On Thursday, December 12, the New Jersey Chapter of the American Planning Association celebrated the recipients of the 2024 Planning Excellence Awards and the latest communities designated as Great Places in New Jersey.

The annual awards program recognizes the people, plans, projects, and places that embody the power of great planning to create vibrant, healthy, equitable, and sustainable communities across New Jersey!

Thank you to all our attendees and sponsors, and a big congratulations to all the amazing honorees.

Leadership Awards

Courtenay D. Mercer, AICP, PP

Budd Chavooshian Award for Outstanding Professional Planner

Nancy Facey-Blackwood

Distinguished Civic
Leadership Award

Tashilee Vazquez

Stuart Meck Distinguished
Service Award

Alex Dougherty, AICP, PP

Distinguished Emerging
Planner Award

Project & Plan Awards

Food Security Planning Study (Paterson)

Outstanding Plan
Award

Orange Crossings
(City of Orange)

Outstanding
Implementation Award

Springwood Avenue Heritage Walk (Asbury Park)

Outstanding Community Engagement Award

Community Voices (Rowan University Master Plan)

Outstanding Student
Project Award

Great Places in New Jersey


Downtown Hackensack City of Hackensack, Bergen County, New Jersey Great Downtown	Downtown Dunellen Borough of Dunellen, Middlesex County, New Jersey Great Downtown

Musconetcong Island Park Bethlehem Township, Hunterdon County, New Jersey Great Public Space	India Square, Newark Avenue City of Jersey City, Hudson County, New Jersey Great Street