PAS Memo Contributor Guidelines

PAS Memo is a bi-monthly, online publication of the Planning Advisory Service. The audience for PAS Memo is subscribing city and county planning agencies, consulting firms, nonprofit organizations, and libraries.

There are approximately 800 organizations that subscribe to the service, providing a PAS Memo readership of approximately 6,000 practicing planners.

Overview

PAS Memo focuses on cutting-edge planning issues as well as best-practice updates on nuts-and-bolts planning topics. It highlights trends in the field, notes research studies of interest to planners, and presents case examples from many aspects of planning practice, such as sustainability, growth management, economic development, environmental protection, and urban design, to name just a few.

Each issue is composed of one feature article, illustrated with photos or charts.

In-house staff review and edit articles. APA maintains copyright to all PAS Memo articles.

Articles are submitted electronically in a Word format (.doc, .docx). Length of articles should range from 3,500 to 4,500 words.

Articles typically follow this structure:

• an introductory section, providing an overview of the topic;

• an extensive discussion of the topic, covering key issues;

• sidebars such as case studies;

• recommendations and action steps for planners;

• a conclusion section;

• resources, with links;

• references (see references section below for citation format); and

• a short bio for the author(s). 

Because the publication is read by practitioners across the country, the articles need to present information that is transferable to various contexts, with the goal of answering the questions, "Why is this important for planners to know?" and "How can they apply this tool or concept in their communities?"

Artwork

In addition to text, each article will include artwork, such as tables, charts, and photographs, as appropriate, to support the story. All artwork should be titled and numbered (e.g., Table 1. Types of Review). Authors should provide caption and credit information for each piece of artwork.

The author must either hold copyright to the images provided or obtain permission from the copyright holder(s). APA will provide image use permission forms to be signed by all copyright holders.

Do not embed images into the Word file. All graphics must be submitted as individual files in a graphics file format (.jpg, .gif, .png, .pdf).

Artwork files should be at least 600 pixels in width, if possible. Avoid images with small embedded text, as text tends to become unreadable when images are resized for the web.

Resources

PAS Memo's electronic format makes a list of links to online resources for planners especially useful. Resources should include any planning documents or reports referenced in the text, as well as related websites or other documents providing further information on the subject to the reader.

References

PAS Memo does not use footnotes to cite sources or references. Instead, use the author-date system of reference fully described in The Chicago Manual of Style, 16th Edition (Chicago:  University of Chicago Press, 2010), chapter 15. For example:

Performance standards seem to have greater allure than ever before (Duerksen 1996, 41).

Alphabetize a "List of References" by the author's last name. Again, consult Chapter 15 of The Chicago Manual of Style, 16th Edition. APA uses the humanities style. For example:

Duerksen, Christopher J. 1996. "Key Legal Issues in Performance Standards and Zoning." Chapter 7 in Performance Standards for Growth Management, edited by Douglas R. Porter. Planning Advisory Service Report No. 461. Chicago:  American Planning Association.

Kendig, Lane, et al. 1980. Performance Zoning. Chicago: American Planning Association.

Lucy, William H. 1996. "If Planning Includes Too Much, Maybe It Should Include More."  Journal of the American Planning Association 60, no. 3: 305-18.

Submission Guidelines

The editors of PAS Memo welcome proposals. Once a proposal is accepted, the author will sign an agreement to prepare a manuscript for publication. The editors will notify the author of the article’s anticipated publication date, as well as the outline and draft manuscript deadlines.

Typically, an outline is due four months and the draft manuscript two months before the publication date. The author will also sign a copyright form for the article and any images. PAS Memo is released the first week of alternating months, beginning with January, six times a year.

For more information on submitting an article for PAS Memo, please contact the editors at pasmemo@planning.org.