I'm of two minds regarding the decision by the California Chapter of the American Planning Association – pardon me, it's called APA California now – to schedule its annual conference in the countryside. One part of me thinks it's a great idea, because I'd much rather spend time in Yosemite Valley (site of the 2005 conference) than in Garden Grove (2006). The other part wonders why we're all going to drive to a fancy resort in the high Sierra to talk about housing density and reducing vehicle miles traveled.
OK, that's a cheap shot. I should give conference organizers credit for strongly encouraging everyone to get themselves to Sacramento to take a charter bus to and from the conference site near Lake Tahoe.
Still, I have to wonder if the Resort at Squaw Creek – this year's venue of choice – is really the best place to talk about the urban and regional planning issues confronting California. The last two years, APA California met in Hollywood and downtown San Jose – excellent laboratories for studying planning and development trends. Both conferences were held in the midst of successful redevelopment projects well-served by transit, yet were also within walking distance of troubled urban neighborhoods.
The same people come to the conference year after year, so maybe variety is good. Or maybe the location doesn't matter. The breakout sessions are the heart of any conference, and once you're in a windowless room with 40 planners, that room could be located in Tahoe City, San Jose, Bakersfield or Blythe. Everyone is going to be watching the PowerPoint slides, jotting notes and trading business cards.
Still, if planners have taught this journalist anything – and they've taught me a great deal – it's that place matters. I'm quite sure the Resort at Squaw Creek is a lovely place to watch the alpenglow, smell the pines and play golf, but is it a place conducive to planning California's complex land uses? I'll find out when Bill Fulton and I arrive at the event on September 13. Look for conference coverage in this blog and in the edition of CP&DR that is scheduled to hit subscribers' email inboxes on September 18.
- Paul Shigley
