For more than 50 years, APA's National Planning Awards program has honored outstanding planning and planning leadership efforts.

For a full list of previous Planning Award recipients — including all Achievement Award winners — search by location or by year:

National Planning Excellence Awards

Advancing Diversity & Social Change in Honor of Paul Davidoff


Equity-Based Long-Range Plan
AUSTIN, TEXAS — 2024

Equity-Based Long-Range Plan

The Equity-Based Long-Range Plan establishes a community-supported vision for educational equity and revitalization. Recognizing that school planning is integral to community and neighborhood development, the plan strives to address historical inequities while promoting healing and collaboration among students, schools, and local communities.

Awards 2023 - Our Legacy, Our Community: A Renewed Vision for North Tulsa icon
Tulsa, Oklahoma — 2023

Our Legacy, Our Community: A Renewed Vision for North Tulsa

Our Legacy, Our Community: A Renewed Vision for North Tulsa creates a community-supported vision and framework for redevelopment. The plan strives to honor a painful history and move toward community healing by confronting historical inequities, segregation, race-based violence, as well as disinvestment that stemmed from redlining and displacement.

Joe Louis Greenway sized for previous awards page
Detroit, Michigan — 2022

Joe Louis Greenway Framework Plan

The Joe Louis Greenway (JLG) Framework Plan aims to reconnect neighborhoods and green spaces with a 27.5-mile nonmotorized trail. Shaped by a community-authored planning process, JLG celebrates Detroit's vibrant mix of cultures while prioritizing the community's goals for environmental sustainability, equitable housing and economic development standards, visual identity, and accessible open space amenities.

San Francisco, California — 2021

Bayview Community-Based Transportation Plan

The Bayview Community-Based Transportation Plan represents a new commitment to the long-underserved Bayview-Hunters Point community. Partnering with trusted community organizations and innovative community engagement efforts like a Youth Transportation Summit and a documentary film helped overcome systemic distrust in the government and gave a voice to the needs, challenges, and values of Bayview residents while educating the younger generation about the planning process.

new york, new york — 2020

Community Parks Initiative — NYC Parks

To distribute park investments more equitably, NYC Parks created the Community Parks Initiative (CPI) in 2014. This data-driven approach is the first equity-based parks initiative for the city and has guided an investment of $318 million to reimagine 67 parks in high-need areas. As of January 2020, NYC Parks has renovated 47 of the 67 designated CPI sites, supported more than 300 community partners, engaged over 50,000 volunteers in nearly 1,920 stewardship projects, and awarded $280,000 for community-led programs through CPI.

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National City, California — 2019

Carolina Martinez and the Paradise Creek Planning Partnership

Carolina Martinez, policy director at Environmental Health Coalition (EHC), assisted Old Town neighborhood residents of National City, California in developing a comprehensive plan to clean up the toxic environment and provide affordable housing near transit. The cornerstone of the project is the 201-unit LEED-Certified Paradise Creek affordable housing development that opened in 2016.

Community members review details of the new community plan at an open house. Photo courtesy of Avenue CDC and the University of Houston Community Design Resource Center.
Houston, Texas — 2017

Near North Side Quality of Life Agreement (QLA)

The 2015 Near Northside Quality of Life Agreement (QLA) is a comprehensive action plan to build a sustainable and healthy community in the Near Northside neighborhood of Houston. The plan was designed to improve housing conditions, enhance education opportunities, spur economic growth, and provide a safe and healthy environment for all residents. With contributions from hundreds of residents, leaders, and supporters, the QLA was presented with vivid photos and text in both English and Spanish. The Near Northside effort illustrates that even neighborhoods without great influence or wealth can acquire the voice and power to implement great change.

State Representative Harold Mitchell, Jr. , winner of the 2015 Davidoff Award for his work with the ReGenesis Project
Spartanburg, South Carolina — 2015

State Representative Harold Mitchell, Jr. and the ReGenesis Project

South Carolina State Representative Harold Mitchell, Jr. has been committed to making the Arkwright and Forest Park neighborhoods within Spartanburg healthy and sustainable communities by advancing environmental justice, collaborative problem solving, and better neighborhood planning. He created the organization ReGenesis to represent neighborhood interests in cleaning up contaminated and abandoned property as well as revitalizing the surrounding community.

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Birmingham, Alabama — 2013

YWCA Central Alabama

The YWoodlawn Plan was a collaborative empowerment initiative intended to reduce poverty and hopelessness within an underserved area of Birmingham through reinvesting in the neighborhood; providing innovative housing for families experiencing homelessness; introducing affordable transition housing for families; bringing health, education, and employment-based services to the community's doorstep; and reintroducing homeownership opportunities in a stable, growing community.

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New Brunswick, New Jersey — 2012

Leonardo Vazquez

Leonardo Vazquez has made a mark in urban planning by shifting the focus to alleviate issues that plague Latino communities. For 15 years as a leader, educator, and author, Vazquez has been a staunch advocate for social justice and ethnic diversity in the planning industry.

Daniel Burnham Award for a Comprehensive Plan


Newark360: Shaping Our City Together
Newark, New Jersey — 2024

Newark360: Shaping Our City Together

Newark360: Shaping Our City Together is a transformative plan that brings the Newark community together to pursue an equitable and resilient future. By engaging residents who are often overlooked, the planning team addresses critical issues like affordable housing and sustainable growth, ensuring that every Newark resident has the opportunity to contribute to and benefit from the city's revitalization.

Awards 2023 - Charlotte Future 2040 Comprehensive Plan icon
Charlotte, North Carolina — 2023

Charlotte Future 2040 Comprehensive Plan

Charlotte Future 2040 is a comprehensive plan to harness and direct Queen City's unprecedented growth with a focus on equity. The planning team worked to elevate community voices typically not heard in the planning process, including low-income communities, communities of color, non-English speaking residents, and youth.

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Greensboro, North Carolina — 2022

GSO2040 Comprehensive Plan

GSO2040 is Greensboro, North Carolina's roadmap for how to equitably plan for change. Shaped by extensive public input, the plan is designed to be a living document that adapts to the community's changing needs. Set apart by clear metrics and implementation updates from departments across the city, GSO2040 is a model for ongoing accountability and ensuring a plan remains accessible and relevant to the people it serves.

Richmond, Virginia — 2021

Richmond 300: A Guide for Growth

Expansive community engagement, unlike any seen in the city's history, led to the creation of Richmond 300: A Guide for Growth, a city-wide master plan that aims to prioritize equitable and sustainable growth in the city over the next 20 years. With a focus on environmental justice, walkability, and economic growth, the plan outlines six "Big Moves" to guide the implementation of the ambitious vision.

Memphis, Tennessee — 2020

Memphis 3.0 Comprehensive Plan

Like other medium-sized cities across the country, the suburban sprawl and urban disinvestment of the last several decades resulted in a flat population by seemingly boundless physical expansion. The in-house planning team sought to shift the focus of planning to "build up, not out." Success would depend heavily on community engagement to establish a long-term culture of planning founded on public trust.

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County of Kaua'i, Hawaii — 2019

Kaua'i County General Plan, Kaua'i Kākou

The new Kaua'i County General Plan, adopted in Spring 2018, represents a transparent and robust effort, involving residents at every phase of the planning process. The plan's 19 streamlined policies address the critical issues that residents face, guide the county's growth, and acknowledge the cultural heritage of the island while also calling for a county-wide system of action, evaluation, and accountability.

A bicyclist enjoys one of the first protected bike lanes built under the city’s planokc.
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma — 2018

planokc

planokc was the product of five years of extensive research, analysis, discussion, and public engagement to create a comprehensive policy plan for Oklahoma City. Using intensive modeling and data analysis, planners created three future growth scenarios with measures of environmental quality, resource consumption, and travel patterns. The success of planokc has created a more progressive-minded population in Oklahoma City, where residents are working together with city planners, elected officials, and special interest groups to plan new ideas for a healthier future.

High school sophomores in the Plano Youth Leadership program take part in a community visioning Lego exercise. Photo courtesy City of Plano.
Plano, Texas — 2017

Plano Tomorrow Comprehensive Plan

The city of Plano has transitioned from a small community in the Dallas-Fort Worth region to a major economic center. The Plano Tomorrow comprehensive plan describes a vision for the city's continuing evolution, guiding future growth, priorities, services, development, and redevelopment. The plan's web-based format has improved access to public documents, eliminated barriers to community involvement, and allowed residents to continue to provide input, unlike conventional plans.

Quiet reading and active conversations at a Plan Review open house.
Nashville, Tennessee — 2016

NashvilleNext

Taking an untraditional approach, Nashville's planning department started with community surveys, assembled issue-specific teams of community leaders, and based the NashvilleNext plan upon the public's vision for the city's and region's future. The result: a general plan for Metro Nashville/Davidson County that is relevant to community needs and addresses future growth.

Vibrant NEO 2040 received the 2015 Daniel Burnham Award for a Comprehensive Plan.
Northeast Ohio — 2015

Vibrant NEO 2040 – Northeast Ohio Sustainable Communities Consortium

Vibrant NEO 2040 was a three-year regional planning initiative led by the Northeast Ohio Sustainable Communities Consortium (NEOSCC) to determine the vision of the future for four metro areas in Northeast Ohio. Vibrant NEO includes policy recommendations, guidelines, best practices, and benchmarks for plans small and large. The effort specifically tackled issues relevant to planners, including shrinking cities, regional sustainability, digital engagement, and advanced Geographic Information System (GIS) modeling and analysis.

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Winston–Salem / Forsyth County, North Carolina — 2014

Legacy 2030 Comprehensive Plan

Legacy 2030 Comprehensive Plan identifies a list of strategies, policies, and actions to help Winston-Salem/Forsyth County become more sustainable, better designed, and more fiscally responsible. Legacy 2030 Comprehensive Plan connects health and equity to the physical form of the county, focuses on ways to catalyze private investment, and makes the case that higher density and mixed-use urban areas yield a higher return on strategic public investments.

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Cincinnati, Ohio — 2014

Plan Cincinnati: A Comprehensive Plan for the Future

Plan Cincinnati focuses on revitalizing Cincinnati's neighborhood centers and corridors while improving citizens' physical health and quality of life. In a shift from traditional comprehensive plans, Plan Cincinnati is organized around five initiatives — compete, connect, live, sustain, and collaborate.

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Lake, Porter, and LaPorte Counties, Indiana — 2013

2040 Comprehensive Regional Plan: A Vision for Northwest Indiana

The Northwestern Indiana Regional Planning Commission's (NIRPC) 2040 Comprehensive Regional Plan (CRP) represents the first broad planning initiative covering the counties of Lake, Porter, and LaPorte. The CRP focuses on a variety of issues including transportation, land use, human and economic resources, and environmental policy objectives. The objective is to offer residents more transportation choices and make the cities more sustainable and livable.

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New York, New York — 2012

Vision 2020: New York City Comprehensive Waterfront Plan

Vision 2020: New York City Comprehensive Waterfront Plan creates a strategic framework for the city's waterfront, waterways, and water for the next 10 years. The plan is organized around eight goals: expand public access, enliven the waterfront, support the working waterfront, improve water quality, restore the natural waterfront, enhance the Blue Network (the waterways themselves), improve government oversight, and increase climate resilience.

Planning Excellence Award


Reimagine Middle Branch
South Baltimore, Maryland — 2024

Reimagine Middle Branch

The Reimagine Middle Branch Plan involved active engagement with South Baltimore residents in the redevelopment of their waterfront. Through collaborative efforts, community members partnered with planners and local organizations to identify needs and envision improvements, resulting in more than 40 innovative projects aimed at enhancing the area's environmental quality, economic opportunities, and cultural heritage.

Awards 2023 - Cody Rouge & Warrendale YOUTH-CENTRIC Neighborhood Framework icon
Detroit, Michigan — 2023

Cody Rouge & Warrendale YOUTH-CENTRIC Neighborhood Framework

Planners have long advocated working with young people as future decision-makers. The Cody Rouge & Warrendale YOUTH-CENTRIC Neighborhood Framework advances this tradition through an innovative intergenerational partnership with city officials, community leaders, and young people on Detroit's far west side. Younger residents worked side-by-side with city officials and resident organizations to document needs and design possibilities through programs like a teenage group of "Neighborhood Framework Investigators" and a "Community Picnic Table Factory.

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Kansas City, Missouri — 2022

Kansas City Public Schools Repurposing Initiative

The Repurposing Initiative is the Kansas City Public Schools (KCPS) process for transforming more than 30 closed school sites into valuable neighborhood assets. By combining technical site assessments with the participatory planning process, the planning team gave community members impacted by school closures a meaningful voice in re-shaping their communities. From hundreds of affordable and workforce housing units to a community-designed neighborhood park, the KCPS Repurposing Initiative has breathed new life into these historic community spaces.

Austin, Texas — 2021

Our Parks, Our Future Long-Range Plan

Every 10 years, Austin's Parks and Recreation Department (PARD) develops a long-range plan to guide the growth of the city's park system, providing a blueprint to guide land acquisition, capital improvements, park design, and development of programs and amenities. At the forefront of the process was a commitment to sustainability, environmental stewardship, and social equity. The plan accommodates the needs of residents by expanding food access, providing multi-lingual signage to educate park visitors, addressing displacement concerns, and protecting the park's natural resources.

resilience & Sustainability Award


Resilient Jacksonville
Jacksonville, Florida — 2024

Resilient Jacksonville

The Resilient Jacksonville plan marks a significant step in Jacksonville's climate adaptation efforts, resulting from extensive community engagement and stakeholder collaboration. By integrating science-based assessments with targeted actions tailored to its diverse neighborhoods, Jacksonville positions itself as a leader in incorporating climate resilience into urban planning, ensuring sustainable development amid the challenges of a changing climate.

Awards 2023 - Sea Level Rise (SLR) Constraint District icon
County of Kaua'i, Hawai'i — 2023

Sea Level Rise (SLR) Constraint District

The passage of the Sea Level Rise Constraint District bill is the culmination of close to five years of community engagement and stakeholder input. In addition to thorough resident input, the Constraint District is unique in its integration of GIS-based scientific modeling. Kauaʻi is the first county in Hawai'i to implement scientific modeling for climate change hazards into zoning and land use regulations.

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Maine — 2022

Maine Won't Wait — A Four-Year Action Plan for Climate Action

Maine Won't Wait is a four-year action plan that aims to reduce Maine's carbon emissions and increase resilience to the impacts of a rapidly changing climate. Driven by clear goals and metrics combined with scientific analysis, the plan coordinates statewide action already seeing results. Maine Won't Wait demonstrates the importance of planning in ensuring programming and policy decisions move the needle toward a more resilient future.

Henderson, Nevada — 2021

Together We Can: A Primer for Recovery

A foundation of good planning enabled planners to respond quickly to the COVID-19 pandemic. The community-based recovery plan paves the way for simultaneous implementation designed to reduce the spread of COVID-19 and lessen the impact of the economic crisis. The plan is centered upon the core belief that the 'whole community' - local business leaders, members of the community, partner agencies, non-profits, and faith-based organizations, as well as regional, state, and federal partners - will take ownership of the recovery process to continue to strengthen and revitalize the community now and for many years to come.