APA Interact December 20, 2017

Second proposal window opens

Also open now through January 10 is a proposal submission period for posters and timely sessions that respond to recent events or breaking planning issues.

Take the NPC19 survey

Share your ideas about educational programming at NPC19 in San Francisco by taking a short online survey. The survey closes January 5.

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Streamline your city's permitting and licensing in 2018

Permitting a business or residential project can be complex. OpenCounter streamlines the process by revealing where the project is allowed, which permits are required, and how much the permits will cost. This simplifies the process and saves time for applicants and staff. Learn more at www.opencounter.com.

Kudos to successful AICP exam candidates

APA congratulates 324 members who passed the November 2017 AICP Certification Exam, including Ryan Scherzinger, AICP, APA's professional practice programs manager.

Double your gift for hurricane relief

Please donate now to the APA Foundation's Community Assistance Fund. The Foundation will match individual donations through December 31, and use the funds for hurricane recovery efforts.

APA Foundation Board Chair Mary Kay Peck, FAICP, described her experiences as Hurricane Irma barreled toward her home state of Florida. Her home was spared the worst of the storm's wrath, but thousands of homes and businesses in Florida, Texas, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands were not.

If you contributed to the APA Foundation this year, thank you!

What got your attention in 2017?

APA staff dug into web stats to see what online content drew people's eyes and ears across a variety of media. Discover APA's 2017 "greatest hits" on Facebook and Twitter, digital Planning, podcasts, blog posts, and more.

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Help identify key insights in the planning profession

Complete the 4th Annual Local Government Leader Survey by iCompass. Help identify insights into the changing landscape of government and what it means for planners. You'll get a summary of the key findings and a copy of the final report.

Key financing tools survive tax reform compromise

Congress approved today the compromise  agreement on tax reform struck by House and Senate negotiators late  last week, clearing the bill's final hurdle in Congress and sending it to  President Trump to be signed into law. The deal preserves Private Activity Bonds, New  Market Tax Credits, and Historic Tax Credits, largely thanks to efforts led by  community development and planning advocates. Nonetheless, the legislation  poses new questions for local communities and short-term federal priorities,  including infrastructure.

A year of advocacy

Look back with us on planning advocates' key moments in 2017. With major legislative issues unresolved and a busy 2018 on the horizon, APA will build on this year's momentum in efforts to advance smart federal planning policies.

New on the member resources menu: Food Trucks

Has the food-truck revolution reached your city? Nationwide, mobile food vendors are taking tasty new cuisines and entrepreneurial energy to city centers and neighborhoods. If concerns about competition and potential impacts are not addressed by your community's vending ordinances, check out Food Trucks, the latest Research KnowledgeBase collection for APA members. Discover background info, policy guidance, and examples of local regulations that support these new ventures while protecting communities.

From our blog

Read the first installment in a three-part series on designing age-friendly communities from the APA Pennsylvania Chapter's Healthy Communities in PA.

Competitions, surveys, and awards

The National Geospatial Technology Center is updating the Geospatial Technology Competency Model. (Learn more about the GTCM.) APA members are invited to review the GTCM via an online survey. This is the update's critical first step and participants may attend a post-survey webinar discussion of the survey results. to participate in the survey, complete a contact information form by December 22.

Complete a survey about planning for fully automated vehicles by January 9.

Submit nominations for the APA Sustainable Community Division's Fifth Annual Awards for Excellence in Sustainability by January 19.

Submit papers for the APA Transportation Planning Division's Student Paper Competition by January 26.

Enter the Divisions Council/Student Representatives Council Student Design Competition by January 29.

Apply for the Economic Development Division Holzheimer Memorial Student Scholarship by February 2.

Get involved

Volunteer to be a 2018 APA Ambassador by December 31.

Do you work with high school students in a disadvantaged urban community? APA and partners formed the Urban Climate Action Network to empower teens to address climate change locally. The program includes three years of leadership training, expert scientific assistance, and the resources of a national network. Youth teams will travel to Baltimore for a week of experiential learning and interaction with leading climatologists and communications experts. Spread the word! Program applications are due by February 15.

CM 2016–17 reporting period countdown: 11 days to go!

More than 80 percent of AICP members in the CM 2016–17 reporting period have logged more than half their required CM credits. Your CM credit tally appears on your CM log. Remember to log all earned credits by December 31 to avoid entering the January–April grace period.

December 31 is also the last day to request exemption from CM requirements for 2016–17.

Ethics Committee suspends planner's certification

Earlier this month, the AICP Ethics Committee suspended the certification of a Florida planner who was charged with ethical misconduct by a former employer.