Portland over the last five years has been in multi-family buildings with over 20 units, the City has the potential to see a significant increase in affordable housing through the implementation of inclusionary zoning. What challenges and opportunities will the City face, and what can they learn from programs across the country? Join us in a presentation and discussion with Matthew Tschabold, Equity and Policy Manager at the Portland Housing Bureau and Lorelei Juntunen, Partner and Project Director for ECONorthwest. ECONorthwest is working with both the City of Portland locally, and nationally, on inclusionary zoning issues. (Recorded 7/26/2016)

Updating your Comprehensive Plan: Choosing the Right Approach for your Community
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Are you getting ready to update your Comprehensive Plan? Will you do an entire rewrite, just freshen up the look and format, or focus on updating just a chapter or two? There are lots of paths to choose and questions to ask about level of detail, use of graphics, preparation of maps, and how to engage community members in the process. This presentation will cover the lessons our firm has learned about some of these choices and topic in working with communities across the state and Pacific Northwest on Comp Plan update projects. (Recorded 5/16/2016)

Conflict Resolution for Planners

You are in another public meeting and a distraught and angry citizen is challenging you on your presentation. What do you do? How do you connect with people on an emotional level when they don’t want to hear the factors elected officials must take into consideration. This webinar will provide participants tactics and best practices for conflict negotiation. Speaker Stephen Greenwood (Program Director of Urban & Public Affairs at PSU’s School of Government) will discuss his experiences in conflict negotiation, including lessons learned in dealing with competing interests and conflicting opinions on various planning issues. This session will provide participants with the skills to successfully navigate a variety of negotiation situations.

Planning for an Aging Population
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This interactive webinar will also help participants to understand the relationship between the Livability index and AARP’s Age-Friendly Community Network.