Planning Excellence Award

2023 International Planning Excellence Award

Deadline: September 30, 2023

There is no word limit and no size limit for supplemental materials. In case you have multiple supporting documents, we recommend providing a link to the storage location (e.g., Google Drive, Dropbox)

Program Coordinator: Mai Nguyen at mai.ntk12@gmail.com

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Welcome to the 2023 International Planning Excellence Award hosted by the American Planning Association (APA) International Division. As a division committed to promoting international planning, we recognize the importance of showcasing exemplary leadership, innovation, and inspiration in urban planning projects worldwide. This annual award program provides a platform to acknowledge outstanding planning initiatives that are making a positive impact on their communities and to share their success stories with planners, planning educators, and planning students globally.

Award Categories

The 2023 Award has four categories:

Community Planning Award
Transportation Planning Award
Urban Design Award
Environmental Planning Award

The Award also has 2 special awards to recognize the excellence of a project in a particular aspect of planning:

Excellence in Public Involvement Award
Excellence in Advancing Social Equity Award

Eligibility

A nomination must meet all requirements as below:

A nominated project must be a planning initiative that has been adopted or implemented in a community. It may involve the development of policies, programs, plans, or physical interventions that aim to address urban challenges, improve the quality of life, and create sustainable and equitable communities.
The project is completed within three (3) years of the date of submission.
The submission meets the deadline.
If the documentation of the project or plan is not in English, an accurate English translation is required.

There is no restriction on the location of the project.

There is no application fee or any type of fee associated with the awards.

Nomination Information

Submission Deadline

September 30, 2023, ET.

Notification

Decisions will be sent to the Submission Coordinator via email no later than November 30, 2023 ET.

Nomination Rules

Nominators can be individuals from firms, agencies, or institutes.
Nominators can choose only one award category for each nomination.
Nominators can submit multiple projects.
Members of the Awards Jury, APA International Division Executive Board, APA staff, APA Board of Directors, and AICP Commission are not eligible to make nominations.

Required Documents

Nomination form.

All nominators must complete the online application form.

The link to the form is available at:

International Division website: international.planning.org/community/awards

Letters of support.

Each nomination must include one (1) letter of support, with a maximum of three (3) letters of support. The letters are important and illustrate local support of the planning efforts and the impact on the community as a whole. Letter(s) may not be written by the nominator of the submission or anyone who directly worked on the project. Client letters are acceptable.

Letters of support can be submitted along with the nomination form or sent directly to Award Coordinator Mai Nguyen at mai.ntk12@gmail.com

Judging

Judging is performed by a juror panel. Jurors are under no obligation to grant an award in any category. Jurors have the right to move an award nomination into a different category. The Division will establish an advisory council for the 2023 award. The council will advise and review the selection of winning submissions.

Award

The recipients of the 2023 APA ID International Planning Excellence Award will be announced on the Division’s website, E-News, and InterPlan. Awards will be presented during the International Division business meeting at the 2024 National Conference of the American Planning Association in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Division will send press releases to the media contact identified on the nomination form.

Award recipients will:

Receive a formal award certification issued by the APA International Division.
Be featured in the Interplan publication and promotional materials of the International Division.
Be honored on the International Division web page.

The information about past winners is available here: https://international.planning.org/community/awards/past/

Evaluation Criteria

Local Relevance (30%)

The extent to which the planning project demonstrates an understanding and response to the specific local needs, challenges, and cultural context of the community or region in which it is implemented. This criterion recognizes the importance of tailoring urban planning solutions to address the unique characteristics, history, and aspirations of local communities.

Stakeholder Engagement (20%)

The level of engagement and participation of diverse stakeholders, including local communities, civil society organizations, governments, and international bodies, in the planning process.

Sustainability & Long-Term Vision (20%)

the project's commitment to sustainable development principles, including environmental, social, and economic sustainability, with an emphasis on creating resilient and livable cities for present and future generations. A long-term vision for sustainable urban development, taking into account future challenges such as climate change, population growth, and social equity.

Cross-Cultural Collaboration (20%)

The extent to which the project fosters cross-cultural collaboration encourages knowledge exchange and incorporates diverse perspectives from different regions and cultures, promoting international cooperation and understanding.

Replicability and Impact Potential (10%)

The potential of the project is to inspire and motivate other urban planners, professionals, and organizations globally, encouraging them to adopt similar approaches and achieve impactful outcomes.

Category Description

Community Planning Award

This award honors exemplary plans for a neighborhood or a small area. Examples of plans eligible for this subcategory may include but are not limited to community plans, neighborhood plans, regional plans, and city master plans. Urban renewal/infill/redevelopment plans with more emphasis on policies and planning-level conceptual designs should be submitted under this category. Urban renewal/infill/redevelopment plans with more emphasis on architecture, public spaces design, and/or landscapes should be submitted under the Urban Design category.

Transportation Planning Award

This award honors exemplary transportation planning. Examples of projects eligible for this subcategory may include but are not limited to long-range transportation plans, public transportation plans, pedestrian/bicycle transportation plans, and corridor transportation planning.

Urban Design Award

This award honors exemplary urban design efforts. Examples of projects eligible for this subcategory may include but are not limited to streetscape plans; public space design; hospital, college, or other campus plans. Urban renewal/infill/redevelopment plans with more emphasis on architecture, public spaces design, and/or landscapes should be submitted under this subcategory.

Environmental Planning Award

This award honors efforts to create sustainable communities that reduce the impact of development on the natural environment and improve environmental quality. Examples: Green infrastructure plans; resource conservation efforts; alternative energy programs; climate action plans and disaster recovery plans, and sustainability plans

Special Award

The special award recognizes outstanding performance on a particular aspect of planning. All nominations are considered for the special awards.

Excellence in Public Involvement Award

This special award honors outstanding performance in engaging stakeholders and the general public. Key factors include but are not limited to, the involvement process, inclusiveness, technology, and the impact of public input on final decisions.

Excellence in Advancing Social Equity Award

This special award honors outstanding performance in promoting social equity by empowering and improving the living conditions of disenfranchised, less privileged, or oppressed groups in the target region. The award also recognizes the fair, just, and equitable distribution of project benefits and/or public service.

Award jury

Keiko Nakagawa, AICP (Chair),

Lyndsey Deaton, Ph.D. AIA, AICP

Gala Korniyenko, Ph.D

Sean Tapia, AICP

Krishna Shrivastava, AICP

Susannah Davidson, AICP

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