New Jersey Future and the American Planning Association, New Jersey chapter, seek session proposals for the annual New Jersey Planning & Redevelopment three-day conference, convening virtually on Wednesday and Thursday, June 11 and 12, and in person on Friday, June 13, at the Hyatt Regency in New Brunswick.
The 2025 New Jersey Planning & Redevelopment Conference will feature more than 30 sessions, a virtual and in-person exhibit area, and ways to connect with fellow attendees. The goal is to bring together bold ideas, innovative solutions, proven concepts, and best practices for creating stronger, more inclusive, and equitable places where people live, work, and play. Sessions will be a mix of pre-recorded, live-streamed, and in-person.
In considering potential sessions, the Conference Committee seeks a diversity of topics and perspectives as well as a diversity of presenters. Session proposals must be submitted by Friday, February 7.
The conference format will feature a mix of concurrent sessions that are pre-recorded, live-streamed, and in-person. Speakers who are participating in pre-recorded sessions must also be available during the Conference, on the day and time their pre-recorded session will live-stream, for question and answer in a virtual chat box with conference attendees.
Session proposals will be selected based on how well they meet the following criteria. The Conference Committee reserves the right to come back to session contacts with recommended changes to panelist composition and/or scope of session key points.
• Diverse Composition: The Conference Committee believes the issues of systemic racism, segregation, and our legacy of inequality in land use and redevelopment must be tackled directly and proactively. All sessions must have panels that are racially and gender inclusive.
• Relevant: The topic is related to land use, community planning, and public policy.
• Timely: The topic is in the news and/or currently being discussed, debated, and implemented. The speakers are prominent, experienced, and up-to-date on the current topic.
• New/Innovative: The topic is a new or innovative approach to a problem, especially with implications for a post-pandemic era. The speakers have a reputation or track record in cutting-edge work.
• Diverse Perspectives: Different viewpoints on the same topic are illuminated. For example, a panel may have a local official, a planner, an attorney, and a community member. Another example could be four planners from different states talking about a single issue from different points of view.
• Availability in the Conference Program: Availability of preferred session type (pre-recorded for virtual days or live for the in-person day).
Prospective presenters will be notified between February 24 and 28.
All session moderators and speakers are responsible for their speaker profiles, including uploading a picture and biography to the online portal as soon as the Conference Committee requests this information. Additional features are available to highlight speakers, including organization logo, contact information, and links to social media accounts.
For questions regarding sessions and registration, contact Sheena Collum at scollum@njplanning.org or call 848-932-2817.
New Jersey Future is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that promotes sensible and equitable growth, redevelopment, and infrastructure investments to foster healthy, strong, resilient communities; protect natural lands and waterways; increase transportation choices beyond cars; provide access to safe, affordable, and aging-friendly neighborhoods; and fuel a strong economy for everyone. For more information, visit www.njfuture.org.
APA New Jersey: The New Jersey Chapter of the American Planning Association is an independent, not-for-profit organization that provides leadership in the development of vital communities by advocating excellence in community planning, promoting citizen empowerment, and providing the tools and support necessary to meet the challenges of growth and change. For more information, visit www.njplanning.org.
