Equity Diversity Inclusion
Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion within the profession is essential to finding a common and encompassing community vision. APA is committed to promoting more inclusive, just, and equitable communities through a planning profession as diverse as the communities we serve.
Diversity and Inclusion Mission, Vision, and Strategy
Participants at the Plan4Equity Forum in San Francisco at the 2019 National Planning Conference. Photo by The Photo Group.
APA reached a milestone in April 2018 when the APA Board of Directors approved a Diversity and Inclusion strategy. This sets forth an association-wide plan for how we better promote the understanding and practices of diversity and inclusion, both within and outside the planning community and profession.
This strategy is the result of years of conversation and dedication among our members and leaders, and APA thanks the many voices that paved the way for this organizational transformation and fostered the roots of meaningful change.
APA Diversity and Inclusion Strategy
Advancing Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion
Achieving a culture of diversity and inclusion is an evolutionary process that will require ongoing renewal of our commitment. It will take all of us to move forward in the right direction, and we encourage you to get involved and let your voices be heard. The plan should be considered a living document requiring regular reviews and updates to ensure it remains relevant to our goals.
The goals in the strategy will be carried out on many fronts over time by various levels of leadership, component groups, and member volunteers, including a strategic assessment of partner organizations that focus and advocate for historically marginalized groups to advance diversity and inclusion goals. This webpage will be updated regularly to describe how this will come to life.
How Can YOU Get Involved?
- Learn about equitable practice through APA’s new Social Equity Research KnowledgeBase.
- Understand and promote the "equity in all policies" lens through your practice, as described in the Planning for Equity Policy Guide adopted in 2019.
- Volunteer as an APA Ambassador to educate and empower youth and communities about the power of planning and planners. Reach audiences of diverse backgrounds. Model activities are created for you.
- Partner with your chapter to speak at local universities or community colleges to promote our free APA student membership. Students enrolled in any degree are welcome and encouraged to belong.
- Volunteer on your local chapter diversity committee, or take the lead in creating new programs and initiatives.
- Enroll in the Diversity and Inclusion Training Series in APA Learn.
Equity Diversity Inclusion Steering Committee
The Equity Diversity Inclusion Steering Committee promotes diversity within the profession and the association to help planners serve and support more diverse and inclusive audiences. The committee will develop implementable strategies for consideration by the Board.
Silvia E. Vargas, FAICP | Chair
Elizabeth (Libby) Tyler, FAICP | Vice Chair
Committee Members
Batul Ather
Angela D. Brooks, AICP
Marcella Bondie Keenan, AICP
Alexander D. Cahill
Edna Ledesma, PhD
Victoria Mason-Ailey, AICP
Mehri Mohebbi, PhD
Perris Straughter, AICP
Susan A. Wood, FAICP
Staff Liaisons
Liz Lang
Yaminah Noonoo
APA Chapters and Divisions
APA Chapters and Divisions are actively committed to promoting diversity, inclusion, and equity within local communities and the broader planning field.
APA Divisions and EDI
APA Divisions connect you with other planning professionals who share your passions, challenges, and experiences. Although all APA divisions are committed to promoting diversity and equity within local communities as well as the field, four APA divisions and one interest group specifically focus on planning issues that concern special populations. Explore what Divisions have to offer (students can join up to five for free).
APA Chapters and EDI
Chapters get you involved in APA close to home. They're your local source for networking and professional development. You'll share experiences with colleagues and broaden your perspective beyond your commission or office. When you join APA, you automatically become a member of your local chapter.
A number of chapters are engaged in addressing diversity and social equity. Chapters are hosting their own diversity summits, offering mentoring programs, and cultivating diverse chapter leaders. The following APA Chapters have active diversity committees:
- California
- Colorado
- Delaware
- Georgia
- Florida
- Illinois
- Massachusetts
- Minnesota
- New Jersey
- New York Metro
- North Carolina
- Northern New England Chapter (Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire)
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Rhode Island
- Virginia
- Washington
- Wisconsin
Visit your local chapter's website to learn more about its diversity efforts and to catch up on the latest planning information in your region.
Equity Diversity Inclusion Blog Posts
April 9, 2020
Building a Participation Ladder With Youth
March 31, 2020
A Q&A With Houston's Top Women in Planning
March 26, 2020
Painting a Richer Picture of Older Adults' Mobility Needs
February 27, 2020
An Urgency for Insurgency: Lifting Marginalized Voices
August 26, 2019
STEAM Initiative Welcomes APA Ambassador's Planning Activity
July 25, 2019
Ride-Hailing Could Boost Mobility Beyond Rich, Urban Areas
June 10, 2019
Expanding Equity: "Stonewall Did That For Me"
April 10, 2019
Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion at APA, and the NPC19 Plan4Equity Forum
APA Library E-Book Collection on Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion
For more resources on these topics, please visit the APA library's e-book collection (available for checkout by APA members).
Diversity Resources
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Diversity and Inclusion Training Series
Planning for diversity and inclusion requires intentional efforts to dismantle systems of oppression and advance liberation and self-determination. This course equips planners with concepts and skills to perform inclusive and equitable planning and work effectively in diverse communities.- Daniel Lim
- Giovania Tiarachristie
#9171811CM | 2
Planning and Governing for Racial Equity
Government’s proactive work on racial equity has the potential to leverage significant change. Explore planning tools and two case studies to help you achieve racial equity in our communities. Learn about the innovative practice of reorganizing government institutions to create more equitable outcomes, “Governing for Racial Equity” (GRE).Nonmember$50.00Member$25.00- Nora Liu
- Glenn Harris
- Beth Altshuler
- Andrea Manzo
- Megan Hunter
#9155251CM | 1.25
Plan4Health: Partnering for Equity
Moving toward more equitable communities is a priority for both planning and public health, but it can often feel like a daunting task. This session presents effective ways to incorporate equity into proposed projects or approaches and how you can leverage planning and public health data to strengthen your approach to equity.Nonmember$50.00Member$25.00- Jim Brown
- Heather Wooten
- Liz Kaster
- Liz Cornish
#9155140CM | 1.25
Planning With Diverse Communities
PAS Report 593by: Ivis Garcia, AICP, Andrea Garfinkel-Castro, Deirdre Pfeiffer, AICPThe U.S. will become a “majority-minority” country by the mid-2040s. More than before, planners must serve diverse publics and build inclusive communities. This PAS Report offers the tools planners need to engage people of color and improve quality of life for all in ethnically and racially diverse communities.List price$25.00APA member & PAS subscriber$0.00
Fostering Social Equity and Inclusive Growth Series
Social equity is the defining issue of our time. In light of today's political uncertainties and challenges we put together this three-part series to help planners foster broad-based, inclusive growth, and ensure they are creating more just and equitable communities. Take this course to learn more about how planners are making a difference.Nonmember$130.00Member$65.00- Cynthia Bowen, FAICP
- Carlton Eley
- Jess Zimbabwe, AICP
- Majestic Lane
#9155897CM | 3.25
Equitable Development: Planning to Overcome Injustice
Equitable development is sustainable development. Learn how to calibrate your place-based planning efforts to meet the needs of under-served communities more effectively and enhance other planning outcomes. Explore the groundswell of activity that is compelling communities to ensure everyone has a safe and healthy environment in which to live, work, and play.Nonmember$50.00Member$25.00- Nora Liu
- Brentin Mock
- Harold Mitchell
- Carlton Eley
#9155165CM | 1.25
Planning Ethics and Today's Challenges
All practitioners sometimes grapple with the right thing to do in complex and often ambiguous situations that seem inconsistent with their own experiences or the AICP code. Learn how to make ethical decisions more easily.Nonmember$60.00Member$30.00- Carolyn Loh
- Bonnie Johnson, AICP
- Mickey Lauria
- Nader Afzalan
- Lisa Schweitzer
- Sandra Rosenbloom
#9155424CM | 1.50E | 1.50
Queer and the Conversation: Full Inclusion
Consider ethical responsibilities in reducing homophobia, transphobia, and heterosexism; learn to create safer, freer environments for all community members; and practice being mindful of sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression.Nonmember$60.00Member$30.00- Cade Hobbick, AICP
- Vanessa Delgado
- Bonnie Johnson, AICP
#9155344CM | 1.50E | 1.50
Planning for Equity
Creating equitable outcomes requires a commitment to applying different approaches to planning practice. Explore case studies and practical actions that everyday planners can take to plan for more equitable growth and development.Nonmember$40.00Member$20.00- Broderick Bagert
- Juan Castillo
- Saneta devuono-powell
- Eric Engstrom, AICP
- Tina Yuen
#9155377CM | 1
Planning: Where Community Engagement Meets Equity
This session provides information on conducting meaningful engagement of minority and low-income communities in the planning process and discusses successful approaches and techniques to ensure equitable outcomes.Nonmember$40.00Member$20.00- Jose Acosta-Cordova
- Edna Ledesma
- Derek Hull
- Fleming El-Amin, AICP
#9155451CM | 1
Promoting Diversity and Inclusive Communities
Discover the barriers to integration of diversity in planning education and practice through recent studies that explore perceptions and personal experiences of diversity in the workplace, practice, and education. Learn strategies to foster diversity and promote culturally competent planning.Nonmember$60.00Member$30.00- Ivis Garcia Zambrana, AICP
- Marla Parker
- Giovania Tiarachristie
- April Jackson
#9155402CM | 1.50
Diversity in Practice
This session showcases perspectives from a planner, interior designer/architect, and public-health professional on methods to increase diversity in planning processes and policy decisions.Nonmember$20.00Member$10.00- Bakeyah Nelson
- Latoya Nelson Kamdang
- Kelly Porter, AICP
#9155426CM | 0.50
Spatial Justice and the Shrinking City
Legacy cities like Detroit, St. Louis, and New Orleans face challenges in providing services and infrastructure over vast areas that are sparsely populated and have limited resources. How can planners address issues of environmental justice and spatial equity in communities like these?Nonmember$50.00Member$25.00- Janet Attarian
- Christina Harris
- Donald Roe
- Kurt Culbertson
#9155407CM | 1.25