2026 Annual Conference

Join Us at the UW-Madison Union

Save the Date!

Date and time

October 8-9, 2026

Location

UW-Madison Memorial Union

800 Langdon St., Madison, WI 53706

Refund Policy

Refunds up to 7 days before the event.

SEE BELOW FOR:

Conference Tracks
Call for Session Proposals
Chapter Awards Call for Nominations
Sponsoring the Conference
Reserving a Hotel Room

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Conference Tracks

Technology Transformation and Economic Trends

Evolving technologies are reshaping local and regional economies. Sessions will highlight data centers, leveraging AI, emerging economic development trends, workforce implications, and planning strategies to help communities address challenges and support sustainability.

Engagement and Planning Practice

Planners are turning public feedback into transformative decision-making. Sessions will highlight sharing tools, techniques, and methods to successfully engage the public to build trust, work with partners, drive effective policy, and put plans into action.

Housing Challenges and Solutions

Explore housing challenges and innovative solutions that make communities more livable. Sessions will cover creative planning approaches to financing, land banking, public-private partnerships, regulatory reform, and policies to create more affordable and accessible housing for all.

Climate Resilience and the Environment

Planners are improving the well-being of communities and regions. Sessions cover promoting and providing access to sustainable infrastructure, renewable energy, clean air and water, and proactively reducing vulnerability to hazards.

Streets and Public Spaces

Learn how planners are shaping the public realm. Sessions will cover partnerships that deepen connections to and through places, featuring ideas and solutions for streets, interactive spaces, public art, and active transportation options that engage communities.

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Call for Session Proposals

You're invited to submit a proposal to present and lead one of the sessions at the APA-WI 2026 Annual Conference on October 8-9 in Madison. All proposals must be submitted electronically through this form.

Session Proposal Form

The deadline for submission is Friday, May 15, 2026.

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Chapter Awards Call for Nominations

The 2026 Chapter Awards recognize outstanding achievements and innovations in planning and publicize persons and organizations whose activities advance planning in Wisconsin.

Eligibility Requirments

An APA-WI or APA member must submit the application.
Nominations must be for projects located in Wisconsin and must have included an APA-WI or an APA member throughout the planning process.
Elected Official of the Year and Citizen Planner of the Year nominees must live and work in Wisconsin.
Outstanding Journalism nominations must have a reporter from and a story about a Wisconsin community.
No project may be considered if a member of the Jury, or his/her organization, had a role in planning or implementing the project.
Jury members are selected from outside of Wisconsin.

Read the following documents to learn more and nominate worthy colleagues and outstanding projects.

Link to Award Nomination Overview

Link to Award Application Form

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SPONSOR THE CONFERENCE!

Find out more about how your company or organization can have access to hundreds of city planners from throughout Wisconsin. The APA-WI Annual Conference is the only time each year that this many planners gather in one place for two days. This creates a unique opportunity for you to interact with them and have them become familiar with what you offer. Learn more about the sponsorship levels, and email us to lock in your sponsorship today.

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