Planning Through the Black Mirror

Seating is limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis. Due to the interactive nature of learning labs, only those with a seat may participate. Please arrive early to secure your spot!

Initiating conversations about technological change and its impacts on communities and planning practice can be daunting. To address the diverse applications of technology in planning and respond to member requests for guidance, the APA Technology Division has created an interactive card game — Planning Through the Black Mirror — to complement its upcoming planning technology handbook. The game helps planners explore hypothetical scenarios as a group to devise solutions that meet criteria for creativity, clarity, depth, and timeliness. For example, players might address a scenario about equitable access to a new, essential technology by proposing infrastructure or legal, outreach, policy, or regulatory solutions to resolve disparities.

The Tech Division play-tested the game prototype with tremendous success during the 2024 National Planning Conference, and NPC25 will host its formal debut to the planning community. This presentation introduces the game and technology handbook to a broader audience and and encourages planners to explore and discuss key technological trends and their impacts on communities and planning practice. Learn about the handbook's contents and case studies and discuss insights in relevant APA Trends Report, and play the game.