Planning in Italy

Feel the pulse of Italy’s vibrant culture.

With its millennia-spanning history, comforting regional cuisine, and countless artistic treasures, it’s no wonder Italy consistently ranks at the top of travelers' wish lists. Whether you’re planning your first visit or coming back for a taste of new-to-you cities and regions, this weeklong tour will take you straight to the pulsing heart of the country’s vibrant culture. Venice romances visitors with its sprawling, Baroque palaces and maze of winding canals. Florence, the Tuscan capital, wins hearts with its Renaissance architecture and art. And Rome dazzles with its ever-present history, from the hulking Colosseum to the Forum’s still-stately remains. Want to soak up even more of Italy’s epic history and endless charm? Extend your tour and continue south to the well-preserved ruins of Pompeii and the coastal city of Sorrento, where la dolce vita is embraced to the nth degree.

Take a trip to Italy and receive up to 22 credits for AICP Certification Maintenance over five days.

Learning Objectives 

• Learn about both ancient and contemporary urban development practices in Italy.
• Experience living places that date back more than a thousand years.
• Exchange approaches to planning, regulations, and development with Italian counterparts.
• Discover a part of Italy little known to American travelers.
• Observe on-going major capital investment by towns while preserving their character.

This CE program is aimed at urban planners who might have already demonstrated an interest in learning from Italy through travel, reading, or other means. While this is envisioned for mid-career professionals, members starting out in their career or late-career are certainly welcome.

Faculty

Keynote Speaker:

Instructors:

Marco Marchetti, Montepacini Farm

Notes:

1. The faculty has been carefully selected for diversity of gender, age, and location.
2. All faculty have been confirmed.
3. All instructors speak English; there will be no need for translators.

Registration

• Enrollment closes March 15, 2025
• The registration fee for APA-WA members is $1600.
• The registration fee for later-registrants who are not chapter members is $1,800 (recent economic uncertainty has caused the exchange rate to climb in favor of the dollar by about 10%, so local Italian expenses have jumped).

Mark has developed a set of FAQs but is also available for questions – if you are interested in this unique seminar, please contact Mark at: [email protected]

The course is open to only twenty people. Sign up now – space is limited!

Retired planner, author, and journalist Mark Hinshaw, formerly from Seattle, has organized this series of seminars and field trips in his adopted country of Italy. They will be held in the region of Marche (pronounced mark’-ay), in east-central Italy. Marche is filled with towns that typify daily life in Italy, free from the mass tourism that is choking places like Venice and Florence – although they are but a few hours away.  Both practitioners and academics will describe planning policies, programs, and projects in Italy. Field trips will include town centers, waterfronts, public spaces, and archaeological sites. All presentations and tours will be in English.

Spouses can be accommodated with a modest extra fee. Expenses associated with this continuing education program may be tax deductible; consult your tax accountant. Attendees may wish to add their own vacation travel before or after the course. May is great time to travel in Italy!

Note: The APA Washington Chapter is the registered provider of CMs for this course.