Winners of APA's 2007 National Planning Excellence, Achievement, and Leadership Awards

The American Planning Association is pleased to announce the recipients of its 2007 National Planning Excellence, Achievement and Leadership Awards, which recognize the roles cutting-edge planning achievements and outstanding individual contributions play in helping create communities of lasting value.

Award recipients will be honored at a special awards luncheon April 17 during the APA 2007 National Planning Conference in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Also to be recognized at ceremonies in Philadelphia will be the recipient of the Secretary's Opportunity and Empowerment Award, which is presented each year by APA in conjunction with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Announcement of that award is expected in January.

Daniel Burnham Award for a Comprehensive Plan (co-awardees)

Ontario Growth Secretariat's Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
This plan provides for an innovative and coordinated approach to sustainable growth and development for the greater Toronto, Ontario, metropolitan region encompassing 110 different municipalities. The backbone of the plan is how it integrates land-use planning for the greater Toronto region with $7.5 billion (U.S.) in new infrastructure investment. Provisions of the groundbreaking plan include establishing minimum density levels for development wherever it takes place; keeping a 1.8 million-acre greenbelt in the heart of the area off limits to development; and coordinating land-use and transportation decisions.

PlanCheyenne
Cheyenne, Wyoming
This innovative comprehensive master plan for the Cheyenne, Wyoming, urban area integrates three distinct planning disciplines into one process — transportation planning; parks and recreation planning; and scenario-based land-use planning, urban character and urban design. Extensive use of interactive technology and the internet, along with cutting edge public participation strategies, were used to develop the plan. The plan also contains case studies from other communities and tools, ranging from incentive-based options to ordinances, to help implement the plan.

National Planning Excellence Awards for Best Practices (co-awardees)

The New Jersey Smart Growth Locator
Trenton, New Jersey
The Smart Growth Locator was created in 2003 as a free, on-line, consumer-driven, and user-friendly tool to help developers and consumers easily determine areas that are identified for growth according to the New Jersey State Development and Redevelopment Plan. By typing in an address, a user of the locator can find out whether a property or site is within a Smart Growth Area; the State Plan planning area and census tract where the address is located; and what New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency growth incentive programs would apply to that address or site.

At the same time, utility companies in the state also use the Smart Growth Locator to assess their utility financing. Over time, other state agencies are expected to use the Smart Growth Locator, enabling it to become a one-stop-shop for smart growth incentives. In this manner, New Jersey can address development in a consistent and comprehensive manner.

Protecting Florida's Springs: Land Use Planning Strategies and Best Management Practices Tallahassee, Florida
To help protect Florida's unique landscape of more than 600 freshwater springs, which has supplied potable drinking water to millions of residents, 1000 Friends of Florida has written and published the hands-on protection guide, Protecting Florida's Springs: Land Use Planning Strategies and Best Management Practice. The reference is both comprehensive and user-friendly, and is designed to encourage officials and citizens to work together to protect the state's natural springs at the same time allowing appropriate development to continue. To date five local jurisdictions where approximately one-third of the state's springs are located have taken strategies discussed in the manual and incorporated them into each community's respective comprehensive plan.

National Planning Excellence Award for a Grassroots Initiative

Corridor Housing Initiative
Minneapolis, Minnesota
To help neighborhoods accept affordable, higher density housing, a proactive planning and education process is being used by the nonprofit Center for Neighborhoods in partnership with the City of Minneapolis. The Corridor Housing Initiative calls on citizens to be partners in the development process through an educational process facilitated by a neutral team of experts.

Educational components of the initiative include an interactive block exercise that allows community members to consider different housing options and test whether they are financially viable. This process helps participants recognize why greater densities are oftentimes needed to make a project feasible. The eventual goal is to create market-based development objectives and guidelines that are endorsed by community partners because they are compatible with city goals as well as neighborhood interests.

National Planning Excellence Award for Implementation

Chattanooga Bicycle Planning
Chattanooga, Tennessee
Through partnerships and cooperation between public agencies and private organizations, advocates for using bicycles instead of cars to commute to work and run short errands in Chattanooga and neighboring Hamilton County have made steady progress. Since 2000, a $50,000 Chattanooga Bicycle Facilities Master Plan has been completed and adopted by 10 neighboring communities.

The plan provides a 20-year blueprint for $24 million in bicycle lane and route improvements in the region. Already $300,000 in federal Surface Transportation Program funds have been secured to create 28 miles of dedicated bike lanes and share-the-road bike routes, install bike racks on public buses and throughout downtown Chattanooga, and publish bicycling brochures and bikeway maps. There' also been a steady increase in the number of people riding bikes to work, to community events, and for recreation purposes.

National Planning Excellence Award for Public Outreach

Youngstown 2010
Youngstown, Ohio
Officials in Youngstown, Ohio, embarked upon a far-reaching marketing and public education campaign to build public support for the city's Youngstown 2010 vision and comprehensive plan. Everything from radio, newspaper and television coverage, to billboards, t-shirts, and balloons were used to get the message out and galvanize citizens to support and participate in development and implementation of the plan. Since 2002, for example, more than 5,000 people participated in the city visioning and planning process. To maintain momentum, a national advertising campaign is underway to attract new residents and businesses to Youngstown.

National Planning Excellence Award for Innovations in Neighborhood Planning in Honor of Jane Jacobs

Revitalization of Hannibal Square
Winter Park, Florida
Revitalization does not have to lead to gentrification as the redevelopment of Hannibal Square, a historic black neighborhood in Winter Park dating back to the 19th century, proves. The city, in partnership with its Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA), established a housing rehabilitation program to preserve existing, viable affordable housing in the neighborhood.

Other steps involve creation of the Hannibal Square Community Land Trust, which holds land in a 99-year ground lease. This allows residents to purchase quality homes at below-market rates compared with having to also purchase the land. The Railroad Residences, the first of their kind in the Southeast, are the most innovative component of the square. This portion of the revitalization effort involved replacing a dilapidated water treatment plant with a new, state-of-the-art plant and constructing affordable housing and other buildings that blend architecturally with the surrounding, upscale communities.

National Planning Achievement Award for Hard-Won Victories

Octavia Boulevard and the Central Freeway Replacement Project
San Francisco, California
Spanning 16 years and requiring three local referenda, Octavia Boulevard opened September 9, 2005. The new boulevard had once been part of the Central Freeway, a double-decker structure that blighted San Francisco neighborhoods, particularly Hayes Valley, for more than 40 years. In 1989, the Loma Prieta earthquake damaged the Hayes Valley portion of the freeway irreparably, causing planners, elected officials, and community leaders to craft a new alternative — the Octavia Boulevard and Central Freeway Replacement Project.

Among the project's many collaborators and partners were the California Department of Transportation, several San Francisco City departments, the San Francisco County Transportation Authority, and the Central Freeway Citizens Advisory Committee. In spite of ballot measures alternating between support and opposition for the project, financial obstacles, and jurisdictional battles, each challenge was addressed and eventually resolved. The result is a boulevard that is the first of its kind to be built in the U.S. in 80 years. It provides regional and neighborhood access, four center lanes for through traffic, two local lanes and a parking lane, landscaped medians, and a community park at the heart of a revitalized Hayes Valley neighborhood.

National Planning Landmark Award

Sanibel Plan
Sanibel, Florida
In 1976 the City of Sanibel adopted a land-use plan that has enabled the community to manage growth and development so as to not exceed the natural carrying capacity of Sanibel Island. Nine ecological zones on the island were identified and established to help planners designated appropriate land uses, intensity, and performance standards within each of the zones. The plan also led to one of Florida's pioneer growth management regulations, which allowed the city to control population growth so the island's infrastructure was not overburden and residents could be safely evacuated for hurricanes using a two-lane causeway. The growth restriction kept new housing construction on Sanibel to 9,000 units instead of 30,000 units as proposed by Lee County.

National Planning Leadership Award for a Planning Advocate

The Honorable Mayor Kay Barnes
Kansas City, Missouri
When Kansas City Mayor Kay Barnes took office in April 1999, support for downtown was at a record low. Plans for an entertainment district had been scrapped and long-time tenants were leaving downtown for the suburbs. That didn't stop the new mayor from putting forth a vision for a new Kansas City.

Through strategic partnerships and public consensus, Kansas City is becoming what the Mayor envisioned when first taking office, a city with "strong neighborhoods, a revitalized downtown, and a healthy economy." Approximately $4.5 billion has been invested in the revitalization of downtown to date, including development of a $275 million Sprint Center Downtown Arena and an $850 million "Power & Light" entertainment district that includes retail, multi-family housing, and community gathering spaces.

Other changes under Mayor Barnes's leadership include expanded Rapid Bus Transit service, increased tax spending for public infrastructure, an increase in the number of people living downtown, and significant progress towards building or rehabilitating nearly 20,000 houses, including affordable units and rental housing for at-risk populations.

National Planning Leadership Awards for Student Planners (co-awardees)

Michael Marcus (undergraduate student)
Cal Poly State University, San Luis Obispo, California
Michael Marcus has been interested in urban planning long before entering undergraduate planning studies at Cal Poly. At age 15, he served as a full-voting, at-large Parks and Recreation Commissioner in his hometown of Benicia, California, providing leadership to the community's first annual Youth Rights Workshop. Later, as a high school freshmen, he became student coordinator for a group of concerned citizens who joined together to save Benicia's historic arsenal district.

His enthusiasm for planning has become even stronger since then, both in and out of the classroom. Marcus's high academic marks have placed him among the top 15 percent of students at Cal Poly. He completed a planning-related internship with RBF Consulting during the summer of 2006, and participated with other students to develop the Templeton Downtown Plan, which received a 2006 California Chapter APA Planning Award. And his concerns about sustainability led him to spearhead formation of the Empower Poly Sustainability Coalition on campus.

Kevin Chastine (graduate student)
Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio
Kevin Chastine has shown exceptional enthusiasm for the field of planning, not only in the classroom, but through an internship, doing community service, and serving as president of the City and Regional Planning Student Association at Ohio State University. His strong work ethic led him to receive the two university planning program awards — the First Year Student Faculty Prize and the Outstanding First Year Graduate Student Award.

Typically students wait until the second year of the graduate program to begin taking studio courses, but Kevin has already participated in two studios, including work on rebuilding Mississippi gulf coast communities. He also has written articles for a university magazine, participated in a Planner's Day in School program involving sixth grade students, and raised funds to attend APA's National Planning Conference in San Antonio, Texas, in April 2006.

2007 HUD Secretary's Opportunity and Empowerment Award

American Street Empowerment Zone
The American Street Empowerment Zone is a surprising success story, surprising mostly because the change has occurred in just over a decade. It is, participants say, an example of what can be accomplished when urban renewal is bottom-up instead of top-down, when people help plan their neighborhood's future. The community's involvement in planning — and its innovative mechanisms to sustain — empowerment zone improvements in the blossoming American Street corridor impressed jurors from APA and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. HUD, in collaboration with APA, named the Philadelphia program the recipient of the 2007 HUD Secretary's Opportunity and Empowerment Award.

Legislators of the Year

Sen. Jack Reed
Since his election to the U.S. Senate in 1996, Jack Reed (D-R.I.) has remained a tireless champion for better access to affordable housing, and he has led the effort to preserve the low-income tax credit, a tool that has helped fund construction of affordable housing for more than three million Americans.

Sen. Reed has provided stellar leadership as a member of the Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee, which has broad oversight over U.S. financial institutions, monetary policy, and housing programs. He is a staunch advocate for creating a nationwide affordable housing trust with funds from mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Further, Sen. Reed is one of seven cosponsors of a bill, introduced in February, that provides cities and towns with the tools they need to find permanent housing for the homeless through the bipartisan Services for Ending Long-Term Homelessness Act.

Rep. Jerrold Nadler
U.S. Representative Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.) has served the interests of New York's diverse Eighth Congressional district since 1992. Rep. Nadler is a member of the prominent House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and chair of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties.

Both in his current role and as a New York State Assembly member from 1976 to his election to the U.S. House, Rep. Nadler has worked with community organizations to improve housing conditions and mass transit projects. His transportation expertise helped to solve traffic and transit problems in New York, and the congressman has worked to relieve congestion by expanding bus and ferry routes and improving subway accessibility in the city and region.

APA Journalism Awards

Large Newspapers (circulation above 100,000)
The Hartford Courant, Hartford, Connecticut
The winning entry was a series of editorials completed in 2006. Tom Condon was the winning editor. In granting the 2007 award, the judges noted the paper's "unusual and innovative approach" in devoting an entire Sunday editorial section to one topic: the roots and results of sprawl and some possible solutions. "The Courant presented the information clearly but with a lot of passion and conviction — with a call to action, telling the readers that it's unacceptable to continue with the status quo."

Medium Newspapers (circulation between 50,000 and 100,000)
Tallahassee Democrat, Tallahassee, Florida
The fast-growing state of Florida has faced water problems for many years. "Saving Our Springs," a three-part series published by the Tallahassee Democrat last June, went into detail about the pollution of the once-pristine Wakulla Springs near Tallahassee. The newspaper traced the problem to several sources: home septic tanks, farm waste, and irrigation with treated wastewater, among them. The winning writers were Jennifer Portman and Bruce Ritchie.

Small Newspapers (circulation under 50,000)
High Country News, Paonia, Colorado
Delving below the surface is what High Country News has done in uncovering the motives — and money — behind last year's eminent domain ballot measures. Ray Ring, the paper's Northern Rockies editor, wrote the winning articles, called "Taking Liberties." The series was published last July. "In a very cogent way, with a variety of stories, the newspaper showed how a libertarian approach to property rights is affecting the entire West," the judges said.

Journal of the American Planning Association Award

Best Article
"Targeting Investments for Neighborhood Revitalization" by George Galster, Peter Tatian, and John Accordino (Autumn 2006)
The judges noted that this article is the first evaluation of a city's effort to invest housing and neighborhood improvement resources in a targeted way rather than citywide. The complexity of the issue and the data challenges were enormous, and the authors' findings "should affect the direction of housing policy for years to come," the judges said.

AICP Student Project Awards

AICP Student Project Award — Application of the Planning Process
"Two Squares, One Place"
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Urban Studies and Planning
"Two Squares, One Place" is the plan for the Hyde/Jackson Square Main Streets District of Boston. Completed by a team of 13 graduate planning students in the "Revitalizing Urban Main Streets" class in the spring of 2005, the plan presents recommendations for economic development and urban design changes in this neighborhood commercial district. The project draws upon the strengths of the district, especially the proliferation of "mom and pop" type stores and the strong presence of diverse demographic groups, including concentrations of Latino, non-Latino white, and non-Latino black business owners and residents to offer a plan that unites the district into "one place."

Click here for details of the project and the names of the student participants

Click here for the project website

AICP Student Project Award — Contemporary Issue
"Going Public! Strategies for Meeting Public Restroom Need in Portland's Central City"
Portland State University, Toulan School of Urban Studies and Planning
"Going Public" reports on the existing condition of Portland Central City’s public restroom supply, demand, and need; provides an analysis of management, funding, and policy alternatives; and recommends options for meeting need. The project involved interviews with representatives from over 20 stakeholder groups representing a range of Portland Central City restroom interests, including neighborhood associations, social service organizations, city bureaus, land owners, and nonprofit organizations. Relief Works did case studies to gauge what other cities have done to address public restroom needs and conducted an assessment of Portland’s current public restroom facilities for safety, services provided, ADA accessibility, building components, and maintenance.

Click here for details of this project and the names of the student participants

Click here for a PowerPoint presentation

AICP Student Project Award — Applied Research
"Changing of the Guard: A New Vision for Fort Monmouth"
University of Pennsylvania School of Design, Department of City & Regional Planning
In Fall 2005, the U.S. Department of Defense announced the third round of military base closures under the Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) process, which included Fort Monmouth, in Monmouth County, New Jersey. The installation must cease operations by 2011, though estimates suggest it may close as early as 2008. "Changing of the Guard: A New Vision for Fort Monmouth" balances the needs of the host communities, the natural resources and critical environments on and around the fort, as well the economic and social realities in the region — all while considering the possibility that the federal government may choose to sell the entire site to the highest bidder. The plan includes recommendations for environmental and historic preservation, the creation of vibrant live-work-play centers for each host community, and important social and transportation connections between the new development and the region.

Click here for details of this project and the names of the student participants

Click here to visit the project website (view report and PowerPoint presentation)