Urban planning sets the stage for improving communities
From The Future. Built Smarter. by IMEG Corp.
April 2, 2026 · 17 min · Episode 79
About this episode
Susan VanBenschoten discusses the importance of urban planning in community development and infrastructure.
Susan VanBenschoten, IMEG Director of Urban Design, Planning, and Engagement, joins host Joe Payne to discuss the expansive services and expertise of her team. With 40 years of experience in the community planning and civil infrastructure industry, Susan previously was CEO of FHI Studio, a large planning firm in the Northeast that joined IMEG in 2024, bringing a new service line to the firm. She frames urban planning as the critical foundation upon which successful infrastructure and community outcomes are built. This early-stage focus, she says, defines what a project is before it advances into design, policy, or implementation. “Urban design and planning is really an umbrella of dozens of different services that are integrated during the planning process,” she explains. These services reside in five major groups: transportation planning, engineering, and design; community planning, land planning, and urban design; environmental planning, resiliency planning, and permitting; landscape architecture; and community engagement—which is, Susan adds, “part and parcel to all the rest of the planning that we do.” These services are used in various combinations, based on the needs of a…
People in this episode
Host: Joe Payne
Guest: Susan VanBenschoten
Topics covered
- urban planning
- community engagement
- infrastructure
- civil engineering
- environmental planning
Keywords
- urban design
- community planning
- transportation planning
- land planning
- environmental planning
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: IMEG Corp, FHI Studio
More episodes of The Future. Built Smarter.
- WCAP Part III: The structural trail to net zero carbon by 2050 · May 22, 2026 · 18 min
- WCAP Part II: Climbing the mechanical mountain to net zero carbon · May 1, 2026 · 10 min
- Net zero carbon on all projects by 2050? IMEG has a plan · April 15, 2026 · 20 min
- From scholarship recipient to designer: ‘Every day I’m learning something new’ · January 30, 2026 · 11 min
- Planning early is critical for achieving mass timber’s benefits · January 16, 2026 · 23 min
- Small modular reactors: A potential new power source for industrial · October 22, 2025 · 17 min
Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the The Future. Built Smarter. podcast page.