National Community Planning Month is an occasion to raise the visibility and the status of planners and planning throughout New Jersey. APA-NJ asks its members to embrace this opportunity by organizing an event. Here are a few ideas:
• Host a planning department or planning board open house.
• Talk to school-age children about a career in planning.
• Present a display at a local library, fall festival, or arts celebration.
• Organize a tour to show the results of good planning.
• Give a PowerPoint at a meeting of your local governing body.
• Reach out to other groups in the community to co-sponsor an event in recognition of National Community Planning Month, like a fund-raising 10K run or walk, with the proceeds going to a good cause like the Community Food Bank of New Jersey or other charity.
• Recognize a prominent citizen who has contributed to good planning. Host the celebration at a local museum or art society, at a park, or at a local government building, such as your town hall. Put an announcement in a local newspaper or magazine featuring the citizen’s accomplishments.
APA-NJ offers a number of resources to support you, including access to promotional materials (coming soon), graphics design assistance to develop your own materials, and advertising your event on our website. You can also get information at http://www.planning.org/ncpm/index.htm. Please direct any further questions, or requests that we post a notice for your event, to CPM2011@njplanning.org. Let’s get planning out of the public hearing room and into the community!