American Planning Association - National Planning Awards

The National Planning Awards are managed by the American Planning Association (APA), which is an independent, not-for-profit educational organization that provides leadership in the development of vital communities. APA measures its success by the successes of its members and the communities they serve. There are several award categories, for example the Planning Agency Award.

Details of the Planningn Agency Award:

Eligibility: Open to nonprofit planning departments, organizations, and associations; open to APA members and nonmembers. Any agency that employs an APA member serving in a national leadership position is ineligible to be nominated.

Criteria: Quality. Demonstrate consistent quality of the agency's work. Describe how the agency's program of work has elevated awareness about planning and built community support for planning. Describe the number of staffers, their various roles, and if any members have specific certifications.

Outreach and Engagement. Demonstrate the agency's efforts and skills in engaging community members, business leaders and other stakeholders, and in resolving community conflicts with positive outcomes. Describe efforts undertaken to engage community members, especially those often overlooked, in planning processes.

Innovation. Describe how your agency has addresses concerns or issues within the community in a visionary or innovative manner. Specify how planning principles have been observed, especially in consideration of your entry's effects on other public objectives.

Implementation. Describe the program of work that has resulted in identified and meaningful outcomes that raise the quality of life for all citizens. Demonstrate the connection between planning and implementation with tools such as capital budgets.