Commissions and Boards

APA is committed to helping planning commissioners and board members learn the techniques needed to make better communities.

Web Resources for You

Become an expert in a day: Use this web page as your gateway to becoming a better commission. Accelerate your learning options with flexible and affordable membership and subscription options.

Learn about APA membership and subscriptions

APA Can Help Your Commission Build a Better Community

Great planning commissions make great communities happen! Connect your planning commission with APA and they'll connect to a nationwide community dedicated to good planning. APA gives commissioners tested tools — publications, training events, networking opportunities, and other targeted resources — that will help their communities anticipate and plan for tomorrow.

Learn more about APA's many resources for local commissioners and enroll your commissioners as APA Planning Board Members or APA Affiliates.

With APA's help, your commission can meet the challenges of growth and change

Planning magazine

Planning cover APA's flagship magazine shows how creative planning programs and innovative techniques help create vibrant, sustainable communities. APA members may access articles from back issues of Planning published since 2002. Planning commissioner affiliates' access begins with more recent issues.

Read the full issue(membership or subscription required)

Join APA or subscribe

Training for Commissioners

National Planning Conference

Every annual conference contains a special track of sessions and workshops for planning commissioners and officials.

APA Audio/Web Conferences

Bring top-quality training right to your desk or conference room. We recommend the following courses for commissioners: Social Media and Ethics, Urban Agriculture and Food Systems Planning, and 2012 Planning Law Review.

APA Chapters

Many APA Chapters offer convenient local training in your state or area. Find out what kind of training is being offered by chapters around the country.

Planning Board Briefs

Planning Board Briefs is APA's specialty e-newsletter for planning board members and affiliates.

Learn more

Books, Reports, and CD-ROMs

Additional training resources for planning commissioners are available in a variety of topics and formats at APAPlanningBooks.com. Use the menu to search specific areas of the catalog or search by keyword.

Browse the bookstore

Browse for commissioner resources

The Commissioner

The Commissioner cover This quarterly newsletter for provides practical features and tips to help you make critical decisions in the best interest of your community.

Read The Commissioner right from your desktop. Recent issues in pdf format are available free to APA planning board members, affiliates, and subscribers.

Read The Commissioner online(membership or subscription required)

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Current Planning Commission Profile

The Boone County, Kentucky, Planning Commission draws members with varied backgrounds from throughout the 256-square-mile county on the Ohio River.

Current Commissioner's Voice

Bill Roschen, president of the Los Angeles City Planning Commission, welcomes commissioners to Los Angeles for the 2012 National Planning Conference.

Current Resource Finder

Recommended articles, books, and other resources featured in each issue of The Commissioner. Planning History is the topic for Summer 2011.

Resources on additional topics

Product Focus

The Citizen's Guide to Zoning

This helpful handbook covers the fundamentals every zoning commissioner needs to know. Even experienced commissioners will appreciate its jargon-free look at the best ways to develop zoning regulations and the nitty-gritty of zoning ordinances. You'll find nuts-and-bolts discussions of variances, zoning hearings, and the zoning problems most likely to land on your desk.

Shortcuts

APA provides many more web resources for planning commission and boards. Use this index to find additional documents.