Blog
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July 30, 2026
Three Lessons from California's ADU Efforts
Uncovering JAPA: Learn how California’s ADU reforms reveal the opportunities and challenges of using homeowners, and small developers, as drivers of neighborhood densification. -
July 27, 2026
State Limits on Local Zoning: By the Numbers
Over the past 10 years, many states have adopted laws that preempt aspects of local zoning authority. Some of these laws aim to increase housing supply, while others establish protections for specific nonresidential uses. Keeping up with these changes is challenging but necessary for planners. -
July 27, 2026
Rehearsing How to Respond to Uncertainty
Career Resilience: Learn how mental rehearsal can help make stressful situations feel less fraught with the unknowns. -
July 23, 2026
Behind-the-Scenes Secrets of Online Civic Engagement
Uncovering JAPA: Learn how digital engagement platforms can strengthen and undermine meaningful public participation, and what planners should consider before relying on such platforms. -
July 16, 2026
Designing Parks for the Ebb and Flow of Use
Uncovering JAPA: Learn how smartphone data is helping planners uncover the daily and seasonal rhythms of park use, leading to time-based park classifications that can inform more responsive design, programming, and management. -
July 14, 2026
Planner Profile: Meet Luis Balderrama, AICP
Planner Profile: Luis "Will" Balderrama, AICP, is a military planner and a member of the Alabama Chapter of the American Planning Association. -
July 13, 2026
Housing Reform: What's Inside the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Law
The following Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) provide a comprehensive overview of the bipartisan 21st Century ROAD to Housing law and its broader implications for the American housing market. -
July 11, 2026
American Planning Association Celebrates Enactment of Bipartisan Housing Law to Boost Supply
NEWS RELEASE: APA applauds the enactment of the bipartisan 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act into law, a landmark investment in planning-led housing solutions that provides communities with new tools to increase housing supply, improve affordability, and expand housing choice. -
July 10, 2026
Could a Zoning Overlay Turn the Tide on Coastal Resilience?
Spotlight on Zoning Practice: Planners need new tools to mitigate climate-related risks in coastal communities. One such tool is the Coastal Hazards Overlay District (CHOD), new type of zoning overlay that encourages communities to diversify their risk reduction strategies. -
July 10, 2026
Lessons from Rural Community Development
Uncovering JAPA: Learn how rural community development informs planning through local capacity, collaboration, and community-driven solutions that bridge the urban-rural divide and address rural needs. -
July 2, 2026
Where Will the Warehouses Go?
Uncovering JAPA: Learn how planners are using zoning to manage warehouse development and why stronger environmental justice policies are essential for more equitable freight planning. -
June 30, 2026
What New Zealand Taught Me About Climate Planning
As an Axford Fellow, Paul Holland, AICP, was eager to explore the link between security challenges in the Pacific Islands and the climate impacts affecting land use, as well as how New Zealand addresses climate policy challenges. -
June 29, 2026
The Art of Listening: How Creativity Helped Shape Petaluma River Park
Petaluma's Poets to Parkmakers used poetry, visual art, music, and storytelling to engage more than 5,000 residents in shaping a community-driven vision for a 35-acre riverfront park. -
June 23, 2026
Housing Reform Win: 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act Crosses the Finish Line
The 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act has been signed into law, marking a years-in-the-making win for planning advocates and their communities nationwide. -
June 23, 2026
Mapping Pride: Atlanta's Effort to Document LGBTQ History
Atlanta established and maintains a process for documenting its LGBTQ+ history while identifying opportunities to recognize and preserve places that played important roles in the community's development. -
June 23, 2026
American Planning Association Applauds Historic Passage of the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act
NEWS RELEASE: APA applauded the passage of the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, a bipartisan package that supports planning-led solutions to expand housing supply and affordability. -
June 22, 2026
Integrating Wildfire Planning: Lessons from Chile and Victoria, Australia
Uncovering JAPA: Learn how planning approaches in Chile and Victoria, Australia, can better integrate wildfire risk into land use planning and development decisions. -
June 18, 2026
Rethinking Staff Reports: Lessons from Fashion and Art
Uncovering JAPA: Discover how creative formats and group reflection can improve planning staff reports by making complex information clearer, more engaging, and easier for commissioners and staff to understand and use in decision-making. -
June 16, 2026
Planners on the 'ROAD' to Housing Advocacy
Planners brought their expertise and community stories to virtual meetings with Capitol Hill to advocate for federal support for housing action through the highly anticipated 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act. -
June 11, 2026
How Can We Fix Zoning’s Blank-Slate Bias?
Spotlight on Zoning Practice: How can planners and local officials break down zoning barriers to new uses or structures on previously developed sites? -
June 10, 2026
USDOT Pilot Program Seeks Innovative Transportation Proposals
U.S. Department of Transportation recently announced a $28.5 million Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) to invest in making mass transit more family-friendly and affordable. -
June 8, 2026
Bonnie Johnson, PhD, FAICP, Named Book Review Editor of Journal of the American Planning Association (JAPA)
NEWS RELEASE: APA welcomes Bonnie J. Johnson as the new book review editor of the Journal of the American Planning Association (JAPA). -
June 1, 2026
Five Tips for Creating Resilient Planning Careers
Five key takeaways from the NPC26 Career Center in Detroit on how planners can build resilient, fulfilling careers through mentorship, continuous learning, and community connection. -
June 1, 2026
Here's How FEMA Could Change — and Why It Matters
FEMA review council’s proposed reforms could shift more disaster planning, housing, mitigation, and recovery responsibilities to state and local governments — making planners far more central to resilience efforts while raising concerns about capacity and funding. -
May 22, 2026
Preserving Cultural Identity Along the Green Line: The Little Mekong Story
The Little Mekong initiative in St. Paul demonstrates how community-focused planning and cultural placemaking can preserve a thriving Southeast Asian business corridor in coordination with transit-oriented development. -
May 21, 2026
Landmark Housing Legislation Advances: U.S. House Passes 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act
The 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act passed the U.S. House of Representatives in a 396-13 vote on Wednesday, May 20, marking another significant step forward for federal action on housing solutions for communities nationwide. -
May 20, 2026
Planner Profile: Meet Sarah Lucas, FAICP
Sarah Lucas, FAICP, the director of the Michigan Office of Rural Prosperity, is dedicated to supporting rural communities in the state. -
May 19, 2026
Integrating Art and Creativity Into Public Engagement
Thousands of planners convene each year in a designated host city for the American Planning Association's (APA) National Planning Conference (NPC). The Planners' Day of Service provides visiting planners with an opportunity to make a positive impact on NPC's host community. -
May 18, 2026
AI and Knowledge Work: Critical Thinking
While AI in knowledge work presents opportunities for growth and upskilling, the use of AI may also lead to overreliance or other changes to the way we do our jobs and work with communities. Understanding both the pros and cons of using AI in planning work is essential for making informed decisions about integrating it into the workplace and job descriptions. -
May 18, 2026
Housing Supply Accelerator Convenes to Drive America’s Housing Comeback Forward
Planners, homebuilders, realtors, and city leaders gathered in Detroit on Friday, April 24, to share what’s driving America’s Housing Comeback. With an agenda focused on land use and zoning reform and their impact on local housing systems, experts provided what’s worked for them in their communities and how they got there. -
May 14, 2026
Would Your Zoning Let Vertical Farming Grow?
Spotlight on Zoning Practice: Planners and local officials can remove unintentional zoning barriers to vertical farming by establishing clear use permissions for intensive indoor agricultural operations and tailoring zoning standards for vertical farming to its specific operational characteristics. -
May 12, 2026
Thank You AICP and APA!
After an amazing weekend in Detroit at the American Planning Association’s (APA) National Planning Conference (NPC26) in Detroit, I feel compelled to say thank you to the American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP) and APA. I can’t imagine where I would be without either of them. -
May 11, 2026
Recognizing APA Presidential Award Recipients
Honoring the recipients of the 2026 APA President Awards. -
May 6, 2026
No Place to Stop: What Truck Data Reveals About the Parking Gap
Sponsored Content from Altitude by Geotab: New data reveals where and when truck drivers park on ramps due to limited authorized spaces. Learn why planners should view parking as a critical safety and infrastructure need, not just a convenience. -
May 4, 2026
Tips for Maintaining Capacity in Planning to Avoid Burnout
Get tips for how to manage capacity to help prevent burnout in the workplace. -
May 4, 2026
The Silent Signal: What the Insurance Crisis Means for Planners
Explore how climate-driven insurance market failures (canceled policies, soaring premiums, insurer exits) are reshaping where housing is viable and argues that planners must treat "insurability" as a key input to land-use decisions, equity, and managed retreat planning. -
April 29, 2026
NPC26 Cruises into the Motor City
Nearly 4,000 people converged in Detroit for the American Planning Association's (APA) 2026 National Planning Conference (NPC26). -
April 26, 2026
The State of the 'States': Housing Top of Mind
Across this year's State of the State addresses, governors described housing shortages and rising costs as constraints on workforce availability, household stability, and local economies. -
April 25, 2026
Planner Profile: Meet B Danielle Schulte, AICP
B Danielle Schulte, AICP, is a senior planner with the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (CTUIR) and an avid hiker. -
April 23, 2026
Planner Profile: Meet Kyle Shiel, AICP
Kyle Shiel, AICP, is a principal planner at the Capitol Region Council of Governments and a self-proclaimed "lifelong map nerd." -
April 22, 2026
From the Field and the Academy: JAPA Honors Its 2025 Award Winners
Each year, the Journal of the American Planning Association (JAPA) recognizes the papers and authors that best exemplify the journal's commitment to research that is useful to practicing planners, policymakers, scholars, and students. -
April 21, 2026
Detroit is Showcased to Nearly 4,000 Planners
NEWS RELEASE: APA's premier 2026 National Planning Conference (NPC26) will bring the largest gathering of planners to Detroit to explore what's working and what comes next. Special events include an exclusive screening of the Detroit documentary, "Resurgo." -
April 20, 2026
Write it Down: Journaling as a Tool for Personal Resilience
A journaling practice does not need to be complex or burdensome. Learn the benefits of starting a journaling practice and how it can help planners and others in high-demand professions. -
April 14, 2026
Are We Being Smart About Smart Growth?
Spotlight on Zoning Practice: Planners can be smart about smart growth by modernizing adequate public facilities (APF) rules to incorporate context-sensitive level-of-service (LOS) standards that align with a broader range of community objectives. -
April 13, 2026
Make New Connections at NPC26 During APA Divisions Fair
Designed to help planners quickly find their professional community, APA Divisions Fair is a one-stop shop where NPC26 attendees can meet representatives from all 25 APA divisions and seven interest groups in one place. -
April 10, 2026
Dispatches from New Zealand: Why Global Exchange Matters More Than Ever
Petra Hurtado, PhD, APA’s chief foresight and knowledge officer, shares highlights from the New Zealand Planning Institute’s annual conference held in March 2026. -
April 9, 2026
From Pop-up to Permanent School Bike Lanes
Uncovering JAPA: Discover how a Miami case study on recurring pop-up protected bike lanes revealed strong community support, improved school traffic operations, and advanced exploration of permanent infrastructure for safer student travel. -
April 6, 2026
The Digital Accessibility Time Bomb: Leveraging AI to Accelerate Compliance
The previous two parts in "The Digital Accessibility Time Bomb" series established the scope of the accessibility problem (Part 1) and the institutional barriers that prevent easy solutions (Part 2). This final part turns to what might actually work: AI tools that can help planners create and remediate accessible documents at a scale that manual processes cannot match. -
April 6, 2026
Don’t Wait for a Vacancy: Start Succession Planning Now
Succession planning isn’t just a future concern. It’s quickly becoming one of the most urgent challenges facing planners today. -
April 3, 2026
New Executive Order Aims to Remove Regulatory Barriers to Housing
President Trump signed a new Executive Order, Removing Regulatory Barriers to Affordable Home Construction, directing a range of federal agencies to reduce regulatory obstacles to new housing development. Take a deeper look into the impacts on local planning.
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