Every year APA honors outstanding student projects via the following awards program.

Student Planning and Design Competition

The submission window will open early 2024. Check out the 2023 winners.

The competition invites teams of students pursuing graduate degrees in planning to participate. New this year is the competition's focus on a community issue in the NPC host city. The attention to student design in these real-life spaces continues APA's ongoing effort to provide leadership in the development of vital communities. By advocating excellence in planning, promoting education and citizen empowerment, APA hopes to provide the tools and support necessary to meet the challenges of growth and change.

*Previously known as the Student Design Competition.

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Outstanding Student Awards

The submission window for the 2023–2024 academic year will open in November.

The Outstanding Student Awards recognized outstanding achievement in the study of planning by students graduating from Planning Accreditation Board (PAB)–accredited planning programs (one at the undergraduate level and one at the graduate level, if applicable) during the academic year of the award.

Each respective planning program convened a jury to make the selection(s) and scheduled the award presentation(s) at their respective school(s).

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