Awards
2026 Northern Planning Awards
The application period is OPEN!
Applications accepted from January 19 to March 1, 2026 | Deadline: 5:00 PM
The purpose of the APA California — Northern Planning Awards is to encourage quality in planning and increase the public’s awareness of the planning profession through recognizing outstanding achievement in the planning field. Each year, APA Northern bestows Planning Awards to honor the most outstanding efforts in planning throughout APA Northern’s service area. The program honors innovative plans and projects, distinguished APA members, and lay contributors to planning and achievements of the Northern members. Often, our winners ascend to win awards at the Chapter and National levels!
Questions? Reach out to Planning Awards Director Carlina Rose at awards@norcalapa.org for guidance.
How-to Apply webinar
APA California – Northern will host a How-To Apply webinar on January 21, 2026, to guide prospective applicants through the awards process. This session is recommended for both first-time applicants and returning nominees. A recording of the webinar and presentation slides will be available afterward on our YouTube channel at youtube.com/@APACalifornia-Northern.
Awards Categories, Criteria, and Eligibility
Please note that the APA California Chapter implemented changes to award categories for the 2025 awards, and the associated updates to categories and criteria have been published. Please review the information carefully prior to submitting your application.
- Award Category Descriptions
- State-Eligible Awards (Attachment A)
- Northern Special Recognition Awards (Attachment B)
- Criteria for Award Categories (Attachment C)
- Northern Awards Policies (Attachment D)
How to apply:
Please complete the Application Form linked below from January 19 through March 1, 2026, at 5:00 p.m.
- Complete the online application form here: tinyurl.com/APAAwards2026
- Application Supplemental Template: tinyurl.com/SupplementalTemplate
Important dates
Note: All dates are subject to change.
- Application Window: January 19–March 1, 2026
- Jury Deliberations: March 16–April 5, 2026
- Winner Notification: April 6, 2026
- State Awards Application Window: April 15–May 16, 2026
- Northern Awards Gala: Sept 17, 2026
Call for Jury Volunteers
The Northern Planning Awards Committee is looking for enthusiastic individuals from both private and public sectors across Northern’s service area who are willing to dedicate time to our profession by serving on the 2026 Northern Planning Awards Jury. Jurors will review and evaluate some of the finest planning work in Northern California, then will confer with the jury to determine the winners. Please reach out to the Northern Awards Program Director, Carlina Rose, at awards@norcalapa.org to express your interest by Friday, February 20, 2026.
Save the Date
Help us celebrate the Northern Planning Awards winners at the Northern Awards Gala on September 17, 2026! Location TBD.
Questions? Reach out to Planning Awards Director Carlina Rose at awards@norcalapa.org for guidance.