A highlight of the APA's National Planning Conference every year—the presentation of the National Planning Excellence and Achievement Awards.
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.
FULL STORY: APA Announces 2015 National Planning Award Recipients

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City of Albany
UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
City of Piedmont, CA
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research