UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — For years, planners and community development professionals have sought support from elected officials for their ideas. This traditional approach often has left innovative ideas behind and the people advancing them disheartened and devalued, according to organizers of an upcoming Penn State Extension land-use webinar.

Presenting the 75-minute webinar at noon on Aug. 21 will be Jeffrey Raykes, a member of the American Institute of Certified Planners and managing principal of Stuart Group Consulting; Matt Spindler, evaluation specialist with Penn State Extension; and John Turack, economic and community development educator with Penn State Extension.

Many planners now seek support from community-based organizations that shape local life, such as church groups and builders’ associations. Organizers noted that these groups, often run by volunteers, are passionate about their communities and open to ideas for improvement. By engaging with these organizations, planners can find interested audiences and strong allies for positive change.

Keeping these groups updated on planning initiatives fosters connection and feedback, leading to consensus-driven ideas that elected officials are more likely to support. Presenters will discuss where these ideas are coming from and what they mean for those working across the commonwealth.

The webinar also will highlight applied research of community economic development professionals, emphasizing the importance of engaging all stakeholders in community development and planning. Topics will include stakeholder analysis, asset-based community development, the community capitals framework and strategic doing.

“Finding the Right Audience” is the second webinar in Penn State Extension’s Summer/Fall 2024 Land-Use Webinar Series that runs monthly until Nov. 20. The series is aimed at informing municipal elected and appointed officials, planners, landowners, farmers, and community organizations about land-use issues and decisions in their communities.

All webinars are recorded and available for future viewing. Other programs in the series include:

• July 17: “Improving Rural Communities Response to Homelessness” (recorded).

• Sept. 18: “Blight Mitigation: Building Capacity Through Intergovernmental Partnerships.”

• Oct. 16: “County Planning Districts: An Innovative Approach to Municipal and County Collaboration in Community Planning.”

• Nov. 20: “Local Community Implementation of Active Transportation Plans.”

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. The cost also is $95 for all five sessions for professional engineers needing PDH credits. In addition, registered landscape architects can receive continuing-education credits for a fee of $65.

For anyone interested in a particular topic from the series, individual session registration is available for a fee of $15 per session. Those needing assistance can access a scholarship option.

For more information, contact Peter Wulfhorst at 570-296-3400 or by email at ptw3@psu.edu. To register for the webinars, visit the Penn State Extension website.