Blogs

November 21, 2024

Three Takeaways for Climate Adaptation Planning

Uncovering JAPA: Explore how the Climate Navigators program shows how local knowledge, mental health support, and trust-building improve climate adaptation planning.

November 8, 2024

Planning Together for a Sustainable Future and Sufficient Homes for Our Communities

A joint statement from the Global Planners Network member organizations about the 75th anniversary of World Town Planning Day.

November 7, 2024

How Practitioners Define Sustainability

Uncovering JAPA: Discover how city sustainability leaders define their work, focusing on aspiration, collaboration, and resource sharing to drive local initiatives.

High Tides, Higher Stakes: Warren, Rhode Island’s Strategy to Keep its Residents Above Water (blog featured image)

October 21, 2024

Warren, Rhode Island, Planning Ahead For Rising Sea Levels

One of the smallest towns in the smallest state is set to get smaller with climate change, and planners in Warren, Rhode Island, are working on a managed retreat to prepare for it.

August 15, 2024

A Cold Shower is Not Heat Resilience

Uncovering JAPA: Learn how reframing urban heat as an infrastructure issue and engaging communities in planning can build resilience against rising temperatures.

June 27, 2024

Sustainable Development: Vision or Policy?

Uncovering JAPA: Discover how 20 years of sustainability emphasis has led to slow and uneven progress in implementing effective sustainability policies.

June 6, 2024

Property Taxes Cannot Fund Climate Adaptation in Florida

Uncovering JAPA: Explore Florida's coastal counties' fiscal vulnerability to sea level rise and the pressing need for alternative revenue sources and efforts.

May 1, 2024

Key Findings From the 2023 APA Member Equity Survey

Overview of key findings from APA's 2023 member equity survey.

January 25, 2024

Refocus Heat Action Plans To Mitigate Indoor Heat Risks

Uncovering JAPA: Study finds the importance of prioritizing building improvements over tree planting strategies for mitigating the risk of indoor extreme heat.

January 2, 2024

Greenhouse Gas Emissions Rule Finalized by Biden Administration

The Federal Highway Administration finalized an APA-supported planning rule for greenhouse gas emissions, including the release of a reduction tool to move climate change performance measurement forward.

December 13, 2023

Disaster Resilience Strategy and Leadership Vary Widely Among States

New research finds some have taken steps to plan and adapt, but others are lagging

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.

December 13, 2022

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.

November 17, 2022

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.

June 30, 2022

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.

April 13, 2022

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?

March 8, 2022

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.

January 25, 2022

Hiring Neurodiverse People to Enhance Planning Teams

Planners are increasingly aware of neurodiversity, focusing on fostering community engagement and advocating for inclusion in the workplace. Neurodiversity, encompassing variations like autism, offers a broader perspective on human differences, relevant to planning and the built environment.

January 24, 2022

Welcoming the Voices of Planning: Advancing Equity

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 concerning equity, diversity, and inclusion. The survey results and a panel discussion were shared via a webinar.

November 4, 2021

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.

August 17, 2021

Getting Started With EDI in Your Office

Learn how organizations are translating EDI values into actionable initiatives. Los Angeles and Denver, among others, are taking steps to promote diversity and equity. It also provides tips for expanding EDI efforts in small businesses and highlights WSP's global diversity focus.

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.

December 18, 2020

Do Planners Know Plan Integration Can Improve Local Resilience?

APA developed a survey and conducted a series of interviews in an attempt to uncover how planners think about plan integration, and what relationship local plan integration efforts may have with building community resilience.

October 1, 2020

Adopting Racial Equity Frameworks in Planning Organizations

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

September 24, 2020

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.

July 8, 2020

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.

March 19, 2020

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?

April 22, 2019

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.

February 7, 2018

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.

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.

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.