Perspectives From Planner-Politicians

Planners can add a completely different -- and useful -- perspective in political roles at all levels.

Back in 2022, I was asked by the American Planning Association’s Planning Magazine team to write a story about people with urban planning backgrounds who transitioned into political roles. I did interviews with politicians at the federal level — Former Secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Henry Cisneros; at the state level: Florida State Senator Bobby Powell, AICP; and the local level: Chicago Alderman Daniel La Spata, Los Angeles Council Member Nithya Raman, and Phoenix Council Member Debra Stark, FAICP.

I had a great experience conducting these interviews. They were enlightening. However, if there was any regret I had about the article, it would be not including some commentary from State Senator Bobby Powell and former HUD Director Henry Cisneros on the role of state and federal government in local matters. That’s an issue that arose in the 2024 presidential campaign, led by the Kamala Harris campaign, and perhaps answered by her defeat at the hands of Donald Trump earlier this month.

Nonetheless, I still think it was a solid article, and I invite you to take a look.

5 Planner-Politicians Discuss Housing Affordability, Zoning Reform, and Public Trust