City Planners discuss the future of Alaskan communities

City Planners from across the state are in Anchorage to discuss what Alaskan communities want to look like in the future.

That's the goal of the 7th Annual Alaska Planning Conference, which runs through Tuesday.

One unique feature for city planners in Alaska is the amount of people working on some projects, according to those at the conference Sunday.

For instance, where a team of 20 people may work on a single project in the lower 48, in Alaska, the jobs are often done by one person.

This includes considerations for transportation, zoning and businesses.

Laurie Cummings, a senior planner for HDR Anchorage said communities that implement their visions often leads to a boost in local economy.