Celebrating APA's 2015 National Planning Awards Recipients

A highlight of the APA's National Planning Conference every year—the presentation of the National Planning Excellence and Achievement Awards.

1 minute read

April 22, 2015, 2:00 PM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


This year's 2015 National Planning Excellence and Achievement Awards winners were announced on March 31, 2015, with local media attention already earned by Vibrant NEO 2040 award winner for a Comprehensive Plan in Northeast Ohio.

The award presentation at this year's national conference was of particular excitement this year because HUD Secretary Julián Castro was on hand to present the event's keynote speech and present the HUD Secretary's Opportunity and Empowerment Award to Mueller Redevelopment in Secretary Castro's home state of Texas. Writing for the APA's conference blog feed, Meghan Stromberg provides insight into Keynote Speeker Castro's keynote, including his primary theme: "Collaborative planning is smart planning."

The APA site also presents a full list of both the Excellence Awards and the Achievements Awards, with links to more details about all the winners.

Wednesday, April 22, 2015 in American Planning Association

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

Wastewater pouring out from a pipe.

Alabama: Trump Terminates Settlements for Black Communities Harmed By Raw Sewage

Trump deemed the landmark civil rights agreement “illegal DEI and environmental justice policy.”

April 13, 2025 - Inside Climate News

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

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

April 16, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Bird's eye view of large apartment complex under construction next to four-lane road near Atlanta, Georgia.

How Atlanta Built 7,000 Housing Units in 3 Years

The city’s comprehensive, neighborhood-focused housing strategy focuses on identifying properties and land that can be repurposed for housing and encouraging development in underserved neighborhoods.

April 9, 2025 - Governing

People walking up and down stairs in New York City subway station.

In Both Crashes and Crime, Public Transportation is Far Safer than Driving

Contrary to popular assumptions, public transportation has far lower crash and crime rates than automobile travel. For safer communities, improve and encourage transit travel.

5 hours ago - Scientific American

White public transit bus with bike on front bike rack in Nashville, Tennessee.

Report: Zoning Reforms Should Complement Nashville’s Ambitious Transit Plan

Without reform, restrictive zoning codes will limit the impact of the city’s planned transit expansion and could exclude some of the residents who depend on transit the most.

6 hours ago - Bloomberg CityLab

An engineer controlling a quality of water ,aerated activated sludge tank at a waste water treatment plant.

Judge Orders Release of Frozen IRA, IIJA Funding

The decision is a victory for environmental groups who charged that freezing funds for critical infrastructure and disaster response programs caused “real and irreparable harm” to communities.

7 hours ago - Smart Cities Dive