Blog
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September 26, 2025
Advocating for Housing Action on the Hill
As Congress debates federal action on housing, advocates headed to Capitol Hill to ensure planners' voices are part of the conversation. Armed with their community stories, on-the-ground insights, and professional expertise, planners let their representatives know in no uncertain terms: federal investment in planning and zoning reform is the path to solving the housing crisis. -
September 26, 2025
Reclaiming a Forgotten Waterway to Elevate Culture, Safety, and Ecology
Equity in Practice: The San Pedro Creek Culture Park transformed a neglected, flood-prone drainage ditch in downtown San Antonio into a 2.2-mile linear park that combines flood control, ecology, art, and cultural heritage while generating significant community and economic benefits. -
September 25, 2025
San Antonio's Infill District Zoning
Uncovering JAPA: Discover how San Antonio’s Infill Development Zone uses flexible, parcel-specific zoning to promote walkable, mixed-use infill while preserving neighborhood character and aligning with city planning goals. -
September 19, 2025
Emotions in Emails Matter: Communication Dynamics Between Planners and Politicians
Uncovering JAPA: Discover how planners are most effective at shaping political decisions when their emails are positive, consistent, and come from multiple voices—not just by sending more messages. -
September 18, 2025
Sixteen Communities Selected to Participate in National Housing Supply Accelerator Program
NEWS RELEASE: Participants for the Housing Supply Accelerator Challenge have been identified. The Challenge is designed to accelerate the implementation of proven and innovative housing strategies and expand the supply of housing in communities nationwide. -
September 17, 2025
Aging Infrastructure: Modernizing Streetlights to Improve Community Safety
Gary, Indiana’s, Relight the City program, funded by $3.45 million in ARPA dollars, is replacing nearly 2,000 outdated streetlights with modern LEDs to improve safety, reduce expenses, and support broader neighborhood revitalization. -
September 16, 2025
New White Paper: Creating More Housing Doesn't End With Zoning Reform
While great strides have been made in zoning reform across the U.S., some communities are still seeing little or stalled development of missing middle housing due to the cost-restrictive natures of their own building codes and regulations. -
September 16, 2025
In Memoriam: Edward J. Blakely, PhD
In Memoriam: Reflecting on the legacy of Edward J. Blakely. -
September 12, 2025
What Happens When Zoning Meets 'Privatopia'?
Spotlight on Zoning Practice: Are HOAs a major barrier to zoning reform in your community? -
September 11, 2025
Historic Districts and Housing Goals: A Case Study of Two L.A. Neighborhoods
Uncovering JAPA: Explore how a Los Angeles case study shows historic preservation districts extend beyond architecture, driving debates over zoning, property rights, development, and housing affordability. -
September 11, 2025
Executive Order to Overhaul Federal Homelessness Policy
A new Trump administration Executive Order (EO), "Ending Crime and Disorder on America’s Streets," may prompt significant shifts in federal policy on tackling homelessness. Learn how this impacts planning practices. -
September 4, 2025
Lessons in Managing Public Opinion During E-Scooter Pilot Program in Eugene, Oregon
Uncovering JAPA: Explore how Eugene, Oregon’s e-scooter pilot reveals how planners navigated shifting public opinion, built trust, corrected misconceptions, and helped officials interpret feedback to guide the program’s success. -
August 28, 2025
Planning Through Uncertainty: Lessons from Detroit
Detroit's story offers lessons that all planners can learn from as they face tight budgets and shifting funding streams. -
August 19, 2025
Halftime Report: States Advance Housing Policy in 2025
As we pass the midpoint of 2025, housing policy continues to take center stage in state legislatures. States are heading into the second half with momentum — calling bold plays to boost housing supply, modernize zoning laws, streamline permitting, and ease abundance challenges. -
August 18, 2025
Budget Battle: Senate, House, and the Trump Administration
As planners continue to advocate for fiscal and policy changes that would secure federal level support for local planning-led reform, the differences in each of the Trump, House, and Senate proposals would have a significant impact on the planning work that is able to move forward in our communities. -
August 13, 2025
State EV Funding Restored with New Guidance in Response to Court Order
The Trump administration has released new guidance for an electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure program established as part of the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA). Find out how this impacts transportation and planning practices. -
August 11, 2025
Could Your Zoning Be Doing More to Promote Accessibility?
Spotlight on Zoning Practice: While zoning reforms that broaden opportunities to increase housing supply are crucial, these aren’t the only reforms that can support human flourishing. In fact, there are many potential ways that we can use zoning to make places, spaces, and homes more accessible to all people, regardless of age, life stage, or abilities. -
August 5, 2025
APA Joins "America's Housing Comeback"
News Release: APA, along with national partners, join "America's Housing Comeback," an initiative of the Housing Supply Accelerator, to support local governments' ongoing housing supply efforts and ignite a federal focus on policy solutions addressing the nation's housing supply shortage. -
August 4, 2025
Building Professional Sustainability: Small Habits to Improve Your Ability to Cope with Stress
Personal resilience is not just a professional skill, but a personal practice. Learn eight ways to build your resilience framework to improve your ability to cope with stress by shifting how you process daily experiences. -
August 1, 2025
'ROAD to Housing' is Paved by Planning
The ROAD to Housing Act is the biggest housing package in a generation, made possible through bipartisan compromise and support for local reforms. It marks an important victory in bipartisan federal action on housing. -
August 1, 2025
Senate THUD Spending Bill Ignores Trump Budget, Funds Key Housing Programs
The new Senate THUD bill provides more funding than the House Committee's version. -
July 31, 2025
State-Mandated Climate Planning
Uncovering JAPA: Discover a study of California’s Senate Bill 379 found that flexible, state-mandated climate adaptation planning modestly improved local efforts but revealed persistent challenges in coordination, engagement, and local capacity. -
July 24, 2025
Why Urban Segregation is More Complicated Than We Think
Global Perspectives: Discover how medium-sized cities can experience segregation levels comparable to those of major metropolises, highlighting the need for place-specific planning strategies that reflect local economic, social, and institutional dynamics. -
July 21, 2025
The Planner's Paycheck: Where We Go from Here
In times of political instability and economic pessimism, planners cannot rely on our work to speak for itself. The final part of this three-part series offers tips to help planners document the specific sources that fund their positions, explore alternative funding sources, and share stories about the value of planning with decision-makers. -
July 18, 2025
One Big Beautiful Bill's Impact on Planning
On July 4, President Trump signed into law the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (HR 1). Learn more about the important changes impacting the planning profession. -
July 18, 2025
APA Joins Local Gov 250 to Celebrate Local Government
APA joins national partners to celebrate America's 250th by honoring local governments and their role in building strong communities. -
July 18, 2025
How Geography Shapes Small Island Developing States
Global Perspectives: Discover how Small Island Developing States (SIDS) use global ties and niche strategies to navigate geographic and economic challenges. -
July 18, 2025
House Bill Maintains CDBG, Slashes Funding for Zoning Reform
The U.S. House of Representatives took the first step toward approving a spending bill covering funding for the Departments of Transportation and Housing and Urban Development (THUD). Find out how this impacts planning. -
July 15, 2025
APA Continues to Support Digital Coast Legislation
APA has partnered with NOAA's Digital Coast Program for nearly twenty years. Bipartisan legislation seeks to reauthorize the program and ensure planners can access vital and timely coastal data. -
July 15, 2025
Planners Are the Storytellers Our Communities Need
Over 70 advocates across 27 states nationwide met with members of Congress in both parties to share why their communities need federal support for housing and local zoning reform at APA’s online Planners’ Day on Capitol Hill. -
July 14, 2025
Could Transfers of Development Rights Facilitate Coastal Retreat?
Spotlight on Zoning Practice: Could we use downzoning in combination with voluntary transfer of development rights programs to move development away from flood-prone coastal areas? -
July 10, 2025
Lessons from Germany’s Urban Logistics Planning
Global Perspectives: Learn how Germany's logistics strategies, from regional planning to rural delivery via public transit, offer planners sustainable, equitable models to address land use, infrastructure, and demographic challenges. -
July 7, 2025
The Planner's Paycheck: A Foundation Based on Disruption
The decisions federal, state, and local officials make about how to pay for planning have consequences not only for the future of the profession but also for the long-term health of the communities we serve. Part 2 of this three-part series takes a closer look at how three previous disruptive periods affected funding patterns for local planning work. -
July 7, 2025
Strategies for Personal and Professional Resilience When Facing Uncertainty
With new and old issues continuing to put stress on planners, personal resilience and support from peers have taken on greater importance. Get advice from several planning directors on how to navigate challenging times. -
July 2, 2025
Colorado Planners Craft Forward-Thinking Housing Policy
Colorado Governor Jared Polis has signed the Regional Planning Roundtable Commission into law, a landmark measure that prohibits local governments from enforcing occupancy limits based solely on familial relationships. The APA Colorado Chapter was instrumental in the development of this legislation, authoring the bill and working closely to move it through the legislative process. -
June 30, 2025
Rapid Growth Overwhelmed Austin. These Housing Reforms Made a Difference.
The Austin metro was the country's fastest-growing region from 2010 to 2022, according to census data, and housing demand outpaced supply. A series of changes to land use regulations is helping to improve affordability and availability of housing. -
June 27, 2025
Upholding the AICP Credential in Challenging Times
AICP Ethics Officer Ralph Willmer, FAICP, provides an update on how AICP-certified planners can navigate the current political landscape and maintain adherence to the AICP Code of Ethics. -
June 26, 2025
France’s Model for Smarter Cities Through Urban Data Standardization
Global Perspectives: Learn how France improved urban data comparability while preserving local context through standardization, a centralized platform, and public-private collaboration. -
June 25, 2025
High Court Limits NEPA, Adds Momentum to Reform Efforts
A unanimous U.S. Supreme Court decision in Seven County Infrastructure Coalition v. Eagle County, Colorado, limited the scope of reviews under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and strongly encouraged greater judicial deference to agency reviews and decisions. -
June 24, 2025
One More Lesson: Advice from Professors for Current and Future Planners
Emerging planners may face a future different than what they imagined a year ago as federal policy rapidly changes. Five planning professors offer tips on how to be successful as early-career professionals. -
June 23, 2025
The Planner's Paycheck: Where the Money Comes From
As federal policy shifts threaten core planning-related programs, pandemic-recovery funding ends, and the specter of economic recession looms larger, it's time for planners to take a close look at the sources of funding that pay for their positions. Part One of this three-part series explores how we pay for planning now and reviews some warning signs we've seen through the first half of 2025. -
June 23, 2025
Resilience Advice for Planners from Experts in High-Stress Careers
Planners can learn applicable approaches to managing stress and improving personal resilience from surgeons, therapists, and first responders working in high-stress jobs. -
June 23, 2025
Stormy Forecast For FEMA and the Future of Mitigation Policy
The Trump administration aims to announce a plan to overhaul the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) in late 2025. -
June 17, 2025
Trump Administration Gives Green Light to Autonomous Vehicles
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) announced a new process for approving waivers to vehicle design standards. The move has significant implications for autonomous vehicles (AVs) which require waivers for omitting required safety elements. -
June 16, 2025
Looking Back and Accelerating Forward: Increasing Abundance Through the Housing Supply Accelerator
Reflecting on the success of the Housing Supply Accelerator Playbook, a one-of-a-kind guide for boosting attainable housing supply, and the launch of the Housing Supply Accelerator Challenge led by APA and NLC to further support communities. -
June 12, 2025
Understanding Why Residents Remain in Japan's Flood Zones
Global Perspectives: Discover how deep cultural ties, economic constraints, and policy gaps influence why residents in Japan’s flood-prone areas choose to stay, offering planners valuable insights for community-informed resilience strategies. -
June 11, 2025
You Can't Be Family Friendly Without Being Childcare Friendly
Spotlight on Zoning Practice: Zoning may not be the primary regulatory tool for childcare facilities, but that doesn't mean it isn't an important tool for expanding access to childcare. -
June 10, 2025
What's Next? Celebrating the One-Year Anniversary of the Housing Supply Accelerator Playbook
Reflecting on the one-year anniversary of the Housing Supply Accelerator Playbook and introducing the Housing Supply Accelerator Challenge, a nationwide network designed to accelerate the implementation of proven and innovative housing strategies and expand the supply of housing in communities across the country. -
June 9, 2025
Disaster-Proof Your Planning: Using Emergency Management Phases to Tackle Uncertainty
The phases of emergency management can be a useful framework for preparing and coping with threats to local planning activities. -
June 5, 2025
How Three European Countries Are Modernizing Land Records
Global Perspectives: See how three European countries are modernizing cadastral systems through 3D mapping, public-private collaboration, and AI to deliver more accurate, accessible, and future-ready land data for planners.
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