About the Section
Creating great communities for all
The American Planning Association, California Chapter — Northern section, is the largest of the Chapter’s eight sections and one of the largest in the country. We offer a community for Northern California planning professionals from Monterey to Eureka.
Our Story
APA California — Northern
The American Planning Association, California Chapter – Northern section, was formed in the 1950s as one of the three original sections of APA California. We offer membership to city and regional planners and associated professionals primarily living or working in Northern California, from and through Monterey County to the Oregon border, including the nine-county San Francisco Bay Area and Lake and San Benito Counties. Northern promotes planning-related continuing education and social functions to provide a forum for communication and exchange of information about urban planning-related activities, increase public awareness of the importance of urban planning, and encourage professionalism and ethical conduct among its 1,700 members.
California Chapter
The American Planning Association, California Chapter (, has a long, proud history. It is the professional association that represents California urban planners and related practitioners. Its origin dates back to 1933 with the formation of the California Planners Institute. The present APA California chapter was formalized as a professional organization in 1947 with the merger of the California Planners Institute and the American Institute of Planners. APA California currently has over 5,000 members.