The efforts of 12 counties, four big cities, and four metropolitan planning organizations, as well as universities, major foundations, cultural institutions, and some 10,000 residents in Northeast Ohio have been rewarded.
"Northeast Ohio's biggest regional planning effort in a half-century has won the planning profession's top award for a comprehensive plan," reports Steven Litt.
"Vibrant NEO 2040, the product of three years' work by the nonprofit Northeast Ohio Sustainable Communities Consortium, has been awarded the 2015 Daniel Burnham Award of the American Planning Association."
The award, described by the jury chair as the APA's top award, will be officially presented at the APA National Convention in Seattle this April.
Litt also provides a little insight into the content of the Vibrant NEO 2040 plan, "which calls for focusing new development on existing communities, particularly the region's aging urban cores." Moreover, "[o]ther recommendations call for focusing growth and development around existing transportation corridors, creating stronger transit links between cities and counties, preserving open space and safeguarding the region's air and water."
Read the full story: Vibrant NEO 2040 regional plan wins prestigious Daniel Burnham Award from American Planning Association
Regional Plan Recommends Three Elements for Creating a Thriving Northeast Ohio
Northeast Ohio's largest regional planning effort in a generation recommends infill development, transit expansion, and land conservation as the essential elements for ensuring the area's future success.
Everything you Need to Know from the APA’s 2026 Trend Report for Planners
Plus, a conversation with the APA’s Chief Foresight and Knowledge Officer, Petra Hurtado.
Will Urban Planners Lose Their Jobs to AI?
Let’s see what the data says.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
California plans to bury El Niño’s downpour
If the state plays its cards right, it may be able to store a billion acre-feet of El Niño’s water in aquifers.
Desperate measures: Advocates weigh draining Lake Powell to fill Colorado River
Draining the reservoir could reduce evaporation losses by a couple hundred thousand acre-feet.
Chicago voters approve permanent festival grounds, penalty for vacant property owners
Currently, major summer and fall festivals take over public parks for weeks at a time, drawing criticism from nearby residents
NYC votes to cut outdoor dining red tape, speed up permitting
New York City also voted to allow the Department of Transportation to begin work on urgent projects before notifying elected officials.
California appears to reject Prop. 45
The proposition would have expanded the projects that qualify for a streamlined environmental review, effectively paring down the California Environmental Quality Act.
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
City of Rosemead
Rutgers University, Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy
One Hundred Miles
Hunter College, City University of New York (CUNY)
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
City of Cambridge
Montrose County
The Pocatello Development Authority