Celebrating 50 Years of Florida Planning: Annual Bartley Lecture Reflects on the Past and Looks Ahead to the Future
The University of Florida’s Department of Urban and Regional Planning recently hosted the 2025 Bartley Lecture, “Looking Back, Looking Forward: 50 Years of Florida Planning” at the Cade Museum in Gainesville. The annual lecture celebrates the legacy of URP department founder and Professor Emeritus Ernest R. Bartley.
This year’s lecture coincided with the department’s 50th Anniversary and featured a panel of alumni who reflected on the department’s legacy, the evolution of planning in Florida over the past five decades, and the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead.
Interim Department Chair Dr. Laura Dedenbach noted that this year’s panel-style lecture was a shift from previous years, which typically featured a single speaker.
“To celebrate the department’s 50th Anniversary, we wanted this year’s Bartley Lecture to feel truly special,” said Dedenbach. “We were fortunate to bring together a panel of distinguished alumni to reflect on the past, present, and future of planning in Florida.”
Each of the five alumni panelists represented a decade of Florida planning from the 1980s to the present and specialize in a variety of areas from transportation planning and community development to environmental policy and growth management.
From left to right:
1980s: Howard Nelson Head of Environmental Practice, Bilzin Sumberg Baena Price & Axelrod LLP
2000s: George Kramer, AICP, President, Inspire Placemaking Collective
2010s: Jarrell Smith, AICP, Transportation Planner, VHB
2020s: Haley Busch, Communications & Outreach Director, 1000 Friends of Florida
Each panelist delivered remarks on their time in the program, their professional experiences, and their views on the future of planning in Florida. The presentations were followed by an audience Q&A that explored topics like sustainable planning, natural disaster mitigation, growth management, and other planning issues.
Following the lecture was the department’s 50th Anniversary Celebration held at the Boxcar at Depot Park in Gainesville. Faculty, students and friends mingled and danced the night away to live music from across the decades.
Kyle Dost, Instructional Assistant Professor and MURP Online Director, said the event served as a reminder of the department’s strength and commitment to empowering the next generation of planners.
“Events like this remind us of the power and connection of our community within URP,” said Dost. “Hearing from alumni across multiple decades showcases the impact our alumni have had within their communities. It also reinforces how committed our department and faculty are to preparing the next generation of planners.”
Check out more photos from the event below.
For more information on the annual Bartley Lecture, click here.
