AI and Planning

Speaker: Tom Sanchez, PhD | Professor of Urban Affairs and Planning at Virginia Tech
Time: September 22, 2023, 2:00 – 2:30 PM (CST)
Zoom Link: https://utexas.zoom.us/j/91425104430

Abstract: Interest in AI has exploded since the release of platforms like ChatGPT providing mainstream access to powerful content-generation capabilities. In this talk, I will share insights from my recent work on AI in Planning done in collaboration with the American Planning Association. I will briefly describe some current AI tools that have much to offer planners, and improve the planning profession’s existing practices and ways of thinking, ultimately offering better ways to create sustainable, equitable, and resilient communities.

About: Tom Sanchez is a Professor of Urban Affairs and Planning at Virginia Tech in the National Capital Region (Washington, DC/Northern Virginia) but will soon be joining the Department of Landscape Architecture and Urban Planning (LAUP) at Texas A&M University. He conducts research in the areas of cities, technology, and scholarly impact. Over the past few years, he has been working in collaboration with the American Planning Association on a series of surveys, papers, and reports addressing the impact of AI on the planning profession.