Planning Florida’s Future: FDOT’s Chief Planner Alison Stettner Delivers 2026 Bartley Lecture
The University of Florida Department of Urban and Regional Planning (UF URP) welcomed Alison Stettner, AICP, chief planner for the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT), as the speaker for the 2026 Ernest R. Bartley Memorial Lecture. Stettner is a UF URP alumna and the first AICP-certified planner to serve as FDOT’s chief planner.
The annual lecture honors Ernest R. Bartley, a founding faculty member and distinguished professor whose work shaped the field of urban planning. Over his career, Dr. Bartley helped write Florida’s 1985 growth management act and taught generations of students what it means to be a planner. This year’s lecture follows a successful accreditation cycle, in which UF URP earned a seven-year Certificate of Accreditation from the Planning Accreditation Board (PAB).
Held in the UF College of Design, Construction and Planning’s new Bruno E. and Maritza F. Ramos Collaboratory, the lecture, titled “Planning Paradigms and Plot Twists,” explored the planning methods FDOT uses and how the agency relies on data to address transportation priorities and problems. Stettner opened by describing how FDOT uses data and trends to anticipate the state’s transportation needs.
“Yesterday’s trends are the first step in anticipating tomorrow’s needs,” Stettner said. “They’re not the only thing we need, but they’re a good start to understanding how we’ve grown, who we’ve become and why we’re becoming that way.”
She introduced FDOT’s Open Data Hub, a public platform for exploring and downloading open geospatial data. Visitors can analyze and combine datasets using maps and build new web and mobile applications. The Hub offers insight into Florida’s population growth, employment, tourism patterns, economic changes, travel trends, emerging technologies and more.
Stettner then showed how FDOT uses data to track growth as it happens, allowing the agency to shift from reactive to proactive planning and make targeted investments for maximum impact. Drawing on a visualization of the state’s residential growth from 2020 to 2024, she explained how these datasets help FDOT prioritize community needs and stay ahead of the curve.
“We need to make the right investments in the right places at the right time,” Stettner said. “This data helps us communicate with politicians and communities across Florida and advise them on how to manage rapid growth and the transportation issues that come with it.”
Stettner also outlined FDOT’s planning methodologies, beginning with the Florida Transportation Plan, which sets the statewide vision, goals and policy direction for all modes of transportation. Supporting plans cover the Strategic Intermodal System, transit, rail, aviation, seaports, freight, bicycle and pedestrian travel, strategic highway safety, transportation asset management and more. Together, these plans help identify local and regional needs and guide FDOT’s funding priorities, projects and programs.
“A key priority for transportation planning is ensuring that community and environmental needs are met,” Stettner said. “A lot of that work happens behind the scenes, out of direct view of the communities we work with. Our teams include engineers, scientists, biologists, conservationists and others who are working to keep pace with local growth that often outpaces the agency’s ability to manage it. We have to stay ahead of the curve to make sure growth is implemented properly.”
Community engagement was another central theme. Stettner encouraged residents to attend public meetings and share their opinions on proposed projects.
“We want young people as well as leaders in the communities we serve to have an impact on how their communities are managed and which projects are implemented,” Stettner said. “We really do want to hear from you. We want you to participate and be part of the conversation.”
She went on to discuss adapting to change, turning ideas into investments, navigating politics, communicating with clarity and the role of planners as change agents.
“Planners are the change agents in their communities,” Stettner said. “When you go out into the community, you are going to be making a difference. You’re the technical expert and the trusted advisor to local government boards. It’s imperative that you embrace that opportunity to guide them toward the best solution for the situation.”
Watch the full lecture recording.
