Community Assistance Program

The American Planning Association participates in a variety of projects and programs that provide direct support to communities. These range in scope from the free resources offered by APA’s website, to the Planning Advisory Service to Community Planning Assistance Teams and international assistance.

It also includes efforts of APA chapters and divisions, such as the City Planning & Management Division's planning department peer review program and the Community Planning Assistance Team program of APA's chapters.

Program Characteristics

Programs and activities within the Community Assistance Program have several characteristics in common. They: 

• Assist with place-based concerns.
• Further APA's key messages about planning: how planning fosters choices, creates places of lasting value, and enables citizens to make collective decisions about their communities' futures.
• Constitute a sustained effort on behalf of both the host community and APA.
• Engage members and foster relationships among constituents.  
• May include elements of social justice and equity.

Program Information

APA Website

APA's website, www.planning.org, contains thousands of pages of information about the planning profession and best-practice resources. While much of this information is free for the general public, additional resources (such as access to Planning magazine's archives) are restricted to APA's members.  

Planning Advisory Service

APA's Planning Advisory Service is a community of planners — the kind of neighbors who don't mind sharing the contents of their toolbox. PAS subscribers are a click or a call away from the best practices and innovative solutions they need to get the job done.

Community Planning Workshops

As part of the National Planning Conference, the American Institute of Certified Planners sponsors the Community Planning Workshop, a one-day event that engages community leaders, citizens, and guest planners in discussing and proposing specific solutions to urban planning challenges.

Community Planning Assistance Teams

Through Community Planning Assistance Teams, top experts from APA's membership volunteer their time and expertise to work with communities on a variety of focused planning projects around the United States.

International Assistance

APA members and their organizations provide leadership in addressing many planning issues on a global scale. Often, challenges and successes cross geographic, national, and institutional borders.  For decades, APA and its members have been providing technical assistance, training, and building capacity for the planning profession throughout the world, from China to Brazil, and beyond.

More Information

For more information on APA's Community Assistance Program, please contact CAP@planning.org.