News Archives - American Planning Association Alabama Chapter

APA Elections Now Open

Stephen Guthrie — Wed, 05 Aug 2026 15:08:13 +0000

The 2026 APA Elections voting period is open from August 5 – September 4. Cast your vote today. APA Elections

Do not miss this chance for your voice to be heard!

The post APA Elections Now Open appeared first on American Planning Association Alabama Chapter.

ALABAMA CHAPTER – 2026 AWARDS PROGRAM

Stephen Guthrie — Tue, 28 Jul 2026 21:01:08 +0000

The Alabama Chapter of the American Planning Association, through its Annual Awards Program, seeks to recognize the notable contributions and achievements of planning professionals, elected or lay persons, the media and our state planning students. Additionally, the chapter seeks to recognize outstanding planning programs, plans and projects prepared and implemented by local governments, private consultants, as well as other local organizations and agencies throughout the state.

The Chapter Awards Committee would like to announce that nominations for the 2025 Awards Program are now being accepted. The deadline for accepting nominations is Friday, July 31, 2026 at 5 p.m. CST. The Awards Ceremony will be held in conjunction with the joint Alabama-Mississippi Chapter Conference September 29 through October 1, 2026, in Auburn, Alabama.

Submittal this year is on-line ONLY. A QR code is attached, and the link is: https://forms.gle/yxygSqX6tgpcpdP18.

Please review the Awards Program Categories and Nominations Criteria carefully (2026 Alabama Chapter Awards Program Categories and Nomination Criteria). It contains nomination submission information and contacts for questions.

The Awards Committee encourages anyone who knows of any worthy persons, projects, programs or plans to give serious consideration to submitting a nomination for this year’s awards program. The awards program information including the awards categories, nomination criteria and submission information is available in the Awards Program Categories and Nomination Criteria.

ALAPA Awards Committee

The post ALABAMA CHAPTER – 2026 AWARDS PROGRAM appeared first on American Planning Association Alabama Chapter.

Now Open 2026 ALAPA Award Nominations

Stephen Guthrie — Mon, 29 Jun 2026 20:27:53 +0000

ALABAMA CHAPTER

AMERICAN PLANNING ASSOCIATION

2026 AWARDS PROGRAM

Call for Nominations

The Alabama Chapter of the American Planning Association, through its Annual

Awards Program, seeks to recognize the notable contributions and achievements

of planning professionals, elected or lay persons, the media and our state

planning students. Additionally, the chapter seeks to recognize outstanding

planning programs, plans and projects prepared and implemented by local

governments, private consultants, as well as other local organizations and

agencies throughout the state.

The Chapter Awards Committee would like to announce that nominations for the

2025 Awards Program are now being accepted. The deadline for accepting

nominations is Friday, July 31, 2026 at 5 p.m. CST. The Awards Ceremony will

be held in conjunction with the joint Alabama-Mississippi Chapter Conference

September 29 through October 1, 2026, in Auburn, Alabama.

Submittal this year is on-line ONLY. A QR code is attached, and the link is: https://forms.gle/yxygSqX6tgpcpdP18.

Please review the Awards Program Categories and Nominations Criteria carefully

(attached). It contains nomination submission information and contacts for

questions.

The Awards Committee encourages anyone who knows of any worthy persons,

projects, programs or plans to give serious consideration to submitting a

nomination for this year’s awards program. The awards program information

including the awards categories, nomination criteria and submission information

is available in the Awards Program Categories and Nomination Criteria.

ALAPA Awards Committee

The post **Now Open** 2026 ALAPA Award Nominations appeared first on American Planning Association Alabama Chapter.

Your Town Alabama Porch Time – Gadsden

Stephen Guthrie — Fri, 06 Mar 2026 16:50:12 +0000

Your Town Alabama is hosting a Porch Time gathering at Back Forty Beer Co in Gadsden on Tuesday, April 7 from 5 to 7 PM. These Porch Time gatherings are come-and-go events that are hosted around the state for Your Town Alabama alumni and friends. There is no program, just a come and go, get a drink and visit event. Come connect with community leaders and changemakers for a relaxed evening of networking and community building. Whether you’re passionate about community development or curious about asset-based design for small towns, this is a great opportunity to exchange ideas and meet like-minded folks working to make Alabama communities better places to live, work, and play.

Date: April 7, 2026
Time: 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM
Location: Back Forty Beer Co., 200 N 6th St, Gadsden, AL

Food and drinks available for purchase.

Learn more about Your Town Alabama at www.yourtownalabama.org.

Follow the link to reserve your spot today Porch Time: Gadsden Tickets, Tuesday, Apr 7 from 5 pm to 7 pm | Eventbrite

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Deep South Planning Conference Agenda

Stephen Guthrie — Mon, 29 Sep 2025 18:49:56 +0000

Wait no more, the agenda for the 2025 Deep South Planning Conference is here! It is not too late to join us in Hattiesburg, MS on October 28-30 for three packed days of educational sessions, engaging speakers, and great networking opportunities with planning professionals from across MS and AL.

2025 Deep South Planning Conference Agenda

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Alabama APA – Deadline Extension

Stephen Guthrie — Tue, 09 Sep 2025 15:24:50 +0000

You’re in luck! The deadline to submit session proposals for the 2025 Deep South Planning Conference has been extended! You now have until Friday, September 12th to share your ideas and contribute to this year’s program.

If you were on the fence about submitting a session proposal, now is the time do to it. This is a great chance for planners, practitioners, and partners to showcase their work, insights, and innovative approaches that can benefit our profession and communities across Alabama and Mississippi.

Submit your proposal today and help us make this year’s conference a success! Use the following link to submit now Session Proposal Form!

The post Alabama APA – Deadline Extension appeared first on American Planning Association Alabama Chapter.

A Bright Future Ahead for Montgomery.

Stephen Guthrie — Mon, 08 Sep 2025 15:45:17 +0000

The Department of Economic + Community Development at the City of Montgomery has been especially active in community planning work recently! Significant staff efforts have been dedicated to modeling best practices to engage Montgomery’s Midtown neighborhoods through a series of three individual ARPA-funded initiatives for infrastructure and revitalization planning. These three initiatives are the East Fairview Streetscape Master Plan, the Carter Hill Road & College Street Streetscape Master Plan, and the Greater Floyd Campus Master Plan.

To date Montgomery has hosted five large outreach and information meetings; each averaging 50 attendees, with peak participation of over 80 attendees. Economic + Community Development staff have been working for more than a year attending local meetings to present ideas and listen to concerns, sending hundreds of targeted mailings, and taking the time needed to build trust and foster collaboration with the neighborhood associations, businesses and residents.

These intensive engagement efforts have received very positive media coverage from various Montgomery news outlets, which have highlighted every event and helped generate momentum for the projects. The effort the Department of Economic + Community Development has put into these initiatives have genuinely uplifted overall conversations about the importance of walkability, streetscape enhancements, and connectivity to neighborhood development. After each meeting, a 30-day window is provided for additional comments and concerns before progressing to the next phase, strategically scheduling meetings in areas that had already benefited from outreach to maximize engagement and leverage the positive media attention.

To ensure transparency and facilitate ongoing community input, the City has also tested out an innovation of embedding a QR code link into all project flyers. This has been excellent at informing citizens of timeline information, access to comprehensive project data, draft plans, meeting photos, and even fillable survey forms for immediate feedback. This method of communication is hosted on the City of Montgomery’s official city website so that each of the three planning projects can be showcased and updated in one location. Allowing for citizens to follow along in the process through one central hub.

This community centered approach has strengthened resident involvement, increased awareness, and advanced a shared vision for a revitalized Montgomery as Montgomery strives to demonstrate a commitment to innovative and inclusive urban planning. The three draft master plans are already better then they started thanks to the input received during the community engagement process. The Department of Economic + Communty Development expects to present these plants to the Montgomery City Council adoption before the close 2025. Thanks to the hundreds of comments and all this deliberate engagement, these is much anticipation about the bright future of grant applications as the shift now turns to “plan implementation” activities in 2026 and beyond.

The post A Bright Future Ahead for Montgomery. appeared first on American Planning Association Alabama Chapter.

Your Town Alabama Porch Time – Auburn

Stephen Guthrie — Thu, 04 Sep 2025 18:00:16 +0000

Your Town Alabama is hosting a Porch Time gathering at New Realm Brewing in Auburn on Tuesday, Sept. 9 from 5 to 7 PM. These Porch Time gatherings are come-and-go events that are hosted around the state for Your Town Alabama alumni and friends. There is no program, just a come and go, get a drink and visit event. Come connect with community leaders and changemakers for a relaxed evening of networking and community building. Whether you’re passionate about community development or curious about asset-based design for small towns, this is a great opportunity to exchange ideas and meet like-minded folks working to make Alabama communities better places to live, work, and play.

Date: September 9, 2025
Time: 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM
Location: New Realm Brewing Co., 207 S College St, Auburn, AL

Food and drinks available for purchase.

Learn more about Your Town Alabama at www.yourtownalabama.org.

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Online Learning Opportunity: Improving Lives Through Better Transportation

Stephen Guthrie — Mon, 01 Sep 2025 14:00:07 +0000

The Mobility Futures Alliance has an audacious mission to create an all-new vision for transportation in America. A vision that inspires change toward more sustainable transportation options. We see transportation not just as the movement of people and goods, but as a strategic tool that touches every aspect of life, with the power to make communities safer, healthier, and more vibrant.

America has had a long fascination with travel and the open road, but for most, this dream has been replaced by congestion, delays, and frustration. To move past our failing systems, we must embrace a bold, new vision for what’s next. We will present mobility futures that build excitement – human-centered stories that show how better transportation improves lives while creating significant economic and environmental benefits. We’re not waiting for change, we’re creating it.

David Muyres will share more about how MFA plans to address mobility challenges confronting rural and urban environments through the power of story. He will discuss their process, upcoming projects, and how they plan to use design and storytelling to take the fear out of change, align key stakeholders, and inspire positive action. Through compelling, human-centered narratives, we don’t just explain solutions—we bring them to life. We help people see themselves in a better future and motivate them to help build it.

You can access this webinar through this link.

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Register now for the Deep South Planning Conference

Stephen Guthrie — Fri, 29 Aug 2025 15:56:33 +0000

We are excited to announce that registration for the Deep South Planning Conference hosted by the planning chapters of Mississippi and Alabama is now open. You can register using this link: Deep South Planning Conference Registration. Join us on October 28-30, 2025 for three days of learning from peers about the latest planning trends and projects from across Mississippi and Alabama. You do not want to miss this opportunity! We look forward to seeing you there.

All information regarding hotels, speakers, conference venue can be found using the above website link.

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