01/12/2026

Breaking Bread, Breaking Tradition: A Masterclass in Collaborative Planning

Webinar

If this session sounds familiar, that's because it is! Originally crafted for the 2025 State Conference, this session is back due to demand and a few technical glitches.

What happens when four planning firms ditch the pitch and come together? Real talk planners actually need—no competition, just collaboration. In this interactive session, four principals share hard-won lessons from the field, proving that collaboration and healthy competition can coexist to level up people and places. You’ll gain practical, ready-to-use insights on consultant-client alignment and visualization best practices; uncovering authentic community stories that humanize data and strengthen plans; and mobilizing partners, resources, and momentum to move from planning to implementation. Whether you’re a seasoned professional or a new planner, you’ll leave with actionable strategies, fresh perspectives, and renewed confidence in the power of collaborative planning.

Date: January 30, 2026

Time: 12:00 pm - 1:30 pm CST

CM Credits: 1.5

Cost: Free!

Click here to register through the APA Chapter Webcast Series.

Speakers:

Erin Cigliano, AICP is a Principal Planner & Creative Strategist at Teska Associates, Inc., where she brings nearly two decades of experience in community planning, engagement and design. Raised in Chicago by two artists, she has a deep appreciation for neighborhood planning and the power of arts, culture, and storytelling to foster connection. This passion drives her work, where she blends creative thinking, inclusive engagement, and data-driven insights to craft meaningful plans and strategies.

Marisa Schultz is a writer and urban planner with 20 years of experience in community outreach, planning, and branding. While at the City of Austin and through her work in neighborhoods from Detroit to Santiago, Chile, Marisa has worked closely with communities to ensure the public plays a vital role in creating people-centric places. Her work has been in featured in Next City, Bloomberg, the New York Times, and USA Today. Marisa has taught both undergraduate and graduate courses in sustainability, planning, and design at DePaul University in Chicago.

Nik Davis, LEED AP, NCI is a Principal at Houseal Lavigne with 20 years of professional design and planning experience. He oversees the firm’s versatile professional services work including planning, zoning, and geospatial service lines. Nik specializes in planning, urban design, and development/zoning regulations using a wide range of drafting techniques and software to deliver planning solutions. He approaches his role as a problem solver, acting to understand how a community’s challenges can be improved through planning policies and technical tools. Nik provides the connection between the planmaking process and final recommendations in a way that is elevated by high-quality illustrations and document layout using a breadth of software and workflows.

Adam Rosa, AICP is the Founder and Principal of COLLABO, a Chicago-based planning and urban design practice recognized for leading innovative and equitable neighborhood revitalization projects that yield positive outcomes and enhance the lives of local residents. Throughout his twenty-five-year career, Adam has dedicated himself to making a meaningful difference by serving communities in need and ensuring a significant positive impact through local empowerment and strategic implementation. He has had the privilege of collaborating with diverse neighborhoods across the nation, developing enduring strategies that reflect the culture, spirit, and potential of each locality.