Join our team at the 2026 APA-IL State Conference in Evanston, Illinois from Sept. 30 to Oct. 2. The three-day event brings planners and allied professionals together to explore how planning connects housing, transportation, health, and equity to create stronger, more resilient communities.

Is a Data Center Right for You?

• Wednesday, Sept. 30 | 9:15 AM – 10:15 AM

  Principal and National Mission Critical Leader Jonathan Mesik, PE, and Senior Associate and Senior Planner Valerie Berstene, AIA, AICP, will co-host a breakout session alongside Karl Camillucci, a partner from Taft Law. This session equips planners with the context and language to lead community conversations before the next development proposal arrives. Panelists from architecture, engineering, development, and municipal legal counsel will address site selection, utility demands, economic impacts, and policy tools that help municipalities balance opportunity with long-term community goals.

Goldilocks and the 3 Municipalities (Transportation Equity in Action)

• Thursday Oct. 14 | 8 AM – 9 AM

  Join Valerie Berstene, AIA, AICP, and municipal representatives from Chicago, Evanston, and Schaumburg to explore how transportation networks reflect past discriminatory policies and what local governments are doing to advance equity. Participants will walk away with tangible strategies and new ideas to steer transportation systems and policies toward greater equity in their own communities.

Planners Book Club, 2nd Edition

• Friday Oct. 2 | 11:30 AM – 1:00 PM

  Valerie Berstene, AIA, AICP, will lead an open discussion where participants share recent reads that shape their understanding of the built environment, from policy focused non-fiction to speculative fiction. After a quick poll to surface what the room is reading, small groups dig into takeaways, compare ideas, and explore how personal reading translates into stronger planning practice.

The American Planning Association – Illinois Chapter is the state’s leading resource for networking and professional development in urban planning. As part of the national American Planning Association, the nonprofit chapter works to advance the planning practice by building skills, strengthening communication among professionals and affiliated organizations, and serves as a bridge between members and the national association.