The APA has announced its 2012 National Planning Excellence Award winners. Award recipients come from a diverse array of locales including: New York City; Wilmington, North Carolina; Tulsa, Oklahoma; and Cleveland, Ohio.
APA is proud to name the winners of the 2012 National Planning Excellence Awards. Planners and others responsible for the 14 projects selected for outstanding planning and advocacy will be honored during APA's 2012 National Planning Conference in Los Angeles and featured in the April issue of Planning.
Among the winners is Planetizen Interchange blogger Leonardo Vazquez, who was selected for the "Advancing Diversity & Social Change in Honor of Paul Davidoff" award: "Vazquez is the head of three centers at Rutgers University's of Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Policy, where he teaches students how to diagnose problems and create solutions for multi-ethnic communities. He is the author of Leading from the Middle: Strategic Thinking and Planning and Community Development for Professionals and co-editor of the forthcoming Dialogos: Placemaking in Latino Communities. Vazquez played a key role in the conception of APA's Latinos and Planning Division, and is co-founder of the Planners for Ethnic and Cultural Diversity Committee for APA's New York Metro Chapter, which is helping other chapters establish diversity councils."
The 2012 National Planning Awards jury was co-chaired by Marie L. York, FAICP and Ann C. Bagley, FAICP.
FULL STORY: National Planning Awards 2012

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

Chicago’s Ghost Rails
Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail
The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.

Ohio Forces Data Centers to Prepay for Power
Utilities are calling on states to hold data center operators responsible for new energy demands to prevent leaving consumers on the hook for their bills.

MARTA CEO Steps Down Amid Citizenship Concerns
MARTA’s board announced Thursday that its chief, who is from Canada, is resigning due to questions about his immigration status.

Silicon Valley ‘Bike Superhighway’ Awarded $14M State Grant
A Caltrans grant brings the 10-mile Central Bikeway project connecting Santa Clara and East San Jose closer to fruition.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Caltrans
City of Fort Worth
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie