Blogs

May 15, 2023

Practical Tips to Foster Diversity and Inclusion in Your Workplace

Understanding the barriers to diverse planners' recruitment, retention, promotion, and leadership. How employers can promote a welcoming environment and encourage access to opportunities for career growth.

May 2, 2023

Planning for Biodiversity in the Face of Climate Change

As stewards of the urban ecosystem, planners can integrate habitat preservation and wildlife movement in an urban environment. A proposed Wildlife Ordinance in the City of Los Angeles aims to protect wildlife habitat and connectivity in its most ecologically significant areas.

Creating a Collaborative Diversity-Oriented Internship Program

Equity in Practice: Five planning firms create a joint internship to help create a diversity-oriented internship program.

How to Integrate Climate Equity Into Planning

Uncovering JAPA: Apply three aspects of equity to make the climate action planning process more inclusive.

October 26, 2022

Planning With Nature at the Center

The vision of life in a biophilic city is one where we are not separate from nature, but intimately embedded within it.

August 25, 2022

Three Ways to Build Support for Community-Centered Climate Planning

Uncovering JAPA: Strategies for building local support for planning climate action.

Professional Inequality Within Urban Planning

Uncovering JAPA: Planner Eun Jin Shin investigates representation and wage gaps within the planning profession.

May 19, 2022

Learning from London’s Transition to Sustainable Modes

Uncovering JAPA: Learning from London's transition to sustainable transportation modes.

May 2, 2022

Addressing the Multifaceted Threats of Extreme Heat

Uncovering JAPA: A survey of U.S. planners reveals how they are preparing for and responding to the dangers of extreme heat, with responses showing slight regional variations.

University of Florida Department of Urban and Regional Planning Celebrates Women in Planning

Sponsored Content: The University of Florida Department of Urban and Regional Planning is highlighting two of our alumnae, Jennifer Krouchick and Lian Plass.

April 11, 2022

Decarbonization Through Development Regulations

Spotlight on Zoning Practice: How are communities using zoning and other development regulations to mitigate climate change?

Leading the Firm: Advice from Women Business-Owners

A Q & A with two women planners who started their own businesses. Together they reflect on their personal career paths, the unique perspective women-owned businesses can bring, and their advice to the next generation of women planners.

Leading Women in Planning

In Greensboro, North Carolina, three AICP-certified women discuss their personal journeys into planning and the value of AICP.

February 24, 2022

How Planning Mandates Spur Florida's Climate Action

Uncovering JAPA: Understanding the outcomes from climate mandates to address sea level rise in Florida.

Hiring Neurodiverse People to Enhance Planning Teams

Awareness of neurodivergence, conditions such as ADHD, autism, dyslexia, dyspraxia, are on the rise, though the needs of neurodivergent people in the workplace are still widely misunderstood. Gala Korniyenko, Ph.D. co-creator of APA's Planning for Underserved Populations Interest Group shares how to broaden your EDI efforts to include the neurodiverse.

Welcoming the Voices of Planning: Advancing Equity

Last year, APA Florida’s Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Committee launched a survey to better understand the intersection of experiences and the work of planning in Florida in relation to equity, diversity, and inclusion. The survey results and a panel discussion were shared via a webinar.

Need for Diversity and Inclusivity in the Workplace

Uncovering JAPA: The experiences of African American/Black and Hispanic/Latin/o/a/x planners illustrate it is necessary to increase diversity in the workplace but also create inclusive work environments.

Getting Started With EDI in Your Office

Equity, diversity, and inclusion initiatives are about translating values into actions. During an APA Learning Circle, facilitators Elizabeth "Libby" Tyler, FAICP, and Miguel Vazquez, AICP, led a conversation with representatives from different sized offices as they shared their EDI initiatives.

July 13, 2021

States Take Aim at Carbon Emissions and Climate Consequences

State governments are finding new ways to amplify local and regional planning efforts that take aim at curbing harmful carbon emissions and ensuring climate impacts do not disproportionately burden underserved communities. Here is a look at some actions states are taking to help communities secure net-zero futures.

February 16, 2021

Chicago Sells Vacant Parcels For $1 and Nets Crime Reduction

Chicago's policy of selling vacant lots at a very low cost to adjacent landowners and other purchasers with local connections has resulted in a reduction in neighborhood crime.

January 26, 2021

Action Already Underway for 2021 Legislative Priorities

The beginning of the Biden administration and the 117th Congress have been marked with quick action on many of APA's top legislative priorities for 2021.

December 18, 2020

Do Planners Know Plan Integration Can Improve Local Resilience?

APA is partnering on a research project that asks planners what they think of planning integration and its potential for building community resilience.

Adopting Racial Equity Frameworks in Planning Organizations

Uncovering JAPA: What can planning departments do to adopt an organizational racial equity framework?

Concerned About Planning Equity? Start With Your Office

Uncovering JAPA: Step one in planning for equitable outcomes: create an equitable workplace.

July 23, 2020

Planning for Climate Change, Planning for Communities

Uncovering JAPA: Can large-scale climate action coexist with community-based planning? One JAPA author says they can and they must.

July 9, 2020

7 Ways to Plan a Stronger Climate Change Response

Uncovering JAPA: Current climate action plans are insufficient for the mounting climate crisis. Get seven principles to help bolster and fill the gaps in these plans.

Congress Looks to Planning as a Climate Crisis Solution

A new congressional climate action plan positions planning as one solution to tackling climate change. APA supported the creation of the plan by contributing ideas for how federal climate policy can set the context for effective local and regional plans.

June 18, 2020

When Climate Resiliency Is More Than an Afterthought

Uncovering JAPA: Affordable housing and resiliency must coexist. How can low-income households weather the storm?

June 11, 2020

Sustainability Plans Can Be More Than Just Talk

Uncovering JAPA: Investing in a sustainability plan means investing in the future.

June 4, 2020

A Simple Path to Sustainable Transportation

Uncovering JAPA: Shared autonomous vehicles will be part of the future, but do we need them to achieve sustainable transportation?

April 16, 2020

Simplifying Coastal Planning for Small Cities

Uncovering JAPA: How can small coastal cities plan for climate uncertainty?

April 2, 2020

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.

Regional Planning Can Help With Environmental Impacts of Warehouses

Uncovering JAPA: How can planning help regulate the disproportionate concentration of e-commerce-related warehouse facilities in greenfield sites?

February 3, 2020

3 Top Issues for Planners in 2020 State Legislatures

As 2020 state legislative sessions start up, here are three top issues for planners.

December 11, 2019

Revisiting Arnstein’s Ladder: Justice as Parity of Participation

Uncovering JAPA: How can planning toward participation have a transformative effect on social equity?

Street Air on Earth Day

Members of the Street Air Project have studied the air pollution problem in Bay View, California, with the goal of quantifying the issues and seeking scientific and planning-related solutions.

July 31, 2018

Meeting the Housing Challenge in Norfolk as Sea Levels Rise

Norfolk, Virginia, is facing unique housing challenges from sea-level rise. Planners there are working to give residents more housing options in low-risk flood areas.

Climate Adaptation: Climbing the Mountain Amid a Landslide

A new report assesses the current state of the climate adaptation field. Planner and author Jim Schawb says planners can bring their skills to the table and make a difference.

December 7, 2017

Planning in Uncertain Times and a New Agenda for the Future

To achieve greater social cohesion, inclusion, and safety in a society where the needs of all citizens are met, the approach needs to be comprehensive and have wide citizen support. Planning is the vehicle through which much of this vision can be achieved.

May 7, 2017

Planning for Resilience

As the triple threats of climate change, rapid urbanization, and globalization exert pressure on cities, many of those places are looking to be more resilient — now and 25, 50, or 100 years from now.

How Good Is Your Comp Plan?

At an NPC17 session, planners evaluated two city plans against the standards set out in APA's Sustaining Places Initiative.

February 27, 2017

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.

September 8, 2016

Can You Sue the Government for Climate Change Impacts?

Well, a lot depends on circumstances, and environmental law is seldom a simple thing. But the answer, according to Jon Kusler, a veteran in this field, may increasingly be yes.

The Environment Is Now Front and Center in Planning

The environment is now front and center in planning, writes Tom Daniels, author of "The Environmental Planning Handbook."

June 27, 2016

Parks Without Borders: A Free Vision for Urban Space

New York City Parks Commissioner Mitchell J. Silver, FAICP, discusses his plan for creating better access to neighborhood parks throughout New York and the country.