Shaping Tomorrow's Cities: Cultivating Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in Planning Practice

This interactive session offers a co-learning environment to enhance our understanding of why diversity, equity and inclusion are critical to urban planning, and to reinvigorate our focus on this work. In her 2022 book chapter, Racism and U.S. Urban Planning, June Manning Thomas (2022) documents how urban planning practices have supported institutional racism. As Miriam Solis argues in Racial Equity in Planning Organizations, “organizational change will position planners to advance racial equity in the United States … [and] lead to local change and recalibrate how planners envision their role in changing their communities” (2020, p. 297). Come to this session to learn and engage with planners from across the state, share your successes and areas for growth, give input on what current and future planners should be learning and where/how urban planning programs should be recruiting the next generation of diverse planners.

Tamara Laninga
Western Washington University

Dr. Tamara Laninga, AICP, is an associate professor in the Urban and Environmental Planning & Policy Department at Western Washington University (WWU) and the Academic Program Director for the accredited Urban Planning and Sustainable Development major. She teaches courses in land use regulations, history of planning, community development, and planning studio. She has over a decade of experience facilitating community/student engaged partnerships. In 2018, Dr. Laninga participated in the “Campus Equity and Inclusion in STEM” workshop series, served on her department’s Community and Equity Committee (2018-2020), deploys the voluntary DEI course evaluation questions developed by the College of the Environment Diversity & Community Affairs Committee in courses each quarter, and integrates historically underrepresented voices in course content. As an advocate for students, Dr. Laninga facilitates professional opportunities in urban planning. Together they have successfully received several Sustainability, Equity and Justice Fund grants to attend regional and national planning conferences.

Jasmine Fast

Associate Planner, Jones Engineers, Inc.

Jasmine Fast has been deeply engaged with the Bellingham community for over 10 years. She is a recent Western Washington University graduate with a degree in Urban Planning and Sustainable Development program. While a student, she discovered her passion for GIS and data analysis. Today she works as an Associate Planner for Jones Engineers, Inc. and is a mother to two humans, two axolotls, and one dog.

Western Washington University

Students in nationally accredited Urban Planning and Sustainable Development program will help to present introductory remarks and facilitate round table discussions.