Georgia Planning Association

Georgia Planning Association
Name	Georgia Planning Association
Abbreviation	GPA
Formation	1950s
Type	Professional association
Headquarters	Atlanta, Georgia
Region served	Georgia (U.S. state)
Leader title	President

Contents

Georgia Planning Association The Georgia Planning Association is a professional association for urban and regional planners in Georgia (U.S. state), promoting planning practice, policy, and professional development across metropolitan areas such as Atlanta, Savannah, Augusta, Macon, and Columbus. It connects members who work in municipal, county, and regional agencies, nonprofit organizations, and private firms that engage with planning issues related to initiatives like the Atlanta BeltLine, the Savannah River Parkway, the Peachtree Street corridor, and regional efforts linked to federal programs such as the Community Development Block Grant and the Federal Highway Administration partnerships. The association liaises with national bodies including the American Planning Association, state entities such as the Georgia Department of Transportation, and academic institutions like Georgia Institute of Technology, University of Georgia, and Georgia State University.

History

The organization traces roots to mid-20th-century civic movements that responded to postwar growth in Atlanta, suburbanization in the MARTA service area, and regional planning debates over projects like the Interstate 285 ring and the Savannah Harbor Expansion Project. Early leaders included planners who had worked on cases involving the National Environmental Policy Act reviews, collaborations with the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development, and municipal redevelopment efforts in Richmond County and Fulton County. The GPA evolved alongside national trends shaped by the American Planning Association and landmark events such as the rise of new urbanism initiatives championed in places like Seaside, Florida and debated in state capitol forums in Atlanta. Over decades the association engaged with statewide legislation, regional commissions such as the Atlanta Regional Commission, and academic research produced at institutions such as Emory University and the Savannah College of Art and Design.

Governance is conducted by an elected board comprising positions analogous to boards in associations like the American Planning Association state chapters, with committees patterned after models used by the National Association of Regional Councils and local government associations such as the Georgia Municipal Association. Officers liaise with state officials in agencies like the Georgia Environmental Protection Division and coordinate with federal partners including the United States Environmental Protection Agency on planning-related grants. Decision-making follows bylaws modeled on nonprofit governance used by groups such as the Urban Land Institute and includes ethics guidance reflecting principles from the American Institute of Certified Planners.

The association provides continuing education consistent with certification requirements for planners who engage with programs from the American Institute of Certified Planners and regulatory frameworks like the Historic Preservation Tax Incentives guidance tied to projects in districts such as the Savannah Historic District. Services include technical assistance mirroring programs by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, policy advocacy analogous to efforts by the Trust for Public Land, and training modules similar to those offered by the Congress for the New Urbanism. It supports local planning initiatives involving transit investments linked to MARTA expansions, bicycle and pedestrian networks akin to projects in Decatur, and resiliency measures addressing hazards cataloged by the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Annual conferences bring together speakers from institutions and initiatives such as the American Planning Association national conference, research centers at the Georgia Institute of Technology and University of Georgia, and practice leaders from firms tied to projects like the Atlanta BeltLine. Regional workshops convene stakeholders from metropolitan planning organizations including the Atlanta Regional Commission and county planning departments in Gwinnett County and Cobb County. Events often feature panels with representatives from agencies such as the Georgia Department of Economic Development, nonprofit partners like the Local Initiatives Support Corporation, and funders such as the Kresge Foundation.

The GPA issues newsletters, technical guides, and model ordinances that echo resources published by the American Planning Association and research briefs produced by the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy. Publications address topics from zoning reform influenced by precedents in Portland, Oregon and Charlotte, North Carolina to stormwater management practices paralleling case studies from the Chattahoochee Riverkeeper and policy analyses similar to work by the Brookings Institution. Resource libraries include links to state statutes encompassed in the Georgia Code and records of case studies involving projects like the redevelopment of Atlantic Station.

Membership includes planners, elected officials, academics from Georgia State University and Kennesaw State University, consultants, and students involved with programs at the Savannah College of Art and Design and the University of Georgia College of Environment and Design. The association supports regional chapters and interest groups modeled after networks in other states, coordinating with county planning offices in Fulton County, DeKalb County, and rural planning councils that interact with federal programs administered by the United States Department of Agriculture. Members participate in mentorship programs reminiscent of initiatives by the American Planning Association and competitive awards similar to those granted by the National Planning Excellence Awards.

Category:Professional planning organizations in the United States