Expanded Housing and Urban Forest Earn Top Honors in the 2026 National Planning Awards

CHICAGO (October 21, 2026)  — Expanding housing options, strengthening against severe weather impacts and increasing economic opportunity have earned four communities' top recognition as recipients of the 2026 American Planning Association (APA) National Planning Awards. The recognition showcases the essential role of planning and how planners turn complex community challenges into opportunities for a stronger, more adaptable future.

"This year's National Planning Award recipients represent the very best of planning in action," said Samantha Castro, AICP, 2026 APA awards jury chair. "Their achievements offer inspiring examples of how strategic and thoughtful planning creates lasting benefits and helps communities thrive."

American Planning Association, Award-Winning Projects

Daniel Burnham Award for a Comprehensive Plan  

Vision 2034 – New Haven's Comprehensive Plan – New Haven, Connecticut

Vision 2034 establishes a 10-year framework for New Haven's future, guided by the principles of equity and resilience and shaped through a broad, community-driven planning process. The plan engaged historically excluded communities through Community Navigators and youth leaders, ensuring residents helped shape its goals. Organized around six topic areas, the plan addresses housing, economic opportunity, transportation, arts and culture, climate resilience and civic experiences while recognizing the connections among these issues. This provided a shared framework for expanding opportunity, supporting existing residents, strengthening neighborhoods and building a more resilient city.

The Daniel Burnham Award for a Comprehensive Plan recognizes a plan that advances the benefits of good planning in communities to create a stronger future. Named in honor of Daniel Burnham, for his contributions to the planning profession and greater awareness of the benefits of good planning.

Advancing Diversity & Social Change in Honor of Paul Davidoff

Pu'uhonua o Wai'anae Farm Village Project - Waiʻanae, Oʻahu, Hawai‘i

The Pu'uhonua o Wai'anae Farm Village Project transformed a longtime houseless community into a permanent farm village centered on housing, agriculture, cultural healing and shared stewardship. Led by residents, the project demonstrates how planning can support communities in shaping their own future while preserving their culture. Through a community-first approach, residents worked alongside planners and technical experts to secure land, develop permanent homes, build agricultural systems and create a lasting place of belonging for their families and community.

The Advancing Diversity & Social Change (in Honor of Paul Davidoff) Award recognizes a plan that demonstrates a sustained commitment to advocacy. The award honors the late APA member Paul Davidoff for his contributions to the planning profession.

Planning Excellence Award

Housing Bond Loan program – Palm Beach County, Florida

Palm Beach County's Housing Bond Loan Program uses a voter-approved $200 million investment to expand affordable and workforce housing, leveraging local funding to unlock additional public and private resources. The program uses planning-driven criteria to direct investments toward areas with access to transit, jobs, schools and services, while centering community priorities. By integrating housing finance, land use planning and community engagement, the program demonstrates how local planning can create lasting housing opportunities and strengthen community resilience.

The Planning Excellence Award recognizes how planning is essential to addressing desires, needs and challenges within a community.

Resilience & Sustainability Award   

New York City Urban Forest Plan – New York City, New York

New York City's first-ever Urban Forest Plan establishes a 10-year roadmap to expand and maintain the city's tree canopy while advancing climate resilience and equity. Developed by the Mayor's Office of Climate & Environmental Justice and other partners, the plan provides strategies and actions to reach 30% tree canopy by 2040. Informed by data analysis and input from more than 8,000 New Yorkers, the plan treats trees as critical infrastructure and identifies opportunities to preserve existing canopy, plant more trees and cultivate community stewards. Focusing on low-canopy and areas with disproportionate environmental harms and risks it aims to ensure the benefits of the urban forest are more equitably distributed across the city.

The Resilience & Sustainability Award recognizes how planning helps prepare communities for the future.

With only four awards presented annually — one in each category — APA's National Planning Awards distinguish a select group of exemplary planning efforts nationwide. Chosen by a jury of leading planning practitioners, recipients join a legacy of planning excellence spanning more than 50 years.

The American Planning Association is an independent, not-for-profit educational organization that provides vital leadership in creating great communities for all. APA and its professional institute, the American Institute of Certified Planners, are dedicated to advancing the profession of planning, offering better choices for where and how people work and live. APA's nearly 40,000 members work in concert with community residents, civic leaders, and business interests to create communities that enrich people's lives. Through its philanthropic work, APA's Foundation helps to reduce economic and social barriers to good planning. APA is based in Chicago. Learn more at www.planning.org.

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Contact:

Roberta Rewers, APA, 312.786.6395; rrewers@planning.org