National Planning Achievement Awards — Silver

Best Practice

AWARDEE: Let's Bike Oakland, Oakland, California

GOAL: Address racial disparities in transportation access with an equitable, nonconformist bike plan.

OUTCOME: Oakland's Department of Transportation developed an Equity Framework to elevate underrepresented voices in the creation of a new community bike plan. With support from long-term community partners, Let's Bike Oakland expands mobility options for underserved residents of color.

JURY COMMENTS: This is transit work created in collaboration with the people that will benefit from and use the system most.

Environmental Planning

AWARDEE: Rain Check 2.0 Opportunity Report, Buffalo, New York

GOAL: Expand green infrastructure and improve public health.

OUTCOME: Building upon Buffalo's foundational stormwater plan, Rain Check 2.0 uses a comprehensive analysis of environmental, economic, and social factors to help identify and prioritize areas where planning is the most impactful. The plan is structured to support the city's comprehensive plan and inform future planning initiatives to ensure continued progress.

JURY COMMENTS: This plan considers all aspects of community needs and elevates the role of planners in a holistic approach to a traditionally engineering project.

AWARDEE: New York State Offshore Wind Master Plan, State of New York

GOAL: Tackle New York State's ambitious renewable energy goals.

OUTCOME: The first of its kind in the U.S., the New York State Offshore Wind Master Plan provides a road map to clean energy of the future by targeting environmental, maritime, economic, and social issues of the present. The plan has already demonstrated a significant impact on reducing the costs, risks, and uncertainties for renewable energy development.

JURY COMMENTS: This plan has created a blueprint for how to think and talk about alternative energy sources in a more comprehensive way.

Implementation

AWARDEE: Gulf State Park Master Plan, Gulf Shores, Alabama

GOAL: Sustainable post-disaster recovery for both the environment and the local economy.

OUTCOME: Recognizing the critical role that a healthy environment plays in their tourism-driven economy, Gulf State Park's plan prioritizes disaster recovery. The team sought input from residents and tourists with a focus on fostering sustainable tourism. The effort has put Gulf State Park on the map as an international tourism destination and an environmental sustainability leader.

JURY COMMENTS: Amazing design and clear implementation. This plan balanced the need for protection of environmental lands with economic needs of a tourism-driven area.

AWARDEE: Essex Crossing, New York City

GOAL: Reunite the Lower East Side with an inclusive, mixed-use community.

OUTCOME: With a focus on preserving the original character of the neighborhood, Essex Crossing incorporates a wide array of uses in a limited space for residents with a broad range of incomes and ages.

JURY COMMENTS: To implement a project of this scale without displacing neighbors and to have the community embrace it is impressive.

Transportation

AWARDEE: Regional Mobility Hub Strategy, San Diego County and Imperial County, California

GOAL: Expand transit by supporting individualized mobility hub features throughout a network of communities.

OUTCOME: The strategy demonstrates how coordinated transportation services, amenities, and supporting technologies can work together to create safe, smart, and accessible shared mobility options for communities of all kinds.

JURY COMMENTS: This is a model for how to create transit-oriented development in areas where transit is not available on a small scale.

AWARDEE: Neighborhood Mobility Plan for the Communities of Thermal and Oasis, California

GOAL: Bridge the existing gap in safe and accessible transportation.

OUTCOME: The planning firm Kounkuey Design Initiative created a graduated implementation schedule to balance long-term commitment with immediate community needs. The resulting multimodal network will provide safe transportation alternatives to previously neglected populations.

JURY COMMENTS: This is a good example of engaging community voices that simply were not heard before.

—Brenna Donegan is APA's communications associate.