Conference Agenda 2026
Friday, December 4, 2026
7:45 a.m.–10:00 a.m.: Registration and Continental Breakfast
8:00 a.m.–9:50 am.: Ethics Sessions
Session 1 | JI Omni Room
Ethics in Planning: Guiding Principles for Professional Planners
Join this session to learn about the AICP Code of Ethics and how it affects planners and the planning profession. Participate in an engaging discussion as the speakers address the implications of the Code through sample ethical scenarios. Examine ethical questions that frequently pose dilemmas for practicing planners in the political context in which they operate and the impacts those decisions may have on the public interest.
Speakers
- Peter Feroe, AICP, Vice President, Planning and Land Development, AKRF, Inc.
- Gina Martini, AICP, ENV SP, Senior Project Manager, VHB
- Valerie Monastra, AICP, Principal Planner, Nelson, Pope & Voorhis, LLC
- Abigail Rudow, AICP, Senior Environmental Planner, VHB
Session 2 | JI Lecture Hall
Ethics in Land Use Practice: Guiding Principles for Attorneys and Land Use Board Members
This program will focus on recognizing and resolving ethical issues while avoiding conflicts of interest in the land use context.
Speakers
- Wade Beltramo, Esq., General Counsel, New York Conference of Mayors
- Steven G. Leventhal, Esq., Partner, Leventhal, Mullaney & Blinkoff, LLP
- Rhea N. Mallett, Esq., Partner, McCarthy Fingar LLP
- Victoria L. Polidoro, Esq., Partner, Rodenhausen Chale & Polidoro LLP
- Patricia E. Salkin, Esq., PhD, Senior Vice President, Academic Affairs and Provost, Graduate and Professional Divisions, Touro University
10:00 a.m.–10:15 a.m. | Welcome
Jessica A. Bacher, Esq., Executive Director, Land Use Law Center
Tiffany B. Zezula, Esq., Deputy Director, Land Use Law Center
10:15–10:45 a.m. | Opening Keynote Session | JI Lecture Hall
The Story of Euclid v. Ambler in Ten Documents
Have you ever wondered why the Supreme Court gave its blessing to zoning—the ubiquitous system of local land regulation that we love to hate and hate to love? Professor Wolf will recount the fascinating story of Euclid v. Ambler from its humble origins in a small Cleveland suburb in the early 1920s to the surprising triumph of zoning in the nation's highest court a century ago.
Speaker
Michael Allan Wolf, Esq.
Professor of Law & Richard E. Nelson Chair in Local Government Law
University of Florida Levin College of Law
10:45 a.m.–11:00 a.m. | Morning Break
11:00 a.m.–12:20 p.m. | Breakout Sessions
Session 1
From Vision to Reality: Aligning Comprehensive Plans and Zoning for Effective Implementation
A comprehensive plan sets the vision—but zoning is where that vision either comes to life or falls apart. This panel will explore how plans and zoning are meant to work together, what happens when they don’t align, and how local leaders can navigate real-world tensions—such as when a proposal conforms to the plan but faces legislative resistance. Panelists will also tackle common implementation challenges, including whether zoning can or should precede a plan update, the role of development moratoria, and practical strategies to ensure comprehensive plans remain active tools rather than documents that sit on a shelf.
Session 2
Beyond the Border: Why Local Zoning Needs Regional Vision
Local zoning laws often stop at municipal borders, but housing shortages, traffic congestion, and environmental crises do not. This panel explores the critical mismatch between hyper-local land-use decisions and the regional scale of modern economic and environmental challenges. Industry experts, urban planners, and policymakers will discuss how fragmented zoning creates systemic inequities and stalls critical infrastructure. Attendees will learn actionable strategies to bridge the gap between local autonomy and regional prosperity through cross-border collaboration, unified transit-oriented development, and state-level frameworks.
Speakers
- Andrew Buck, AICP, ENV SP, Senior Urban Planner & Technologist, VHB
12:20 p.m.–1:00 p.m. | Lunch | JI Omni Room
1:00 p.m.–1:45 p.m. | Keynote and Award Presentations | JI Lecture Hall
Speaker
Carol Coletta
Bloomberg Public Innovation Fellow
Bloomberg Center for Public Innovation at Johns Hopkins University
2:00 p.m.–3:20 p.m. | Breakout Sessions
Session 1
When the State Steps In: Navigating Preemption and Limitations to Local Control in New York
As New York advances priorities in housing, clean energy, and environmental review, local governments are increasingly navigating the limits of their authority. This panel will examine how state and federal frameworks—including RLUIPA, SEQRA, housing mandates, and clean energy laws—can preempt or constrain local decision-making. Panelists will discuss where local discretion remains, how conflicts are resolved in practice, and strategies for municipalities to effectively operate within an evolving legal landscape.
Speakers
- Donald L. Elliott, Esq., FAICP, Senior Consultant, Clarion Associates, LLC
- Maximillian R. Mahalek, Esq., Associate, Cuddy & Feder LLP
- Daniel A.Spitzer, Esq., Partner, Hodgson Russ LLP
Session 2
Zoned for Growth: Connecting Community Goals and Infrastructure Planning
Comprehensive plans and local zoning laws often dictate where a community wants to go, but without infrastructure, those plans stall. "Zoned for Growth" tackles the mechanics of how municipalities can directly align their local land use laws with infrastructure planning. Attendees will learn how understanding the infrastructure framework and capacity, updating zoning codes, and coordinating capital improvement plans can turn infrastructure into a tool for sustainable growth, rather than a barrier to it.
Speakers
- Mary Beth Bianconi, Partner, Delaware Engineering, DPC
- Christopher B. Fisher, Esq., Partner, Cuddy & Feder LLP
- Michael N. Romita, President & CEO, Westchester County Association (Moderator)
3:20 p.m.–3:35 p.m. | Afternoon Break
3:35 p.m.–5:00 p.m. | Law Update Session | JI Lecture Hall
Lessons from Luminaries of Land Law: Latest and Greatest Decisions
Once again, the shamans of land use law, some who have wandered in from the far corners of the world, like Florida, to divine the future by inspecting entrails, reading palms, poking at tea leaves, thumbing through Tarot cards, and sometimes actually reading all those boring cases. They will tell you what happened, what they, as pontificators extraordinaire, think it all means (these people are big thinkers), and what you need to watch out for. To top it off, this blatant bunkum and balderdash will be more entertaining than watching some fast-food restaurant applicant seeking a sign variance completely making up bogus claims of "practical difficulty and unnecessary hardship."
Speakers
- Carol N. Brown, Esq., Professor of Law, University of Richmond School of Law
- Donald L. Elliott, Esq., FAICP, Senior Consultant, Clarion Associates, LLC
- Dwight H. Merriam, Esq., FAICP, Attorney at Law
- Michael Allan Wolf, Esq., Professor of Law & Richard E. Nelson Chair in Local Government Law, University of Florida Levin College of Law
- Michael D. Zarin, Esq., Partner, Zarin & Steinmetz