Awards

APA California Northern Section Awards

The purpose of the American Planning Association, California Chapter, Northern Section Awards Program 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, the Northern Section bestows Planning Awards to honor the most outstanding efforts in planning in the Section. The program honors innovative plans and projects, distinguished APA members, and lay contributors to planning and achievements of the Northern Section. Often, our Section winners ascend to win awards at the State and National levels!

The APA Northern Section 2023 Awards Application Window is Open
February 6 – March 17, 2023

Applications due by 5:00 pm March 17, 2023.

For any questions, please email Danae Hall at: awardssubmissions@norcalapa.org

Awards Categories, Criteria, and Eligibility

Award Categories

Criteria for Award Categories

Northern Section Awards Policies

Awards Application Checklist:

NOTE: There are two (2) submittal steps:

Step #1: Complete the online form here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSc8uAzTqMjbwmqC8Eqzn50ymtlcBf6IoUcmRw2TMPOnJ1yD8Q/viewform?usp=sharing

Step #2: Submit an Electronic Application to awardssubmissions@norcalapa.org as ONE (1) PDF. Label PDF in the following format: “[Award Category]_2023 Application__[Project Name]__[Applicant]”.

Electronic Applications shall include:

Summary– (Up to 1 page) Please include the following information in the summary:
- Page titled “Summary”.
- Name of project/plan/person nominated.
- Brief Summary of project/plan/person.
- Why the plan/person was nominated for the specific award.
- If a project/plan is posted online, please include a link to the web location where it can be viewed.
Award Criteria – (1 to 2 pages) Please include the following information:
- Page Titled “Award Criteria”.
- The list of criteria for the specific award.
- 3-4 sentences for each criterion, describing how the nominated project/plan/person meets the criteria.

Example format:

CRITERION #1
- [3-4 sentences]
CRITERION #2
- [3-4 sentences]

Up to eight (8) high resolution images – these images may be used at the Awards Gala and/or for announcing winners online.

Important Dates

Northern Section Awards Application Window – February 6- March 17
Northern Section Awards Jury Deliberations – March 17 – April 14
Northern Section Awards Winner Notification – April 14
State Awards Application Window – April 15- May 15
Northern Section Awards Awards Gala – October, date/location TBD

Save the Date: Awards Gala

Help us celebrate the Northern Section Awards Winners at the APA Northern Section Awards Gala in October 2023! Date and location TBD.

Become a Sponsor

Sponsorship opportunities include Gala Tickets; advertising in the Northern News and email list; and recognition during the Gala.

See our sponsors

Become a sponsor

Past award winners

Advancing diversity and social change

2020 Award of Excellence — City of Salinas – Alisal Vibrancy Plan.
Created with equity at its core, it is an action-oriented, community-driven plan to alleviate and reverse decades of neglect and underinvestment, and it is an opportunity to improve the quality of life for residents by building upon the social and cultural wealth of the Alisal. See the Plan.
2019 Award of Excellence — L. Robert Ulibarri, AICP
2018 Award of Merit, Social and Environmental Justice — Santa Cruz’s Climate Adaptation Outreach Campaign, City of Santa Cruz Climate Action Program

Best practices

2022 Award of Excellence — Milpitas Planning Tools for Housing. Team: City of Milpitas and Metta Urban Design
2021 Award of Excellence — Innovation in Oakland. Team: Darin Ranelletti, City of Oakland | MTC/ABAG, Ada Chan | Urban Planning Partners, Lynette Dias and Meredith Rupp
2021 Award of Merit — What’s behind recent transit ridership trends in the Bay Area? Team: UCLA Institute of Transportation Studies, Research team: Brian D. Taylor, FAICP; Evelyn Blumenberg, Jacob L. Wasserman, Mark Garrett, Andrew Schouten, Hannah King, Julene Paul, and Madeline Ruvolo | Metropolitan Transportation Commission, Supervisory staff: Alix Bockelman and Kenneth Folan
2020 Award of Excellence — VTA’s BART Silicon Valley Phase II Transit Oriented Community PlaybooksTeam: VTA / Perkins and Will / Strategic Economics / Kimley Horn / Nelson Nygaard / BKF Engineers / CHS Consulting
The Playbooks present a holistic, phased road map for the Cities of San José and Santa Clara to leverage this once-in-a-century public investment and elevate the station areas to become dense, equitable, and resilient urban centers. See the playbooks.
2019 Award of Excellence — San Mateo County Second Unit Center, 21 Elements | Home for All | San Mateo County
2019 Award of Merit — Albany Residential Design Guidelines — Albany Planning & Zoning Commission | Albany Planning Department
2018 Award of Excellence — SB 1000 Implementation Toolkit, California Environmental Justice Alliance (CEJA) and PlaceWorks
2018 Award of Merit — City of Mountain View Transfer of Development Rights (TDR) Program, City of Mountain View
2017 Award of Excellence — City and County of San Francisco Transportation Sustainability Program
2017 Award of Merit — City of Richmond Zoning and Subdivision Regulations
2017 Award of Merit — City of Berkeley Measure U1
2016 Award of Excellence — Redwood City Community Benefits Program
2016 Award of Merit — California Department of Food and Agriculture Statewide Plant Pest Prevention and Management Program
2014 Award of Excellence — 21 Elements / Grand Nexus Study, San Mateo County
2013 Award of Excellence — Berkeley Downtown Area Project – City of Berkeley Planning and Development Department
2012 Award of Excellence — SJSU / VTA Collaborative Research on Transit Oriented Development Residential Parking, San José State University (SJSU); and Santa Clara Valley Transit Authority (VTA)
2012 Award of Merit — Bay Regional Park District Wildfire Hazard Reduction and Resource Management Plan, East Bay Regional Parks District; and LSA Associates, Inc.
2011 Award of Excellence – San Francisco Better Streets Plan, City of San Francisco Planning Department
2011 Award of Merit — Richmond Heritage Homes Design Guidelines, City of Richmond; and Opticos Design, Inc.
2010 Award of Excellence — Envision San José 2040: Phase I and II Community Engagement Program, City of San José, Department of Planning, Building and Code Enforcement
2009 Award of Excellence — California Pedestrian Safety Assessments Program, Fehr & Peers, Inc.; and UC Berkeley Institute of Transportation Studies
2008 Award of Excellence — 23rd Street Specific Plan, City of San Pablo
2008 Award of Merit — MacArthur BART Access Feasibility Study City of Oakland, City of Oakland; and Fehr & Peers

Comprehensive plan – large jurisdiction

2022 Award of Excellence — City of Santa Rosa, Downtown Station Area Specific Plan Update. Team: City of Santa Rosa and Dyett and Bhatia
2021 Award of Excellence — Tasman East Specific Plan Team: City of Santa Clara | Ensemble/Rethink Development | Related California | Holland Partner Group | Summerhill Apartment Communities | St. Anton Communities | Greystar Development
2020 Award of Merit — City of Hayward – Downtown Specific PlanTeam: City of Hayward & Lisa Wise Consulting, Inc.
2019 Award of Excellence — Central SoMa Plan — San Francisco Planning Department
2018 Award of Excellence — Propel Vallejo, General Plan 2040, City of Vallejo
2012 Award of Excellence — The Envision San José 2040 General Plan, City of San José, Department of Planning, Building and Code Enforcement; City of San José, Department of Transportation; City of San José, Office of Economic Development; City of San José, Department of Housing; San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission; and California Department of Transportation
2012 Award of Merit — The City of Fremont General Plan Update, City of Fremont
2011 Award of Merit — Santa Clara Station Area Plan, City of Santa Clara; City of San José; Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority; and Dyett & Bhatia
2008 Award — Marin Countywide Plan, County of Marin

Comprehensive plan – small jurisdiction

2022 Award of Excellence — San Rafael General Plan 2040. Team: Barry Miller, FAICP, project manager, primary author; City of San Rafael, BAE Urban Economics, Communities in Collaboration, Opticos Design, Fehr and Peers, PlaceWorks
2022 Award of Merit — Sausalito 2040 General Plan Update. The Sausalito General Plan benefits from an optional element focused on the waterfront, sea-level rise, preservation of marine industries, and rehabilitation of its historic waterfront industrial area. Team: City of Sausalito; M-Group, FirstCarbon Solutions, Economic and Planning Systems, Parisi Transportation Consultants, BKF Engineers, Mott MacDonald
2022 Award of Merit — Milpitas 2040 General Plan. Team: City of Milpitas and De Novo Planning Group
2021 Award of Merit — City of Gilroy 2040 General Plan and Program Environmental Impact Report. Team: Mintier Harnish: Jim Harnish and Brenton Gibbons, AICP | City of Gilroy: Stan Ketchum, Julie Wyrick, AICP, Cindy McCormick | EMC Planning Group: Teri Wissler Adam | Hexagon Transportation: Jeff Elia | Applied Development Economics: Doug Svensson
2020 Award of Excellence – East Whisman Precise PlanTeam: City of Mountain View / Raimi +Associates / Community Design + Architecture / Strategic Economics/ Fehr & Peers / Siefel Consulting / David J Powers and Associates / Schaaf + Wheeler
2019 Award of Excellence — Vallco Town Center Specific Plan — City of Cupertino | Opticos Design
2019 Award of Merit — Alameda Marina Master Plan — KTGY Architecture + Planning | Alameda Marina Development | Bay West Group
2018 Award of Excellence — Belmont General Plan Update, Belmont Village Specific Plan, and Climate Action Plan, City of Belmont, Dyett & Bhatia
2018 Award of Merit — Redwood City El Camino Real Corridor Plan, City of Redwood City, Dyett & Bhatia
2017 Award of Excellence — City of San Leandro 2035 General Plan Update
2017 Award of Merit — East Palo Alto General Plan Update and Westside Area Plan
2016 Award of Excellence — City of Mountain View El Camino Real Precise Plan
2016 Award of Merit — South San Francisco Downtown Station Area Specific Plan
2014 Award of Excellence — Windsor Station Area / Downtown Specific Plan, Town of Windsor
2014 Award of Merit — Mill Valley 2040 General Plan, City of Mill Valley
2014 Award of Merit — Petaluma Smart Stations TOD Master Plan and SmartCode, City of Petaluma
2014 Award of Merit — Woodside 2012 General Plan and Residential Design Guidelines, Town of Woodside
2013 Award of Excellence — Berkeley Downtown Area Project – City of Berkeley Planning and Development Department
2012 Award of Merit — City of Redwood City General Plan, City of Redwood; Hogle-Ireland, Inc.; Strategic Economics; and Fehr & Peers
2011 Award of Merit — Trinidad Westhaven Integrated Coastal Water Management Plan, City of Trinidad; and Streamline Planning Consultants
2010 Award of Merit — Emeryville General Plan, City of Emeryville; and Dyett & Bhatia
2010 Award of Merit —Integrated San Carlos 2030 General Plan and Climate Action Plan, City of San Carlos; Design, Community & Environment; Dyett & Bhatia and Pacific Municipal Consultants
2009 Award — Milpitas Transit Area Specific Plan, City of Milpitas; and Dyett & Bhatia
2008 Award — Redwood City Downtown Precise Plan, City of Redwood City

Academic award

2022 Award of Excellence — Homelessness in Transit Environments. Team: UCLA Institute of Transportation Studies: Anastasia Loukaitou-Sideris (PI) Professor; Associate Dean of the School of Public Affairs. Research team: Jacob L. Wasserman, Hao Ding, Ryan Caro
2021 Award of Excellence — Alum Rock Avenue Community Assessment, San Jose State University Master of Urban Planning Program. Graduate Students in the San Jose State University Masters of Urban Planning Program Capstone Studio: Fall 2019 and Spring 2020
2021 Award of Merit — Access Denied? Perceptions of new Mobility Services among Disabled People in San Francisco. Maddy Ruvolo | UCLA Institute of Transportation Studies | UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs | San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency | Senior and Disability Action
2020 Award of Excellence — San Jose State University, Graduate Student Urban Planning Team, Fall 2018/Spring 2019.Team: Instructors Rick Kos, AICP & Jason Su / Graduate Urban Planning Capstone Studio Team in Fall 2018/Spring 2019.
2018 Award of Excellence —Newark Old Town Urban Design Concept Plan
2017 Award of Excellence – East Santa Clara Street Urban Village Planning, Community Assessment Report
2016 Award of Excellence — San José State University Department of Urban and Regional Planning – Greater Washington: Voices of the Community Report
2014 Award of Excellence – Urban Design Visions for Milpitas – California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo Community Design Lab
2014 Award of Merit – Spartan-Keyes Neighborhood Assessment and Community Engagement Report, San José State University
2012 Planning Achievement Award — Lawrence Berkeley National Lab’s Second Campus Economic Impact Analysis, Karen Chapple, Ph.D., UC Berkeley
2011 Planning Achievement Award — Healthy By Design: A Public Health and Land Use Planning Workbook, Sonoma State University Center for Sustainable Communities, Department of Environmental Studies and Planning; Sonoma County Department of Health Services; Sonoma County Agricultural Preservation and Open Space District; and Sonoma County Medical Association Alliance Foundation
2010 Planning Achievement Award, Academic — Alviso Community Assessment Graduate Planning Students in UrbP-201 (Fall 2008) and UrbP-203 (Spring 2009), San José State University, Urban and Regional Planning Department
2009 Planning Achievement Award — Do Central Business District Redevelopment Investments Have a Positive Influence on Surrounding Neighborhoods?, Amy Fauria, San José State University
2008 Planning Achievement Award — San José EcoPark, Urban Planning 260 Graduate Students, San José State University’s Urban and Regional Planning Department

Economic and planning development

2022 Award of Merit — East Side Innovation District Vision Plan. The City of San Carlos East Side Innovation District is an excellent example of economic development planning using a unique planning methodology and strategy to revitalize an aging industrial commercial district into a transformative 21st-century mixed-use, innovation-economy-focused neighborhood. Team: City of San Carlos and Perkins & Will Consultants
2020 Award of Merit — City of Sand City / Sand City Vibrancy PlanTeam: City of Sand City / EMC Planning Group /Applied Development Economics
2019 Award of Merit — Priority Area 1 Specific Plan — City of Brentwood | De Novo Planning Group
2019 Award of Merit — Albany Residential Design Guidelines — Albany Planning & Zoning Commission | Albany Planning Department
2016 Award of Merit — Alameda County Ashland and Cherryland Business District Specific Plan and Code Update

Hard-won victory

2021 Award of Excellence — Concord Hills Regional Park Land Use Plan. Team: East Bay Regional Park District | PlaceWorks, Inc.
2020 Award of Excellence — Northern Waterfront Initiative Strategic Action PlanTeam: Contra Costa County Department of Conservation and Development & Craft Consulting
2019 Award of Excellence — City of Santa Rosa Resilient City Development Measures Ordinance, City of Santa Rosa, Planning Division
2019 Award of Merit — Mill Valley Lumber Yard Adaptive Reuse Project — Matt and Jan Mathews |Christopher Raker | Mark Rhoades | Michael Heacock| David Parisi
2018 Award of Merit – Palo Alto Comprehensive Plan, City of Palo Alto, PlaceWorks
2017 Award of Excellence – City of Willits Main Street Corridor Enhancement Plan
2016 Award of Merit – City of Vacaville General Plan
2011 Planning Achievement Award of Excellence — Candlestick Park, Hunters Point Naval Shipyard Phase II EIR, City and County of San Francisco Planning Department; City and County of San Francisco Redevelopment Agency; City and County of San Francisco Office of the City Attorney; and PBS&J, an ATKINS Company
2011 Planning Achievement Award of Merit — City of Oakland Zoning Update, City of Oakland Strategic Planning Division; and Barry J. Miller, AICP
2010 Planning Achievement Award — Visitacion Valley Design for DevelopmentSan Francisco Redevelopment Agency; Visitacion Valley Planning Alliance; San Francisco Planning Department; and Van Meter Williams Pollack, LLP
2009 Planning Achievement Award — Do Central Business District Redevelopment Investments Have a Positive Influence on Surrounding Neighborhoods?, Amy Fauria, San José State University
2008 Planning Achievement Award — San José EcoPark, Urban Planning 260 Graduate Students, San José State University’s Urban and Regional Planning Department

Resilience and Sustainability

2022 Award of Excellence — San Francisco Bay Trail Risk Assessment and Adaptation Prioritization Plan. Team: East Bay Regional Park District and WRT
2021 Award of Excellence — Lower Russian River Trail Feasibility Study. Team: Sonoma County Regional Parks | Alta Planning + Design | W-Trans | Green Valley Consulting Engineers | Miller Pacific Engineering Group | Alta Archaeological Consulting | Peter Baye | Rachel Kamman
2020 Award of Excellence – Collect & Connect – Resilient South CityTeam: Hassell / Deltares / Goudappel / Lotus Water / Civic Edge / Idyllist / Hatch / Page & Turnbull / Brown and Caldwell / San Bruno Mountain Watch / South San Francisco Historical Society / San Mateo Youth Leadership Institute
2020 Award of Merit —Judge John Sutter Regional ShorelineTeam: East Bay Regional Park District & Caltrans
2019 Award of Excellence — Santa Clara Valley Agricultural Plan — County of Santa Clara | Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority
2019 Award of Merit — Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District Climate Action Plan —Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District
2018 Award of Merit – Living Community Patterns, SF Planning/Living Future Institute
2017 Award of Excellence — Mission Creek Sea Level Rise Adaptation Study
2017 Award of Merit — San Francisco Better Roofs Ordinance
2016 Award of Excellence – Vallco Town Center Specific Plan
2016 Award of Merit — San Jose/Santa Clara Water Pollution Control Plant Master Plan
2014 Award of Excellence – Camp Pico Blanco Scout Reservation Conservation Plan, EMC Planning Group
2014 Award of Merit – Nanhu New Country Village Master Plan, Skidmore Owings Merrill
2012 Award of Excellence — Treasure Island and Yerba Buena Island Design for Development Treasure Island Community Development; and Perkins+Will
2012 Award of Merit – Concord Reuse Project, City of Concord; and Arup
2011 Award of Excellence – Martial Cottle Park Master Plan, Santa Clara County Parks and Recreation Department; City of San José; Design, Community & Environment; State of California Parks and Recreation Department; Santa Clara County Open Space Authority; Santa Clara Valley Water District; and Mr. Walter Cottle Lester
2011 Award of Merit – Union City Climate Action Plan, City of Union City; and AECOM
2010 Award — City of Berkeley Climate Action Plan, City of Berkeley
2009 Award of Excellence — San Mateo County Sustainable Green Streets and Parking Lots Design Guidebook, San Mateo Countywide Water Pollution Prevention Program; Nevue Ngan Associates; and Sherwood Design Engineers
2009 Award of Merit — San Carlos Climate Action Plan, City of San Carlos; and PMC World
2008 Award of Excellence –—Tapping the Potential of Urban Rooftops – Rooftops Resource Assessment, City of Oakland; and Design, Community & Environment
2008 Award of Merit — Local Action Plan for Climate Protection, City of Alameda

Urban design

2022 Award of Excellence — San José Citywide Design Standards and Guidelines. Team: City of San José, Urban Planning Partners, Inc., Van Meter Williams Pollack LLP
2022 Award of Merit — City of Dublin Downtown Preferred Vision. Team: City of Dublin, Urban Field, ELS Architects, Keyser Marston Associates, Retail Real Estate Resources, SWA Landscape Architects, BKF Engineers, Kimley Horn
2022 Award of Merit — San José Berryessa BART Urban Village Plan. This is one of the first high-density, mixed-use commercial developments near a BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) station in the Bay Area. The approved plan will accommodate up to 14,000 jobs, 4.2 million square feet of commercial space, and 5,100 dwelling units on a combination of both publicly and privately-owned land. Team: City of San José; Skidmore, Owings and Merrill, Fehr and Peers, TS Studio, Barbara Goldstein & Associates
2021 Award of Excellence — Balboa Reservoir Design Standards and Guidelines. Team: PYATOK architecture + urban design | Van Meter Williams Pollack, LLP, Architecture/Urban Design | GLS Landscape/Architecture
2021 Award of Merit — Livermore Downtown Core Revitalization. Team: RRM Design Group | City of Livermore
2020 Award of Excellence – San Jose Downtown Design Guidelines and StandardsTeam: City of San Jose / Skidmore, Owings & Merrill / Leila Hakimizadeh / John Beutler / Timothy Rood / Ellen Lou
2020 Award of Merit – Potrero Power Station Design for DevelopmentTeam: Associate Capital / Perkins and Will / CMG
2019 Award of Excellence — Pier 70 Project — Brookfield Properties | Port of San Francisco | SITELAB urban studio
2019 Award of Merit — Windsor Civic Center Visioning Plan — City of Windsor, WRT
2017 Award of Excellence – San Francisco Bay Trail Design Guidelines & Toolkit
2014 Award of Merit — Ocean Street Area Plan, City of Santa Cruz

Transportation planning

2022 Award of Excellence — Rancho San Antonio Multimodal Access Project. The project planned and implemented a series of TDM strategies to promote greener modes of transportation, reduce parking demand and traffic congestion, and maintain equitable access for both local and regional visitors to Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District’s most visited preserve — a popular community asset and major regional attraction with 700,000 annual visitors. Team: Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District and IBI Group
2022 Award of Merit — San Mateo County Alternative Congestion Relief and TDM Plan. Team: San Mateo County Transportation Authority and WSP
2021 Award of Excellence — Redwood City Citywide Transportation Plan (RWCmoves). Team: City of Redwood City | Fehr & Peers | CDM Smith | Bottomley Design & Planning | Wendy Silvani Consulting
2021 Award of Merit — Richmond Ferry to Bridge to Greenway Complete Streets Plan. Team: City of Richmond | PlaceWorks, Inc. | Toole Design Group | CSW/ST2 Engineering | Bike East Bay
2019 Award of Excellence – Elimination of Minimum Parking Requirements Citywide — Office of San Francisco Supervisor Jane Kim | San Francisco Planning Department
2019 Award of Merit — Safe Routes to Schools Safety Assessments — City of Fremont | Fremont Unified School District | Alta Planning + Design
2018 Award of Excellence — Berkeley Bicycle Plan, City of Berkeley, Alta Planning + Design
2018 Award of Excellence – West Contra Costa High-Capacity Transit Study, West Contra Costa Transportation Advisory Committee
2018 Award of Merit – SR 68 Scenic Highway Plan Transportation Agency for Monterey County, Caltrans, Kimley Horn, Kittelson and Associates, Pathways for Wildlife
2017 Award of Merit — The Emeryville Greenway
2014 Award of Excellence – Monterey Bay Sanctuary Trail Network Master Plan, Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission
2014 Award of Merit — WalkFirst, City and County of San Francisco

Grassroots initiative

2021 Award of Excellence — Rebuilding Downtown Santa Clara Team: Reclaiming Our Downtown | Santa Clara Parade of Champion | Old Quad Resident Association
2018 Award of Excellence — Pop-Up Care Village, SITELAB urban studio and Lava Mae
2017 Award of Excellence – StreetAir
2013 Award of Merit — Ravenswood / 4 Corners Transit Oriented Development Specific Plan, City of East Palo Alto
2012 Award of Excellence — Central Market Economic Strategy, City and County of San Francisco; and AECOM
2012 Award of Merit – Developing the Seedbed for Arcata’s Emerging Entrepreneurs, City of Arcata; and Greenway Partners, Inc.
2011 Award of Excellence — Oakland International Boulevard Transit-Oriented Development Plan, City of Oakland; Raimi+Associates; Sargent Town Planning; and TransForm
2009 Award of Excellence — Chinatown Economic Action Plan, EDAW|AECOM; UC Berkeley Planning Department; San Francisco Mayor’s Office of Economic Development; and San Francisco Office of Small Business
2008 Award of Excellence — Solano Transportation Authority’s Safe Routes to School Plan, Solano Transportation Authority

Planning and health

2021 Award of Merit — Lillian Commons – Morgan Hill Medical Campus. Team: EMC Planning Group – Michael Groves, AICP, and Elizabeth King, Principal Planner/Designer
2020 Award of Excellence – Integrating Health in All Policies Framework into the City of Santa Cruz. Team: City of Santa Cruz / Former Mayor Martine Watkins / Sustainability and Climate Action Manager Dr. Tiffany Wise- West
2020 Award of Merit —Judge John Sutter Regional ShorelineTeam: East Bay Regional Park District & Caltrans
2019 Award of Excellence — Santa Clara Valley Agricultural Plan — County of Santa Clara | Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority
2019 Award of Merit — Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District Climate Action Plan —Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District
2018 Award of Merit – City of Vallejo Healthy Community General Plan Element, City of Vallejo and Center for Sustainable Communities, Sonoma State University
2017 Award of Excellence — Santa Clara County Health Element

Special awards: Individual

2020 Planning Pioneer Award of Excellence — Robert E Doyle. Team: East Bay Regional Park District
2019 Special Recognition Award: Accomplished Planner — Hanson Hom, AICP, ASLA
2019 Special Recognition Award: Mid-Career Planner — Miroo Desai, AICP
2019 Special Recognition Award: Emerging Planner — Veronica Flores
2017 Special Recognition of Excellence Award — Jeanette Dinwiddie-Moore, FAICP
2015 Special Recognition of Excellence Award — Wendy Cosin, AICP
2014 Special Recognition of Excellence Award — Juan F. Borrelli, AICP
2013 Special Recognition of Excellence Award — Rob Eastwood, AICP
2012 Special Recognition of Excellence Award — Hing Wong, FAICP
2011 Special Recognition of Excellence Award — Andrea Ouse, AICP
2011 Special Recognition of Excellence Award — Eileen Whitty, AICP
2010 Special Recognition of Excellence Award — Don Bradley, AICP,PhD
2010 Distinguished Leadership Award, Leadership and Service — George G. Mader, FAICP
2010 Distinguished Leadership Award, Student Planner — Justin Meek, San José State University
2010 Planning Achievement Award, Advocacy/Social Change/Diversity Planning — Alvaro Huerta, UC Berkeley
2009 Distinguished Leadership Award, Student Planner — Taryn Hanano, San José State University
2008 Distinguished Leadership Award, Professional Planner — Wayne Goldberg, AICP, City of Santa Rosa
2008 Distinguished Leadership Award, Student Planner — Emilia (Emy) Mendoza, San José State University

Special awards: Firms and agencies

2020 Award of Excellence – City of Salinas Community Development DepartmentTeam: City of Salinas Community Development Department
2020 Award of Merit — City of Walnut Creek Planning Division. Team: Ozzy Arce / Cara Bautista-Rao / Ethan Bindernagel AICP / Alan Carreon / Jeanine Cavalli / Haley Croffoot AICP / Margot Ernst / Simar Gill / Jessica Gonzalez / Chip Griffin, Greg Kapovich / Ken Nodder / Samantha Samson /Andrew M Smith / Nancy Templeton / Gerardo Victoria / Sherluna Vien / Matthew Wade
2019 Award of Excellence — City of Santa Rosa, Planning Division
2018 Award of Excellence, Emerging Planning and Design Firm — SITELAB urban studio
2016 Award of Merit – GIS Team, Santa Clara County Planning Office
2014 Emerging Planning and Design Firm Award — Raimi + Associates
2014 Planning Landmark Award — San Francisco Bay Trail, Association of Bay Area Governments/Metropolitan Transportation Commission
2010 Distinguished Leadership Award, Planning Organization —Grand Boulevard Initiative, San Mateo County Transit District
2010 Planning Landmark Award — East Bay Regional Parks District
2008 Distinguished Leadership Award, Organization — University Circle Development
2008 Distinguished Leadership Award, Organization — Joseph Bellomo Architects, Inc.

Communication and public outreach

2022 Award of Excellence — San Pablo Walk & Bike Broadway Temporary Demonstration. Team: City of San Pablo
2021 Award of Excellence — La Honda Public Access Working Group. Team: Mid-Peninsula Regional Open Space District | MIG Inc.
2020 Award of Excellence — Santa Clara LAFCO Communications and Outreach Media Plan
The FIRST ever communications initiative by any LAFCO in the state, the communications and Outreach Plan is a comprehensive and proactive strategy for outreach and communications to help Santa Clara LAFCO better fulfill its role and address the common unfamiliarity with and misperception of LAFCO’s purpose. Media plan information here.
2019 Award of Merit — Downtown Livermore Facilitation Project — City of Livermore | PlaceWorks
2018 Award of Merit — San Leandro Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan 2018 Update, City of San Leandro, Alta Planning + Design
2017 Award of Excellence – City of San Jose video tutorial: “Designing an Addition to Your Single Family Residence”
2017 Award of Excellence – City of San Carlos Plan-It! Game
2017 Award of Merit – City of Salinas 2014-2015 Housing Initiatives
2016 Award of Excellence – City of Eureka Pedestrian Safety Education and Outreach Campaign
2016 Award of Merit – City of Salinas 2014 -2015 Housing Initiatives
2010 Media Award — Trail Planning for California Communities, East Bay Regional Park District; San Francisco Bay Trail Project; and LSA Associates, Inc.
2009 Media Award — La Pulga: San José’s Flea Market Documentary, Henry Servin Jr. and Alina Kwak, Producers; and Rene Picazo, Director

Opportunity and empowerment

2021 Award of Merit — San Martin Strategic Development Plan and Urban Design Visions. Team: 12 Graduate and 38 Undergraduate students in CRP 553 and CRP 341 Spring 2020 San Martin studios, instructors Dr. Hemalata C. Dandekar and Dr. Vicente del Rio, City and Regional Planning, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo | Rob Eastwood, Bharat Singh, Michael Meehan, County of Santa Clara, Planning Department
2020 Award of Excellence — Bayview Community-based Transportation Plan PlaybooksTeam: VTA / Perkins and Will / Strategic Economics / Kimley Horn / Nelson Nygaard / BKF Engineers / CHS Consulting
When planning has been at the heart of so much harm against the residents of Bayview-Hunters Point, how do we use planning to begin remedying those harms? And how do we convince residents subjected to years of empty promises that a new project is worthy of their trust? The Bayview Community Based Transportation Plan (Bayview CBTP), adopted in February 2020, represents a new commitment to the long-underserved Bayview- Hunters Point community in the southeast corner of San Francisco. With a process deeply rooted in community partnership, the Bayview CBTP sought to center the voice of the community and reflect the needs, challenges, and values of residents in every project and plan recommendation. Transportation plan here
2020 Award of Merit – Kottinger GardensTeam: Dahlin Group Architecture Planning / MidPen Housing / City of Pleasanton

Focused issue planning

2013 Award of Excellence – City of Emeryville Pedestrian and Bicycle Plan, City of Emeryville
2013 Award of Merit – Financing San Francisco’s Urban Forest, City and County of San Francisco
2012 Award of Excellence – The City of San Pablo Health Element, City of San Pablo; and Dyett & Bhatia
2012 Award of Merit – Adapting to Rising Tides: Transportation Vulnerability and Risk Assessment Pilot Project, Metropolitan Transportation Commission; San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission; AECOM; and California Department of Transportation
2011 Award — SB375 Impact Analysis Report, AECOM; and Urban Land Institute
2010 Award of Merit — Bay Fair BART Station Area Improvement Plan, BART; Design, Community & Environment; Justice and Security Strategies, Inc.; and Wilbur Smith Associates
2009 Award of Excellence – East Bay Greenway Concept Plan, Urban Ecology
2009 Award of Merit – Filling the Gaps: How Cities in San Mateo County Can Promote Infill Housing, San Mateo County Department of Housing; Eisen|Letunic; and James Im, Graphic Designer
2008 Award of Excellence — Downtown San Leandro Transit Oriented Development Strategy Plan, City of San Leandro; and BMS Design Group
2008 Award of Merit — Downtown Area Specific Plan, City of Santa Rosa

Neighborhood planning

2013 Award of Excellence — North Santa Rosa Station Area Specific Plan, City of Santa Rosa
2012 Award of Excellence — El Camino Real / Chestnut Avenue Area Plan, City of South San Francisco; and Dyett & Bhatia
2011 Award of Excellence – The North San José Neighborhoods Plan, City of San José Department of Planning, Building and Code Enforcement; City of San José Redevelopment Agency; and City of San José Office of Economic Development
2011 Award of Merit – South San Francisco General Plan Amendments, Zoning and Design Guidelines, City of South San Francisco; and Dyett & Bhatia
2010 Award — West Broadway Urban Village Specific Plan, City of Seaside; and Design, Community & Environment
2009 Award — Downtown Benicia Mixed Use Master Plan and Form-Based Code, City of Benicia; Opticos Design, Inc.; Lisa Wise Consulting; and Strategic Economics
2008 Award — The Five Wounds / Brookwood Terrace Neighborhood Plan, CommUniverCity San José; and San José State University

Implementation

2022 Award of Excellence — SoHay: a mixed-use, mixed-income, mixed-density development. This 25-acre development with its new park was seamlessly stitched together from a patchwork of disjointed and irregularly shaped parcels that were set aside for a freeway that was never built. Team: City of Hayward and Dahlin Group Architecture Planning
2018 Award of Merit, small jurisdiction — Walnut Creek Shadelands Gateway Specific Plan, City of Walnut Creek
2011 Award, large jurisdiction — Contra Costa Centre Transit Village, Contra Costa County Department of Conservation and Development; BART; and AvalonBay Communities, Inc.
2008 Award, large jurisdiction — San José County Island Annexation Plan, City of San José, Department of Planning, Building and Code Enforcement
2008 Award, small jurisdiction —Implementation Efforts in Union City’s Intermodal Station District, City of Union City

Education project

2013 Award — San Francisco Budget Czar Website, San Francisco County Transportation Authority
2010 Award — Great Communities Collaborative, TransForm; Greenbelt Alliance; Urban Habitat; Non-Profit Housing Association of Northern California; The San Francisco Foundation; Silicon Valley Community Foundation; East Bay Community Foundation; and Reconnecting America
2009 Award — San Mateo SMART Public Outreach and Climate Change Campaign, City of San Mateo; and PMC World
2008 Award — Youth Planning Workshop Team, San José State University

Planner Emeritus Network Honor Award

The Planner Emeritus Network (PEN) represents a body of long-tenured members of APA who are available to provide knowledge of the profession as it has matured in California.

Each year, the Section Director, Section Historian, and an appointed subcommittee of the Board nominates Section members for a special PEN Honor Award recognition. Persons receiving these awards are selected for an outstanding contribution to the profession or for a significant accomplishment that enhanced the recognition and value of planning. Past PEN Honor Award Recipients from the Northern Section include:

2022 – Stephen Avis, AICP; Samuel (Sam) Herzberg, AICP; and Victoria Walker
2021 – Elizabeth (Libby) Tyler, FAICP
2020 – None awarded to Northern Section members
2019 – David Early, AICP
2018 – Tom Jacobson, FAICP; and Dan Marks, AICP
2017 – Hing Wong, FAICP
2016 – Steve Piasecki, AICP
2015 – Hanson Hom, AICP
2014 – Joseph Horwedel, AICP; Mike Moore; and Eileen Whitty, AICP
2013 – Linda Dalton, FAICP; Barry Miller, FAICP; Pete Parkinson, AICP; and Donald Weden
2012 – Earl Bossard, PhD, AICP; Anne Cronin Moore; Barbara Kautz, FAICP; and Leon Pirofalo, AICP (posthumously)
2011 – Alec Bash, AICP; Elaine Costello, FAICP; and Alex Hinds
2010 – Dan Iacofano, PhD, FAICP; Naphtali Knox, FAICP; Joan Lamphier; and Paul Sedway, FAICP
2009 – Dean Macris, FAICP; Marjorie Macris, FAICP; and Donald Rothblatt, FAICP
2008 – Don Bradley, PhD, AICP; Jeanette Dinwiddie-Moore, FAICP; and Wayne Goldberg, AICP
2007 – Vivian Kahn, FAICP
2002 – 2006 None awarded to Northern Section members
2001 – Larz Anderson; and Nadya Andrews, AICP
2000 – Ken Norwood
1999 – John Hirten, FAICP
1998 – Betty Croly, FAICP

2018 Award of Merit, small jurisdiction — Walnut Creek Shadelands Gateway Specific Plan, City of Walnut Creek
2011 Award, large jurisdiction — Contra Costa Centre Transit Village, Contra Costa County Department of Conservation and Development; BART; and AvalonBay Communities, Inc.
2008 Award, large jurisdiction — San José County Island Annexation Plan, City of San José, Department of Planning, Building and Code Enforcement
2008 Award, small jurisdiction —Implementation Efforts in Union City’s Intermodal Station District, City of Union City

Great Places in America Designees from the Northern Section

APA National’s Great Places in America Program celebrates neighborhoods, streets, and public spaces of exemplary character, quality, and planning. Places are selected annually and represent the gold standard in terms of having a true sense of place, cultural and historical interest, community involvement, and a vision for tomorrow.

Past designees from the Northern Section include:

Uptown, Oakland – 2014 Great Neighborhood
Chinatown, San Francisco – 2013 Great Neighborhood
Northbrae, Berkeley – 2011 Great Neighborhood
Ferry Building, San Francisco – 2010 Great Public Space
North Beach, San Francisco – 2007 Great Neighborhood

Great Places in California program

The California Chapter of the American Planning Association also recognizes and awards Great Places in California on an annual basis. A Great Place in California is one that exemplifies character, quality, and excellent planning. A Great Place may be found anywhere from a large city to a small rural community. It may encompass a vibrant downtown, a suburban gathering place, a historic small town, a public park, or a preserved open space. But most importantly, it must be a place where people want to be. Past Great Places in California award recipients from the Northern Section include:

2019 – Lake Merritt Park Master Plan + Implementation (Oakland, CA)
2018 – Todos Santos Plaza “150 Years as the Heart of Concord”; and Mount Umunhum (San José, CA)
2017 – The City of Lafayette (Lafayette, CA)