Ryan Slattery, AICP, on Resilience, Community Trust, and Tough Conversations

How do you protect communities from intensifying floods, heat, storms, and other hazards when the words around those risks can shut the conversation down? In this episode of People Behind the Plans , recorded live at NPC26, APA Editor in Chief Meghan Stromberg talks with Ryan Slattery, AICP , a resilience and hazard mitigation planner in Houston, about what it takes to keep difficult conversations moving when trust is fragile, language is loaded, and the stakes are real. Drawing on more than a decade of work helping communities prepare for and recover from shocks and stresses, Ryan reflects on why “meeting people where they are” is not about avoiding hard truths. It is about finding the way into conversations that matter. Along the way, he shares what planners can learn from criticism, why the best engagement starts with listening, and how the work of protecting communities continues even when the vocabulary gets complicated. Ryan also offers a window into planning from inside a large engineering firm, where resilience work can be shaped alongside stormwater, transportation, and environmental expertise from the start. He talks about where AI may help planners make sense of complex information — and where human judgment still matters most — as well as the growing tensions around data centers, water, and the conversations communities cannot afford to postpone. And because Houston is never just a backdrop, Ryan makes the case for an NPC27 itinerary with bayou trails for hiking and biking, culture in every direction, and plenty of great food along the way. It is a conversation about resilience, community trust, and the uncomfortable moments that can make planners better at the work. Episode URL: https://www.planning.org/podcast/ryan-slattery-aicp-on-resilience-community-trust-and-tough-conversations/