Blogs

November 16, 2020

Incorporating Drones Into Planning Practice

City and regional planners are uniquely trained to consider the broader impacts to society of uncrewed aircraft systems like drones.

October 15, 2020

Changing Spaces Won’t Change Your Weight

Uncovering JAPA: Can making spaces more compact reduce obesity among young adults? It's not that simple.

October 14, 2020

Solar@Scale: Improving the Local Rules for Large-Scale Solar

APA has partnered with the International City/County Management Association (ICMA) on Solar@Scale, a new U.S. Department of Energy-funded project to help realize the potential benefits of large-scale solar development for cities, counties, and special districts.

October 8, 2020

When It’s Right to Rightsize

Uncovering JAPA: The Flint water crisis shows when it's right to rightsize.

May 7, 2020

A "Wheely" Good Way to Save Commercial Corridors

Uncovering JAPA: How do we bring back the commercial corridor? In Toronto, the answer might be more bikes and fewer cars.

Changing Climate Calls for Changing the Built Environment

Uncovering JAPA: Building water-efficient cities might let us stick to the rivers and lakes that we’re used to.

Painting a Richer Picture of Older Adults' Mobility Needs

Uncovering JAPA: Interviews, focus groups, and walking audits can be added to statistics to help create a full picture of the mobility needs of older adults.

Planners Can Collaborate on Drinking Water Improvement in Small Communities

Planners at the state, county, and community levels are in a unique position to help small and disadvantaged communities with their drinking water systems.

Washington Talks Infrastructure: Will This Time Be Different?

APA Policy Director Jason Jordan reviews the current state of legislative debates on infrastructure in Washington and explores the ways in which APA and its planning advocates are influencing policy ideas in the making.

May 13, 2019

Planners Adapt as Infrastructure Gets Smarter

Technology is changing the ways we commute and communicate. How is this evolution influencing the physical shared space around us and the way it is managed?

October 26, 2018

Planners at the Polls: Housing, Infrastructure on 2018 Ballots

State and local ballot measures are driving voters to the polls this fall. We are watching some key planning-related measures that could have an impact on your community.

This Year’s Big Planning Idea: Unlocking the Value of Land

Land value capture — the concept behind several mechanisms to finance infrastructure, affordable housing, and other key components of urban development — was rich food for thought at the 2018 Daniel Burnham Forum on Big Ideas.

October 2, 2018

FCC Decision on 5G Wireless Raises Flags for Local Planning

The FCC has issued a two-part order seeking to streamline the deployment of small cell infrastructure, raising concerns over the preemption of local control.

September 18, 2018

Water Managers, Planners Connect on Common Goals

Water and Planning Connect, a first-of-its-kind APA specialty conference, brought together planners and water professionals from across the United States as the first step in building a stronger foundation between the professions.

July 24, 2018

House Transportation Chair's Infrastructure Plan Includes Gas Tax Increase

House Transportation Chairman Bill Shuster proposes phased, temporary gas tax increases to fund infrastructure spending and an expanded grant program to fund projects.

July 19, 2018

Planning Resilient Urban Forests with i-Tree Landscape

i-Tree Landscape is a free geographic tool that uses tree information to aid local and regional planning for more resilient communities.

July 17, 2018

Pisces Foundation Awards Grant for Disaster Recovery

APA and its Foundation have been awarded a $50,000 grant from the Pisces Foundation. Funds will help support communities affected by recent hurricanes with their post-disaster recovery planning efforts.

May 18, 2018

Small (But Mighty) Cell: Perspectives from Indiana

Becoming a point of conversation and action in cities across the nation, Indianapolis and surrounding areas are among those where small cell towers are changing the way communities think about technology in their city.

May 17, 2018

Complete Streets + Green Infrastructure = Vital Streets

The City of Grand Rapids, Michigan, revolutionized its approach to designing, maintaining, and using its streets over the past five years. A program called Vital Streets has been central to improvement and evolution of transportation in the city.

May 14, 2018

TIGER Becomes BUILD

The next round of TIGER applications is here, and with it some noteworthy changes to the popular program. Learn about new shifts in the longstanding program and their likely impact on planners.

April 6, 2018

Green Schoolyards for Healthy Communities

What if every schoolyard was a green schoolyard? Multifunctional schoolyards can ensure kids' healthy mental, physical, cognitive, and social development.

April 4, 2018

Blue Bikes in the Big Easy

Blue Bikes, New Orleans's bike share system, was launched in December 2017. With 700 bicycles and 70 stations installed or coming soon, Blue Bikes service area includes all of downtown and a broad swath of neighborhoods from the Lower Garden District to Bywater, from the Mississippi River to City Park.

March 15, 2018

Infrastructure Remains a Priority, But Funding Still a Question Mark

APA's Policy Director Jason Jordan recaps the latest congressional overtures on an infrastructure package.

February 14, 2018

Infrastructure Plan Moves Debate Ahead, Fails to Address Funding

President Trump released his long-awaited infrastructure plan in conjunction with his FY 2019 budget proposal. While the plan pushes debate on infrastructure legislation forward, it fails to address serious funding concerns held by APA and others.

February 13, 2018

Administration's 2019 Budget Would Devastate Core Planning Programs

Once again, the Trump administration has proposed eliminating federal funding for programs central to good planning. APA believes such attempts only hurt communities, and urges planning advocates to voice their support for these vital programs.

January 31, 2018

State of the Union's Infrastructure Aspirations Lofty but Details Scant

APA's Director of Policy Jason Jordan recaps President Trump's first State of the Union Address, the planning issues discussed, and policy issues Congress must address in the days ahead.

January 23, 2018

Lay of the Land: 2018 State Legislative Sessions

By the end of January, almost 40 state legislatures across the nation will be in session. Get in the know about key issues and players likely to affect planning during the 2018 legislative season.

September 25, 2017

New Report Offers Integrated Approach to Water

APA's PAS Report "Planners and Water" introduces the One Water approach and prepares planners and decision makers to lead and respond effectively to emerging water challenges.

September 14, 2017

Touting TIGER's Benefits

In honor of the TIGER FY2017 Notice of Funding Opportunity, APA reached out to TIGER awardees who were recently granted funding and asked them to share the importance of TIGER to their communities.

August 29, 2017

Tackle the Data Tsunami with APA Water Planning Network Tools

American Planning Association's newest Interest Group — the Water and Planning Network — provides periodic updates on current research, leading practices, and tools related to planning for water.

July 31, 2017

Integrating Solutions: 2017 Community Planning Workshop in Howard Beach

The 2017 Community Planning Workshop brought planners together with Howard Beach, Queens, residents and stakeholders to identify strategies and approaches — including green infrastructure — for combating persistent flooding.

July 25, 2017

Pilot Projects Promote Equity and Green Infrastructure in Parks

Updates on Great Urban Parks Campaign pilot projects in Baltimore, Denver, Pittsburgh, and Atlanta.

March 22, 2017

Digital Coast Act: Protecting Our Coastal Communities

In a special Water Week guest post, U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin makes the case for why planners must tell their representatives to support the Digital Coast Act.

APA Part of New Collaboration to Promote Nature-Based Solutions

The Naturally Resilient Communities partnership has created a guide of nature-based solutions and related case studies of successful projects to help communities learn more and identify those solutions that might work best for them.

February 17, 2017

Economists Debate Proposals to Fund Infrastructure Investment

Economists gathered at a recent event hosted at the Brookings Institution to discuss the merits and shortcomings of various infrastructure financing proposals.

February 1, 2017

APA Members Want Local Infrastructure Improvements

Several APA members share what "improved infrastructure" would mean in their local communities.

February 1, 2017

Organization Leaders Share Hopes and Predictions on Infrastructure

Leaders of four national organizations predict what — if any — governmental action on infrastructure they anticipate for 2017.

January 11, 2017

Infrastructure in Focus: Resources to Strengthen Your Foundation in 2017

A round-up of APA resources on infrastructure.

October 25, 2016

Building a Cleaner, Greener Baltimore

Rep. John Sarbanes explains why federal, state and local efforts to improve access to green space in the City of Baltimore will lead to a healthier, more sustainable future.

September 30, 2016

Congress Advances Key Water Infrastructure Legislation

The Senate has passed the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA), which includes provisions to strengthen America's water infrastructure and resilience efforts. The House is now poised to debate its version of this bill.

September 29, 2016

How DO Planners Deal with Local Fracking?

A Summer 2016 JAPA article looks at how planners are dealing with the dangers and problems created by local fracking.

September 14, 2016

Better Transportation Plans, Better Communities

Deron Lovaas of the Natural Resource Defense Council looks at what the Federal Highway Administration's proposal to incorporate Green House Gas performance measures in transportation plans could mean for planners.

July 22, 2016

Using Green Coastal Infrastructure to Address Resilience

Nicole Faghin, LEED AP, a coastal management specialist at Washington Sea Grant, writes about the Green Shores for Homes project.

July 15, 2016

Chicago's Pullman Neighborhood Ventures into a Greener Industrial Age

Chicago's Pullman neighborhood is turning a new leaf with green rooftops from New York's Gotham Greens.

May 10, 2016

Inside Look: Grand Opening of KC Streetcar

For the first time in more than 50 years, streetcars are running along the streets of Kansas City. APA was on the ground for the grand opening to get the inside scoop.

May 3, 2016

Appropriations Work Stalls in Senate as THUD Bill Nears Final Vote

Work on the budget and appropriations ran into an obstacle last week in the Senate, throwing into question whether a vote on a robust Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development spending bill will happen.