Sunday, November 8, 2026 – Tuesday, November 10, 2026

American Planning Conference 2026

Oklahoma In Focus

Planning Communities, Building Connections, Preparing for Change

Hilton Garden Inn Bartlesville · Bartlesville, OK

About the Conference

The American Planning Conference 2026 is designed to provide practical, relevant, and timely content for professionals and community leaders working to improve the places they serve.

Over three days, attendees will have opportunities to participate in educational sessions, keynote programming, peer discussions, networking events, local tours, and an awards ceremony recognizing excellence in planning and community development.

Whether you work in a large city, small town, rural community, regional organization, consulting firm, nonprofit, or public agency, this conference is built to support the work of planning better communities.

Who Should Attend

City planners and planning commissioners
City managers and municipal staff
Elected and appointed officials
Community development professionals
Engineers, architects, and design professionals
Economic development organizations
Housing and infrastructure partners
Consultants and private-sector professionals
Students and emerging planning professionals
Anyone involved in shaping the future of local communities

Conference Highlights

Mon, Nov 9 · 9:00 AM

Opening General Session & Welcome Remarks

Mon, Nov 9 · 9:30 AM

Planning With Water: Drought, Regional Supply, Reuse and Infrastructure - Ticket Required

How does a community plan for water when drought, regional supply, infrastructure costs, and long-term growth all compete for attention? This mobile workshop will use Bartlesville’s recent experience to explore the full water-planning picture—from drought response and regional reservoirs to the Caney River, wastewater treatment, reuse, and major capital investments. Participants will examine how smaller communities can build a diversified water strategy, balance reliability with affordability, and communicate difficult infrastructure decisions to residents and elected officials. The workshop is designed as a hands-on plannin

Mon, Nov 9 · 9:30 AM

Small Homes, Different Missions: Two Bartlesville Rental Communities - Ticket Required

Small homes can serve very different people, markets, and community goals—and Bartlesville offers two great examples. This mobile workshop will compare the Cottages at 6th Street, a 20-home community developed by Nehemiah Community Development with an affordability and neighborhood-reinvestment mission, with Gramercy, a privately developed rental community featuring tiny and small homes, cottages, bungalows, townhomes, and shared amenities. Participants will explore how financing, zoning, site design, parking, amenities, management, and target market shape each development. The goal is to move beyond the novelty of “tiny homes” and examine how compact housing can become a practical part of a broader local housing strategy.

Registration

Every category includes the welcome reception, both luncheons, breakfast, and break service.

Early Bird Full Registration

$300.00

Full conference registration at the discounted early rate.

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Full Registration

$325.00

Full conference registration at the standard rate.

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One-Day

$175.00

Attend a single conference day.

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Speaker Full Registration

$225.00

Discounted full registration for confirmed session speakers and panelists.

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Speaker One-Day

$125.00

Single-day registration for confirmed speakers and panelists.

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Student Full Registration

$125.00

Full conference registration for currently enrolled students.

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Student One-Day

$75.00

Single-day registration for currently enrolled students.

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Student Volunteer

$125.00

For students working a volunteer shift. Enter the promo code supplied by the volunteer coordinator to register at no charge.

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The Venue

All conference programming is at the Hilton Garden Inn Bartlesville — plenaries and meals in the Century Ballroom, with three concurrent education tracks in Plaza North, Plaza South, and Green Country. Exhibits and breaks are in the Ballroom Foyer.

205 SW Frank Phillips Blvd, Bartlesville, OK 74003

Lodging & room block Directions & venue info

Why Bartlesville?

Bartlesville is a place where planning, architecture, industry, and community history come into focus. Frank Lloyd Wright's Price Tower, the historic Frank Phillips Home, and Woolaroc connect the city's oil-era growth with landmark architecture, preservation, cultural stewardship, and regional identity — giving planners a rare opportunity to see how the decisions of one generation continue to shape the built environment and community life of the next.

From a downtown shaped by ambitious twentieth-century architecture to a 3,700-acre cultural landscape in the Osage Hills, Bartlesville is a fitting setting for Planning Communities, Building Connections, Preparing for Change. These places invite conversations about adaptive reuse, historic preservation, public realm investment, heritage tourism, economic transition, and how communities carry their identity forward.

Restaurants & attractions Parking & accessibility