UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — An upcoming Penn State Extension webinar series is aimed at helping community leaders navigate land-use and municipal challenges, with topics ranging from equitable land-use planning, improving community food access, growing local leaders’ capacity for community development, and creating affordable housing.
The Winter/Spring 2026 Land-Use Webinar Series begins noon Jan. 21 and runs monthly through May. Sessions will feature Penn State experts and guest speakers discussing timely issues affecting municipal officials, planners, landowners and community organizations.
Moderators for the webinars will include John Turack, community and economic development extension program specialist; Steve Alessi, associate director of the Northeast Regional Center for Rural Development; Kristen Devlin, communications specialist for the center; and Neal Fogle, community and economic development extension educator.
The opening session, “Planning for Intergenerational Communities,” will feature David Rouse, a fellow of the American Institute of Certified Planners. Rouse will define intergenerational community planning and placemaking and make the case for why planners should address it in their work.
He then will address the extent to which comprehensive plans currently address intergenerational issues, using the Lancaster Comprehensive Plan as a case study. Rouse will conclude with recommendations for how planners can apply an intergenerational lens to the comprehensive planning process, substantive contents of the plan, and plan implementation.
Joining Rouse will be Matt Kaplan, professor of intergenerational programs and aging at Penn State. Kaplan will describe lessons learned from engaging with multigenerational residents in various community improvement projects.
Each 75-minute session will be recorded and made available to registrants for six months. Other programs in the series will include:
— Feb. 18: “From Data to Action: Using Community Report Cards for Equitable Land Use Planning.” Justine Lindemann, assistant professor in community development and resilience, and Cristy Schmidt, a senior research associate affiliated with Penn State’s Center for Economic and Community Development and Penn State Extension’s community vitality team, will present a collaborative, step-by-step approach designed to help Pennsylvania communities make sense of local data, recognize key assets and challenges and translate insights into practical strategies for equitable land use.
— March 18: “Planning for Community Food Access: Community Gardens, Farmers Markets and Food Systems.” Attendees can learn about how communities can strengthen local food systems and examine the roles of municipal staff and officials in supporting and sustaining these efforts. Speakers will include Claudia Schmidt, associate professor of marketing and local/regional food systems; Brian Moyer, extension program specialist; and Robin Perry-Smith, extension educator. Moyer has assisted farmers and markets with direct-to-consumer marketing, resources and regulations. Perry-Smith focuses on connecting University resources with marginalized communities to advance equity and resilience.
— April 15: “Community Development Essentials — A Process Before a Plan.” This session will equip participants with sustainable, accessible, research-based practices and shared insights and dialogue alongside fellow participants, led by Michael Dougherty, professor and extension specialist at West Virginia University, and Hunter Goodman, assistant professor for community, workforce and economic development for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, Cooperative Extension Service.
— May 20: “Rural Housing Affordability and Livability in Pennsylvania.” This webinar examines descriptive and economic analyses from a Rural Housing Affordability: 2013-2023 study to examine the variation in severity of these issues across the nation, presented by Stephan Goetz, director of the Northeast Regional Center for Rural Development and professor of agricultural and regional economics at Penn State, and Zheng Tian, associate director for research at the Northeast Regional Center for Rural Development at Penn State.
Pending approval, the Pennsylvania chapter of the American Planning Association will offer professional credits to registered landscape architects or professional planners with the American Institute of Certified Planners. Each webinar is worth 1.25 credits, or 6.25 credits for those attending the whole series.
Penn State Extension is offering the series in partnership with the Pennsylvania chapter of the American Planning Association and the Northeast Regional Center for Rural Development.
Registration is required to receive the link to access each webinar.
The cost of the webinar series is $50 for all five sessions, or $95 for all five sessions for those who want to receive AICP certification-maintenance credits from the American Planning Association. In addition, registered landscape architects can earn continuing education credits for a fee of $65.
For anyone interested in a particular topic from the series, individual session registration is available for $15 per session.
For more information, contact John Turack at 724-837-1402 or by email at jdt15@psu.edu. To register for the webinars, visit the Penn State Extension website.