Publications
Best practices for community engagement in today's federal landscape
Heightened immigration enforcement has changed who shows up. Across the country, fear of raids and federal scrutiny is keeping residents out of public meetings, workshops, and the everyday spaces where planning decisions get made. When whole communities disengage, plans miss the mark — and the consequences ripple outward into local businesses, workforce participation, and neighborhood investment.
On September 9, 2026, APA's Latinos and Planning Division and the Community Engagement Interest Group convened planners from Texas, Florida, California, and Minnesota to talk about what they've changed, what's working, and what they'd tell a colleague facing this for the first time. Highlights from the discussion are described below.
Planning Con Confianza Two-Pager
2024 Latinos Inclusive Engagement Guide
In 2024, the Latinos and Planning Division developed the Latino Inclusive Engagement Guide to equip planners across the nation with practical tools, strategies, and best practices for meaningfully engaging and collaborating with Latino communities.
The guide is grounded in the lived experience and professional expertise of planners from across the country, as well as insights from community-based organizations that are on the front lines of inclusive planning and advocacy. Together, these perspectives elevate approaches that are culturally responsive, trust-building, and rooted in equity.
The Latino Inclusive Engagement Guide is intended to support planners at all stages of practice as they work to create more inclusive, representative, and community-driven planning processes. The guide can be accessed by following the link below.
