All eyes are on Iowa's caucuses today, but presidential campaigns will be touring communities all over the country for months. The APA wants planners to be ready to explain the importance of planning when such rare opportunities arise.
Dylan Mullenix shares news of the efforts of planners in Iowa to advocate for the causes of the profession while faced with the rare opportunity of meeting with presidential candidates from both parties prior to today's Iowa caucuses:
Throughout the Iowa caucus season, Iowans become accustomed to the myriad opportunities to hear from, and in many cases meet, the presidential candidates that descend on the state. Planners in Iowa also have the ability to take advantage of this rare opportunity to advocate for issues important to their profession.
Mullenix shares an anecdote of a visit from the Clinton campaign to the Des Moines Area Regional Transit Authority (DART) Central Station. "While the primary goal of Clinton’s tour was to showcase the green aspects of DART Central Station, Presutti noted the visit also helped underscore the value of public transportation to the community," writes Mullenix.
The APA has also prepared a checklist for preparing a site visit [pdf] for presidential campaigns when they come calling to communities.
Read the full story: The Iowa Caucus: An Opportunity for Planners
Planners Call for Deep Police Reforms
A letter signed by over 600 planners calls on the American Planning Association to advocate for fundamental police reforms, in other words, to defund the police.
Strategic Action for Affordable Housing: How Advocacy Organizations Accomplish Policy Change
Anaid Yerena of the University of Washington, Tacoma writes about a recent article she authored in the Journal of Planning Education and Research.
Year in Review: The APA's Advocacy Work in Washington, D.C.
The APA noted that the 115th Congress was "marked by divisive rhetoric, partisan stalemates, and threats to programs on which local communities rely." At the end of the year, however, it could still celebrate substantial victories.
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.
Post election, Texas is no longer Musk’s 'AI oasis'
Elon Musk dolled out $446 million on the 2026 midterms, the most ever spent by a non-canidate.
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.
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