
APA California Northern Section
State-Eligible Awards Categories (2023)
STATE-ELIGIBLE AWARD CATEGORIES
NOTE: The California Chapter Awards Program will require an Excellence (first place) award at the Section level to proceed to the Chapter awards program for several specific categories. For information regarding the California Chapter application process, please visit https://www.apacalifornia.org/events/awards-program/
Opportunity and Empowerment Award
For a plan, program, or project that improved quality of life for low‐and moderate‐income community residents. Emphasis is placed on how creative housing, economic development, and private investments have been used in or with a comprehensive community development plan to empower a community. This award also emphasizes tangible results and recognizes the planning discipline and its contribution as a community strategy. The strategy should have been in effect for a minimum of three years.
Examples: Regulatory reform; workforce development; affordable housing preservation; growth management; public‐private partnerships; relevant transportation project; community participation; diverse housing planning; and sustainable, economic development.
Comprehensive Plan Award
To a comprehensive plan of unusually high merit completed within the past 3 years for, by or within a jurisdiction. There are no limits on the size of jurisdiction.
a. Large Jurisdiction: To a comprehensive plan of unusually high merit completed within the past 3 years for, by or within a jurisdiction with a population of 100,000 or more according to the most recent available US Census data.
b. Small Jurisdiction: To a comprehensive plan of unusually high merit completed within the past 3 years for, by, or within a jurisdiction with a population of less than 100,000 according to the most recent available US Census data.
NOTE: To be eligible for this category at the State level, a project must have a first place win at the Northern Section level (no ties) in the same year.
Implementation Awards ‐Large and Small Jurisdictions
Recognizing an effort that demonstrates a significant achievement for an area—a single community or a region—in accomplishing positive changes as a result of planning. This award emphasizes long‐term, measurable results. Nominated efforts should have been in continuous effect for a minimum of three (3) years, not including the time for plan preparation and approval.
Examples: Plans for smart growth, signage, farmland preservation, urban design, wetland mitigation, resource conservation, capital improvements, citizen participation, neighborhood improvements, transportation management, or sustained economic development.
NOTE: To be eligible for this category at the State level, a project must have a first place win at the Northern Section level (no ties) in the same year.
a. Implementation ‐‐Large Jurisdiction Award: For an effort that demonstrates a significant achievement for a jurisdiction with a population of 100,000 or more, according to the most recent available US Census data, in accomplishing positive change as a result of planning.
This award is for long‐term, measurable results to demonstrate that sustained implementation makes a difference. Nominated efforts should have been in continuous effect for a minimum of five years. Nominations can include, but not limited to, plans for smart growth, signage, farmland preservation, urban design, wetland mitigation, resource conservation, capital improvements, citizen participation, neighborhood improvement, transportation management, and sustained economic development.
b. Implementation ‐‐Small Jurisdiction Award: For an effort that demonstrates a significant achievement for a jurisdiction with a population of less than 100,000, according to the most recent available US Census data, in accomplishing positive change as a result of planning. This award is for long‐term, measurable results to demonstrate that sustained implementation makes a difference. Nominated efforts should have been in continuous effect for a minimum of five years. Nominations can include, but not limited to, plans for smart growth, signage, farmland preservation, urban design, wetland mitigation, resource conservation, capital improvements, citizen participation, neighborhood improvement, transportation management, and sustained economic development.
Resilience and Sustainability Award
This award recognizes a strategy that creates a more sustainable community and/or increases the ability of a community to recover from and adapt to shocks and stresses (economic impacts, natural disasters, human-caused disasters, climate change, etc.), resulting in it becoming stronger, more equitable, and better prepared for the future.
Examples: A comprehensive plan, climate adaptation plan, or other plan that addresses resilience in substantive and innovative ways; a program or project such as use of green infrastructure to protect a community from hazards and build resilience; community engagement that increases understanding of resilience and leads to action; public health efforts or economic development plans or initiatives that improve the overall human and fiscal health of the community, etc.
NOTE: To be eligible for this category at the State level, a project must have a first place win at the Northern Section level (no ties) in the same year.
Economic Planning and Development Award
This award honors efforts to transform economies and stimulate economic development in communities of all sizes.
Examples: Economic plans, economic recovery initiatives, urban and regional economic analyses, commercial district revitalization, corridor revitalization, downtown specific plans, town center developments, and strategic plans for economic development.
Transportation Planning Award
This award honors efforts to increase transportation choices for all populations, reducing dependence on private automobiles and helping to ease congestion and reducing climate change impacts.
Examples: Transportation studies; complete streets plans or projects, plans for pedestrian, streets, highways, aviation, parking, maritime, transit or rail; development and expansion of transportation systems; development and expansion of trail systems.
Best Practices Award
This award is for a specific planning tool, practice, program, project, or process. This category emphasizes results and demonstrates how innovative and state‐of‐the‐art planning methods and practices help to create communities of lasting value.
Examples: Regulations and codes, tax policies or initiatives, growth management or design guidelines, transferable development rights programs, land acquisition efforts, public‐private partnerships, applications of technology, handbooks, or efforts that foster greater participation in community planning.
NOTE: To be eligible for this category at the State level, a project must have a first place win at the Northern Section level (no ties) in the same year.
Grassroots Initiative Award
Honoring an initiative that illustrates how a neighborhood, community group or other local non governmental entity utilized the planning process to address a specific need or issue within the community. Emphasis is placed on the success of planning in new or different settings, with total project budget (including staff, consultant, and direct expenses) not exceeding $25,000.
Examples: Community policing or drug prevention, neighborhood outreach initiatives, programs designed for special populations, public art or cultural efforts, community festivals, environmental or conservation initiatives, summer recreational initiatives for children, vacant lot management, transportation innovations, or focused tourism ventures.
NOTE: To be eligible for this category at the State level, a project must have a first place win at the Northern Section level (no ties) in the same year.
Public Outreach Award
This award honors an individual, project, or program that uses information and education about the value of planning to create greater awareness among citizens or specific segments of the public. The award celebrates how planning improves a community’s quality of life.
Examples: Broad community efforts showing how planning can make a difference, curricula designed to teach children about planning, neighborhood empowerment programs, use of technology to expand public participation in planning.
Urban Design Award
This award honors efforts to create a sense of place, whether a street, public space, neighborhood, or campus effort.
Examples: Streetscape plans; design guidelines; downtown and neighborhood districts; public space plans; hospital, college or other campus plan.
Planning Advocate Award
This award honors an individual or appointed or elected official who has advanced or promoted the cause of planning in the public arena.
Examples: Engaged citizens demonstrating outstanding leadership in a community, region, or state; members of planning commissions, board of appeals, economic development boards, environmental or historic preservation boards, commissions or committees, or other appointed officials; elected officials holding office at the local, regional, or state level; citizen activists or neighborhood leaders.
Communications Initiative Award
This award honors efforts to “tell the planning story” and increase awareness and understanding about the planning profession.
Examples: Newspaper articles; series of blog posts or a planning‐focused blog; publications (books or magazines); websites; podcasts; films.
Hard‐Won Victories Award
For a planning initiative or other planning effort undertaken by a community, neighborhood, citizens group, or jurisdiction in the face of difficult or trying circumstances. This award recognizes the positive effect of hard‐won victories by professional planners, citizen planners, or both working together under difficult, challenging, or adverse conditions because of natural disasters, local circumstances, financial or organization constraints, social factors, or other causes.
Advancing Diversity and Social Change in Honor of Paul Davidoff Award
This award honors an individual, project, group, or organization that promotes diversity and demonstrates a sustained commitment to advocacy by addressing the concerns of women and minorities through specific actions or contributions within the planning profession or through planning practice. The award honors the late APA member, Paul Davidoff, for his contributions to the planning profession.
Examples: A general or comprehensive plan that improves the living conditions of those in an underrepresented neighborhood, an individual working to improve the lives of others, a policy that addresses a need not currently met through other efforts.
Planning Landmark and Planning Pioneer Awards
Nominations for Planning Landmark Awards may only be submitted for those projects, initiatives, or endeavors located in the Section, and nominations for Pioneer Awards may only be submitted for those individuals that are current, retired, or deceased Section members. Special criteria have been established for these two award categories.
a. Planning Landmark Award: The Planning Landmark Award is for a planning project, initiative, or endeavor that are at least 25 years old that are historically significant, initiated a new direction in planning or impacted American planning, cities or regions over a broad range of time or space.
b. Planning Pioneer Award: Presented to pioneers of the profession who have made personal and direct innovations in American planning that have significantly and positively redirected planning practices, education or theory with long‐term results.
Planning Firm Award
Honors a planning firm that has produced distinguished work that continues to influence the professional practice of planning.
Planning Agency Award
This award honors the work of a public sector planning agency that has continually produced a program of exceptional work that has elevated awareness about planning.
Examples: Metropolitan planning organizations, regional planning associations, planning department, planning board, zoning board.
Emerging Planning and Design Firm Award
This award honors a young planning and design firm that has helped elevate the planning profession and build public support for planning, and through its current work demonstrates the potential of having a continual influence on the planning profession for years to come.
Academic Award
To faculty and/or students to recognize outstanding work done in planning schools on an individual or collective basis.