Dec. 12, 2024
I'll never forget the two monumental stories that defined my first summer at Planning magazine. First, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of New London, Connecticut, in its bid to use eminent domain to ease the way for economic development — although it was Susette Kelo and her pink house that captured most of the mainstream media's attention. A month or so later, Hurricane Katrina pummeled the Gulf Coast, unleashing a storm surge that devastated the city's flood protection systems, inundating large swathes of New Orleans and killing more than 1,300 people.
Meghan Stromberg is APA's editor in chief.
If you've been around for a minute, like me, you know that Planning covers stories like these as they happen — and as they evolve over time — to help us all understand what they mean for planners, communities, and the profession.
The American Planning Association (APA) brings community, expertise, innovative tools, and opportunities for professional growth to empower planners to address today's challenges and shape the cities of tomorrow. For 90 years, Planning has been a cornerstone of APA's knowledge resources.
Certainly, a lot has changed since that first printing in 1935, when it was the American Society of Planning Officials Newsletter, before the merger of APA's predecessor organizations. These days, both the pace of change and the nature of the shifts are dramatic and dizzying. APA and Planning help planners not only keep up with it all but stay ahead of it.
The publication also has changed with the times. Our digital magazine puts timely content at your fingertips, while the quarterly print edition lets you browse at your own pace. (If you aren't receiving print but want to, send a note to customerservice@planning.org.) The monthly newsletter highlights the biggest stories, while a bimonthly podcast talks to the people behind the plans. We pay close attention to what you're reading, too, and that data helps us deliver the stories that matter to planners across the breadth of the profession.
Today, Planning and APA also have a broader reach. While practicing planners remain our primary audience — you are central to everything we do — public officials, community leaders, allied professionals, urban thinkers, and everyday people are now accessing the magazine to build greater understanding of the issues of the day, as well as delve deeper into other APA resources linked in each article, from PAS Reports to podcasts.
Looking ahead
As Planning celebrates it 90th birthday this year, we have a few exciting things planned. There will be a birthday party (Planning editors wouldn't be mad if you brought us cake to celebrate) at NPC25 in Denver.
We're also doing a special Spring print issue that explores some of the turning points of planning and looks to what's ahead. Speaking of looking forward, on page 20 in this issue, you'll see a sneak peek of the 2025 Trend Report for Planners, which identifies the existing, emerging, and potential future trends planners will want to be aware of and understand so you can act, prepare, and learn.
As always, we love to hear from you. Reach out to me anytime at mstromberg@planning.org and tell me what you'd like to see in your APA magazine. Or maybe you have a reflection about how Planning has helped you in your career. I'm looking forward to the next part of this journey.
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