American Planning Association

American Planning Association
Name	American Planning Association
Abbreviation	APA
Formation	1978
Type	Professional association
Headquarters	Chicago, Illinois
Region served	United States
Membership	professionals and students in planning
Leader title	President

Contents

American Planning Association The American Planning Association is a United States-based professional association for urban and regional planners, linking practitioners, academics, and public officials across U.S. cities such as New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, San Francisco and Washington, D.C.. The association interfaces with institutions like the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the National Trust for Historic Preservation, the Urban Land Institute, the National League of Cities and state planning agencies in California, New York (state), Illinois, Texas and Florida. APA publishes practice guidance used by planners engaged with projects related to Interstate Highway System, New Urbanism, Transit-oriented development, Brownfield remediation and Historic preservation initiatives.

History

APA traces roots to predecessor organizations shaped by early 20th-century planning debates in contexts such as the City Beautiful movement, the Garden City movement, the Burnham Plan of Chicago and the aftermath of the Great Depression. Founding activities intersected with work by figures associated with the Regional Plan Association, Clarence Perry, Lewis Mumford, Jane Jacobs and municipal reformers in Boston, Cleveland and Detroit. The 1970s consolidation that led to formation involved negotiations among the American Institute of Planners, the American Society of Planning Officials, and allied groups responding to federal initiatives like the Housing Act of 1949 and environmental statutes following the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969. APA’s development paralleled landmark events including the expansion of Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority projects, renewal debates around Pruitt–Igoe and litigation such as Penn Central Transportation Co. v. New York City.

APA is organized into a national office in Chicago, Illinois and local chapters across California, New York (state), Texas, Pennsylvania, Ohio and other states, with sections that align with metropolitan regions like Greater Boston, Los Angeles County, San Francisco Bay Area and Puget Sound. Governance includes an elected board with officers who have served in municipal roles in Minneapolis, Seattle, Portland, Oregon, Philadelphia and Denver. Committees coordinate with federal agencies including the Environmental Protection Agency, the Federal Transit Administration, the Department of Transportation and the Department of Homeland Security on topics such as resilience initiatives after events like Hurricane Katrina and programs tied to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. APA maintains professional practice divisions that collaborate with academic partners at institutions such as Massachusetts Institute of Technology, University of California, Berkeley, Columbia University, University of Pennsylvania and University of Michigan.

Membership spans professionals, students and retirees from municipal planning departments in New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago and smaller jurisdictions such as Boulder, Colorado and Asheville, North Carolina. APA supports the American Institute of Certified Planners credentialing process through the AICP Certification pathway, working with certification frameworks influenced by accreditation standards from the Planning Accreditation Board and curricula at Harvard Graduate School of Design, University of California, Los Angeles and Cornell University. Members engage in continuing education tied to topics addressed in cases like Kelo v. City of New London and statutes including Zoning enabling acts in states such as Illinois and California. The association has conferred awards and recognition akin to honors presented by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, the Royal Town Planning Institute and regional bodies in Ontario and British Columbia.

APA engages in advocacy on issues such as land use regulation, infrastructure funding, resilience planning and housing policy, interacting with legislative bodies like the United States Congress, state legislatures in California and New York (state), and local councils in cities including Seattle and San Francisco. The association files comments on regulations issued by the Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of Transportation and the Department of Housing and Urban Development, and partners with coalitions including the National League of Cities, the U.S. Conference of Mayors and the American Society of Civil Engineers on infrastructure assessments and reports following disasters such as Hurricane Sandy. APA’s policy agendas reference landmark federal measures including the Interstate Highway Act and programs linked to Community Development Block Grant funding streams overseen by HUD.

APA organizes national conferences and regional meetings that attract planners, academics and public officials from New York City, Chicago, Washington, D.C. and international participants from London, Toronto, Sydney and Tokyo. Signature events include the National Planning Conference, topical symposia on subjects such as Climate change, Affordable housing and Transportation planning, and collaborative workshops with organizations like the American Institute of Architects, the National Trust for Historic Preservation and the Urban Land Institute. Conferences feature keynote speakers drawn from municipal leaders in Boston, state governors, federal officials from HUD and scholars from MIT and Columbia University.

Category:Professional planning organizations in the United States