Blogs

August 21, 2017

Plan4Health Success Story: Active Transportation Community of Interest

Through Plan4Health, the Puyallup Watershed Initiative’s Active Transportation Community of Interest in Pierce County, Washington, aimed to increase access to transportation options and educate the community.

August 21, 2017

APA Ambassador and Teen Girls Celebrate Octavia Butler

APA Ambassador Daphne Lundi recently hosted a workshop in collaboration with the Brooklyn-based Octavia Project. Inspired by the work of Octavia Butler, the program builds on girls' love for science fiction and fantasy to teach skills in STEM and community building.

August 15, 2017

Can I Work Part-Time as a Planner?

Rick Willson, FAICP, answers a member question about part-time planning jobs, exploring the difference between permanent part-time work and gig-type employment.

August 14, 2017

Safe Routes to (More Than) Schools

APA's Planning and Community Health Center is partnering with the Safe Routes to School National Partnership, The Food Trust, and others to create strategies to help people walk, bike, and ride transit to where they access food.

August 13, 2017

Tell Your Representatives: It's Time to Fund THUD

Congress is home. Tell your representatives to fund THUD before the looming budget deadline and the start of FY 2018 on October 1, 2017.

August 9, 2017

Plan4Health Success Story: Building Wellness in Bensenville, Illinois

Through the Plan4Health project, B-Well Bensenville (Illinois) created an Active Transportation Plan and a Complete Streets Policy for the community to ensure that all residents can safely bike and walk to school and work.

August 8, 2017

Designing for Health: Expanding the Architect's Perspective

The American Institute of Architects, Westchester Hudson Valley, is expanding the role of architecture in community design, leveraging APA's Planners4Health initiative and participating in the Joint Call to Action for Healthy Communities.

July 31, 2017

Congress Makes (Slow) Progress on Transportation, Housing Spending

Both House and Senate are far behind in their work to put in place finalized spending for the fiscal year that begins on October 1, 2017, including allocations for housing and transportation.

July 30, 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 26, 2017

Should I Start a Consulting Firm?

For those who are interested in starting their own consulting firm, Rick Willson, FAICP poses some essential questions to ask yourself to determine your competitive advantage. There are risks involved in going on your own, but also great reward.

August 1, 2017

Pilot Projects Promote Equity and Green Infrastructure in Parks

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

July 24, 2017

Driverless Cars, Planning, and Architecture

Planners, architects, and related professionals gathered at the APA offices in Chicago to discuss the potential changes coming with driverless vehicles.

July 21, 2017

Interior-EPA Spending Bill Presents Mixed Bag for Planning

The full House Appropriations Committee has advanced its FY18 spending bill for the Department of the Interior and the Environmental Protection Agency, and it's a mixed bag for planning priorities.

July 17, 2017

What Sessions Made the Top 10 at NPC17?

What sessions left NPC17 buzzing? Check out the list and catch them for yourself.

July 17, 2017

Transportation Planning Goes for a Ride in Cambridge, Massachusetts

APA Ambassadors Katie Lamoureux and Rachel Strauss McBrien lead students in transportation planning activities.

July 16, 2017

Fellowships Are Out There for Planners Like You

Wayne Feiden, FAICP, offers suggestions for mid- to senior-level planners on the process of winning a fellowship.

July 14, 2017

Why We Need to Pass a Law That Funds Urban Green Spaces

Representative Nanette Diaz Barragán recently introduced the Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership Program Act of 2017, a bill that would codify funding for the development of urban parks, green spaces, and recreational areas in communities across the country.

July 12, 2017

LGBTQ Pride Month Ends, LGBTQ Streetscapes Just Beginning

Perris Straughter of APA's LGBTQ and Planning Division examines the role planners play in communities that celebrate and strengthen LGBTQ culture through the built environment.