With the damage caused from hurricanes, tornadoes and floods around the United States, more communities are looking to be more ‘resilient.’  Resiliency is not just about creative physical improvements to withstand storms; it is also connects to a community’s ability to revitalize quickly after disaster.  Arts and culture can play a big role in helping communities recover.  We will explore examples from Louisiana, New Jersey and Missouri, and discuss how to connect creative placemaking with resiliency in community dialogues.

During the last fifteen years, thousands of communities across the United States have sought to attract or develop advanced communications networks, recognizing that such networks can provide them and the nation multiple strategic advantages in the increasingly competitive global economy. In virtually every case, fostering robust economic development has ranked at or near the top of the list of considerations motivating these communities.

Creative Placemaking Planning for Real Estate Professionals is a one-day workshop which will include a broad overview of what Creative Placemaking is and why this approach is so effective for sustainable development towards increasing community vibrancy, social equity and economic growth.

The referendum for a stable source of open space funding barely made it onto the November ballot. Tom Gilbert, Keep It Green will describe what the referendum means and what needs to be done to ensure its passage. Other speakers will discuss the importance of open space for healthy communities.

Registration is now open for the premier planning conference in Pennsylvania.

Join APAPASE for an evening of food, fun, and (planning-themed) Quizzo!

The NJAFM Annual Conference is a statewide conference related to floodplain management and planning. The conference draws a multi-disciplinary audience including planners, engineers, scientists and local officials.

Given the quagmire of this recent history of COAH proposals and litigation in NJ, maybe it’s time to review how other states are facilitating affordable housing production and to consider how their experiences could reshape New Jersey’s approach. Leading the discussion is Rachel Bratt, Professor of Urban and Environmental Policy and Planning, Tufts University, and author or co-author of many articles, reports, and chapters in books on housing policy.

Please join us for the largest GIS conference in the mid-Atlantic region. MAC URISA 2014 will be held October 22nd through the 24th at the Resorts Hotel in Atlantic City, New Jersey. We are proud to host a comprehensive, multi-day conference to showcase the outstanding projects and technologies used by our members.

The 59th NJDRMI for Fall 2014 is your opportunity to get up-to-speed on making the most out of key digital tools for your marketing and is aimed to help you be more effective and strategic at promoting your downtown, business and events. This action-packed day is designed for business districts, management organizations, chambers and other municipal, county and regional leaders (CM | 2.5 Pending)

Join Brick City Conversations for a presentation on the Regional Plan Association’s Fourth Plan.

The Association of Collegiate Schools of Planning's 54th Annual Conference offers nearly 300 AICP CM credits over a four-day conference. The preliminary program can be found at www.acsp.org and lists the sessions that qualify for credit. A conference app will be available this week and attendees can create their own schedule for session attendance.

With the two-year anniversary of Superstorm Sandy on the horizon, what have we learned about rebuilding? This program, featuring Anthony Flint, fellow and director of public affairs at the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy, will focus on concrete steps that are being taken to plan, pay for and implement resiliency measures on the ground.

Using a class room case study and tour approach, participants will learn the fundamentals of comprehensive real estate development using actual development projects as “backdrops” to the concepts, applications and discussions about redevelopment.

Equity and ethics are not identical, but they do intersect. Listen as AICP planners and allied health professionals probe this important topic. How is health equity being addressed, and how does it relate to planning? What ethical codes do public health professionals follow, and where's the intersection with planning ethics? Examine the role equity plays in various ethical frameworks and find out how communities and planners are taking on health equity.

In a time when funding resources are scarce, it is imperative to understand and demonstrate the positive impacts of planning and implementation of transportation investments on our communities. A number of efforts including RTD’s Quality of Life Study, RTD’s TOD Program Metrics and the City of Denver’s TOD Strategic Plan have separate goals but similar methodologies. This session will discuss these programs and their applicability to projects from large scale to small scale.

When EPA created the Office of Environmental Justice, it required developing new tools for the purpose of engaging and working with the public, including segments of the public that are underserved. Community planners and other allied professionals may be less familiar with the tools the Office of Environmental Justice has developed overtime to strengthen public involvement; encourage community action for a renewed environment; or advance collaborative environmental problem solving.

Join New Jersey Future, Regional Plan Association and Together North Jersey for an important discussion with thought leaders to bring forward the next generation of “big ideas” to enhance prosperity, livability, and environmental sustainability in the tri-state region.

Learn how Los Angeles, Atlanta, and Santa Monica used different, yet equally practical, applications of “tactical urbanism” to transform their streets in months, not years. One pilot project involved a transformative streetscape master plan; the other uses “pop-up” demonstrations of a potential “Neighborhood Greenway” design to get residents involved. Hosted by the Urban Design and Preservation Division.

Drought is becoming an increasingly important issue for planners at the local, regional and state levels. Drought impacts vary by region, but it affects everything from the most obvious -- water supply -- to ecosystems, the built environment, regional economies and human health. Mitigation and adaptation to drought requires attention and collaboration among planners, water engineers and natural resource experts.

“Complete street” is a transportation term that refers to a corridor designed for all modes of transportation. Washington, DC has made national news for its emphasis on the fundamental modes of transportation – walking and biking. It’s also home to one of the most recognizable mass transit systems. So why would the District Department of Transportation propose a scenario that eliminates complete streets?

This webinar is designed to help you make the case for implementing the most effective smart growth policies for ensuring that your community has an adequate supply of housing for the continuum of need: from workforce housing to seniors who need help to age in place. We will specifically address inclusionary zoning, community land trusts, accessory dwelling units, and tools for avoiding and overcoming NIMBYism.

This presentation will review some of these changes and outline steps that planners can take to mitigate present and future impacts of the new law. Planners are best trained to synthesize the multi-disciplinary nature of hazard mitigation planning and can be at the forefront of achieving reductions in losses to life and property as well as creating safer communities.

Join representatives from the 21 New Jersey municipalities that have combined sewer overflows and utility authorities to discuss:    SPEAKERS: Mayor Ras Baraka, City of Newark Mayor Dana Redd, City of Camden Daniel M. Kennedy, Assistant Commissioner,Water Resources Management, NJDEP George Hawkins, CEO and General Manager of the District of Columbia Water and Sewer Authority   Registration […]

Agenda 3:30 - 3:45 PM: Registration 3:45 - 4:00 PM: DVRPC Presentation 4:00 - 5:30 PM: Live viewing of APA Audio/Webconference Growing numbers of people are commuting and getting around town by bicycle. Keeping everyone safe on streets and sidewalks is a moving target. Explore the safety issues that go with more robust transportation options. […]

The APA International Division will be hosting a regional meetup for planners interested in international planning. All planners with an interest in international issues are welcome to attend. Hors d’oeuvres will be served. Happy hour drink specials will be available for purchase until 7pm.

Sustainability and comprehensive planning can run on two separate tracks within local government. To create sustaining places, the programs have to come together — but how? APA has worked with 13 communities to develop standards for integrating sustainability into comprehensive plans. Hear about the standards and the goals behind them.

One of the great challenges of communities living on the New Jersey coast or along its some 18,126 miles of rivers and streams is how to prepare for inevitable flooding. The National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) requires that buildings be elevated, moved out of a floodplain, or acquired and demolished to comply with the new flood maps. The hope is that elevating will keep buildings out of the water, but what do wholesale elevations do to a community?

New Jersey Future’s annual Redevelopment Forum attracts nearly 500 local and state officials, citizen activists, development professionals, architects, attorneys, planners, business leaders and students. Redevelopment allows us to re-use infrastructure, take advantage of historically strategic locations, maintain and improve our communities and preserve our remaining open spaces.

The FCC adopted new rules at its Oct. 17 meeting that are likely to require changes in the way local governments respond to applications for siting wireless towers, and for adding antennas to, and modifying, existing structures. The rules could necessitate an immediate review and revision of wireless siting ordinances in many communities, and have important implications for the way states and localities deal with siting of wireless facilities in historic districts and environmentally sensitive areas.

This presentation will discuss significant changes in housing for people with disabilities over the last several years. Enforcement of the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Supreme Court’s decision in Olmstead v. L.C. – which requires public entities to offer their services to people with disabilities in “the integrated setting” – has led to statewide system reform of housing systems, moving away from congregate disability-specific housing to expanding access to scattered-site supportive housing.

NY/NJ Baykeeper in conjunction with Newark DIG (Doing Infrastructure Green) is hosting a free workshop on the economic benefits of green infrastructure. Geared towards private property owners, redevelopers, and engineers, guests will learn how implementing stormwater management strategies can affect your bottom line and much more.

Reshoring is a very popular idea among businesses, their customers and governments where jobs growth will have the most impact. But it’s not that simple. Reshoring requires a carefully crafted journey through innovation, automation, localization of products and site/community selection.

Register now for the world's premier educational event for planners and planning officials. With hundreds of sessions, workshops, mobile workshops, and networking events, you can build a conference that's just right for you.

Each year, RPA brings together more than 1,000 civic and business leaders from around the New York metropolitan area to discuss major issues affecting the prosperity and quality of life in the region.

Please join the Middlesex County Board of Chosen Freeholders on April 28, 2015 for a workshop exploring the resources and assistance programs available to strengthen your municipality’s capacity for resilience. Learn of practical measures and strategies to adapt to and withstand the severe weather and natural hazards of our changing future.

The 61st NJ Downtown Institute for Spring 2015 is your opportunity to get up-to-speed on making the most out of your number one asset that you control - your customer experience - to build your business, organization or district. This action-packed half-day is designed mainly for business owners and operators, however business district management organizations, chambers and other municipal, county and regional leaders can gain great insights for themselves and their clients and stakeholders.

Register Now (APA-NJ Members receive a 10% Discount) Featuring nationally-acclaimed customer acquisition & retention expert Pamela Herrman  Hosted at the beautiful Montclair Library just steps away from the heart of award winning Montclair Center, a Main Street New Jersey community since 2007. The 61st NJ Downtown Institute for Spring 2015 is your opportunity to get up-to-speed […]

The New Jersey Health Impact Collaborative (NJHIC), a collaboration of Rutgers University’s Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy and Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences (RBHS), is hosting a statewide conference on Health Impact Assessment (HIA) on May 7, 2015 at the Cook Campus Center at Rutgers University.

Join the Morris County Economic Development Corporation for a transportation panel and luncheon!

Learn how to build financial models for the acquisition and development of commercial and mixed-use real estate development projects using Excel.

New technologies. Evolving expectations. A variety of forces are changing the way planners work, the skills they need, even the issues they address. An APA task force recently spent a year looking into the planning office of the future. Learn about the findings and hear what practitioners have to say about recent changes, current conditions, and the shape of things to come.

On March 10, 2015, the New Jersey Supreme Court returned jurisdiction over low- and moderate-income housing to the trial courts, effectively ending COAH’s oversight. The ruling is the most significant court action impacting affordable housing since the court held that municipalities must provide their “fair share”. What does the court’s ruling mean for your municipality? […]

PlanSmart NJ's 4th Annual Regional Planning Summit, Stranded Suburban Real Estate Assets: Changing Economy, Changing Land Use will bring together experts in planning, redevelopment, and infrastructure to reveal the magnitude of the problem and explore methods to break through common barriers to transform New Jersey's suburbs into resilient and livable communities where people can live, work, and play.

Planning feels the impact of decisions from the U.S. Supreme Court, federal district courts, and state courts. How will their rulings affect you? Get a briefing on the year's legal developments, from First Amendment issues to environmental actions, housing, and equal access. Presenters also will discuss major legislative initiatives and APA's amicus filings. Join in a lively, informative program you and your staff, colleagues, and officials won't want to miss. This program is also suitable for planning commissioners.

Learn about the Coalition’s eorts to create model mixed-use communities at ve commuter rail stations in Newark, East Orange and Orange

This webinar will examine the linkages between landscape architecture and transportation planning, looking at how addressing design issues as early as possible in the planning process can result in transportation solutions more likely to win public support and produce the best transportation outcomes.

Athens, Ohio recently adopted The Essence of Athens: A Strategic Design Plan for Economic Enhancement and Community Competitiveness. This community collaboration 'extracted' the spirit and personality of the community and encourages architects, landscape architects, and planners to color outside the lines of ordinary design and create things that make people say, "That's so Athens."

This webcast will discuss what local governments need to do to ensure that their sign codes comply with the U.S. Supreme Court's June 2015 decision in Reed v. Town of Gilbert. That decision established that any sign regulation that "on its face" requires a consideration of a sign's content to determine how that sign will be regulated is "content-based" and subject to "strict scrutiny."

REGISTER Parking is a critical piece of a community’s infrastructure. It plays an important role in developing “mixed-use projects” and sustainable transportation. Parking also has a direct impact on the ability to create compact, healthy communities. Overly restrictive parking requirements can thwart efforts to build walkable communities that require less parking. Too little parking can […]

In this webinar you will learn what your community can do to prepare for, and land your next economic development prospect. It will cover the following items: (1) Current trends in Economic Development & Site Selection; (2) Understanding your target audience - What Prospects, Site Selection Consultants and other key players are looking for; (3) Understanding your product & target markets; (4) Before the prospect shows up – what can make your community competitive; and (5) The site visit and afterwards - practical pointers for closing the deal.

The National Center for Transit Research, Urban and Regional Information Systems Association and the Transportation Research Board are jointly presenting the 9th National GIS in Transit Conference, on September 1-3, 2015, in Washington, DC.

Join the RPA/NJIT Mayors’ Academy on Resilient Design for a public keynote presented by David Waggonner, president of Waggonner & Ball Architects and producer of the award-winning Greater New Orleans Urban Water Plan. Mr. Waggonner will offer lessons of resilience and living with water for our region’s urban cities and towns. Light appetizers and refreshments will be served

The Stormwater Committee of the NJ-AWRA is sponsoring a new seminar series that will allow for education and discussion of different stormwater related topics. Jeromie Lange, PE from Maser Consulting will present on a recent study of the performance of Basins across the State. Glen Carleton of USGS will follow with a presentation on New Groundwater Mounding Analysis Software. Please join us in this exciting new initiative and opportunity for professional development and continuing education.

This two-day course on the redevelopment planning law process will provide a broader understanding of the crucial issues, steps and challenges associated with the New Jersey’s Local Redevelopment and Housing Law (LRHL). The workshop features a faculty with many of the top planners, attorneys, government officials and consultants from the New Jersey redevelopment arena who will share their real world redevelopment experiences.

Nowadays a wide variety of data from the US Census Bureau is easily accessible for anybody to use and it is relatively easy to create impressive looking maps and flowcharts. But how reliable is this data and can we really use it to inform planning decisions? This program will highlight some of the issues with the data especially with regard to liability, comparability and data aggregation. In addition, the program will briefly discuss why these issues are even more relevant when you use third party software.

Health Impact Assessment (HIA) can be used to evaluate a proposed plan or project’s potential effects on the health of a population. HIA provides evidence-based recommendations aimed at enhancing positive health impacts and minimizing negative ones, providing an approach to the decision-making process.

Health Impact Assessment (HIA) can be used to evaluate a proposed plan or project’s potential effects on the health of a population. HIA provides evidence-based recommendations aimed at enhancing positive health impacts and minimizing negative ones.

While aging in place enables older adults to live at home independently, Aging in Community promotes social capital—a sense of social connectedness and interdependence - with systems of support and caring to maximize one’s ability to remain at home in their community.

Increasingly young workers and baby boomers alike are leaving the suburbs for higher density mixed use areas with easily accessible public transportation. This renewed interest in living and working in urban areas is helping to drive an economic boom in some of New Jersey’s cities.

Join APA NY Metro for the 2015 Annual Conference and Awards Ceremony at Lerner Hall, Columbia University.

Join a conversation with Senator Cory Booker and distinguished experts in business and public policy to discuss the risks and repercussions of a Hudson rail tunnel closure, as well as the benefits of building additional cross-Hudson rail access as part of Amtrak's Gateway program.

Delve into the state of the real estate markets after the great recession. How have well-planned communities weathered the storm? Are more communities recognizing the importance of planning for economic development? Veteran planners look at new norms for home values, retail markets, development, and revitalization.

On Thursday, December 3, 2015, the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia and Thomas Jefferson University Hospital are co-hosting Philadelphia’s first Vision Zero conference. Vision Zero is based on the concept that road crashes are not accidents, but are preventable events. Road deaths, currently totaling nearly 100 per year in Philadelphia, can be reduced to zero through education, engineering, and enforcement.

Navigating NJ's complex regulatory system can be a cumbersome process and can result in costly and often conflicting results. Are there more effective solutions for managing growth in New Jersey?

Please join us on the evening of December 9th as we celebrate five decades of planning and regional cooperation, recognize the people, projects and programs that have transformed our region, meet new friends and partners, and be inspired for the next 50 years!

The New Jersey Urban Water Conference is a half-day event that will bring together state and local decision-makers, practitioners and stakeholders to build awareness of the importance of modern drinking water, stormwater and wastewater infrastructure as key to New Jersey’s prosperity.

Please join the Urban Essex Coalition for Smart Growth for "Creating a Vision for Station Areas in Urban Essex County's Urban Transit Corridor". Space is limited, RSVP today.

Coming up with reasonable and enforceable sign codes can often be a complex and controversial process. With so many community stakeholders caring about sign codes, it is important to get the most accurate, up-to-date information and expertise as possible. The seminar will present modules that educate on the technology within signs, sign code issues, understanding electronic message centers, and the importance of signs to business.

RegisterThis session will review significant changes in Federal Fair Housing requirements that occurred in 2015. Topics include the recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling on the Federal Fair Housing Act, HUD’s new rule on Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing, and the implementation of the rule through the Assessment of Fair Housing template. The session will help HUD […]

The purpose of the conference is to educate stakeholders and engage them in addressing the impacts of stormwater runoff from impervious cover. The workshop will acknowledge on-going efforts by the Sustainable Raritan River Collaborative and showcase their work. It will also provide attendees an opportunity to network and develop new partnerships so they can better achieve the goal of a sustainable Raritan River Basin.

Winning isn’t everything, but we can often learn a lot from plans, programs, and projects that have been deemed worthy of an award. In this session, speakers representing four winners of SCD’s 2015 Awards for Excellence in Sustainability will demonstrate how communities can function more sustainably.

For decades, the terms Central Business District, CBD and downtown were used almost interchangeably because, functionally, downtowns were dominated by retail stores, office based businesses, professionals and government agencies, along with some hotels and maybe entertainment venues.

The U.S. city was built for the baby boom. Its bones were formed when the U.S. was in its final decades of legal apartheid and fleshed out over four decades of rising inequality. The baby boom is still here and will continue to shape cities, suburbs, and rural areas. But we now need to accommodate a new generation— the millennials—whose coming of age will require millions of new rental housing units. Where will this housing be built?

New Jersey Future's Redevelopment Forum is a daylong conference that brings together more than 500 municipal and state leaders and leading professionals in planning, development, law, transportation, architecture, construction, environmental conservation and historic preservation to share best practices and lessons learned.

Understanding the challenges andopportunities communities face—economic, social, and environmental—is a prerequisite for making investments that achieve their goals. To respond to this need, environmental justice stakeholders have begun developing analytical tools that can give communities rich and accessible information for supporting local goals for environmental protection and equitable development in cities and regions.

The Creative Placemaking Leadership Summit is one of the largest gatherings of people involved in the intersection of arts, culture, community improvement, and local economic development. In 2014, it attracted more than 250 people. They included public and elected officials, leaders of community based organizations, developers, urban planners, and leaders of cultural organizations and, of course, artists.

This session will explore the relationship of the short-term rental sector of the sharing economy to land use and tax regulation and social and economic factors in resort and destination communities.

Maintaining a variety of affordable housing types is a critical component of long-range community viability. This session will equip planners and public leaders with strategies for determining the type and volume of housing that is most needed, by whom and where, within the context of shifting demographics. The presenters will review affordable housing needs assessments they conducted in Colorado Springs, CO, the State of Washington and Westmoreland County, PA, and explain the approaches that were most successful in translating measured housing needs into community goals with targeted, practical action steps.

APA's National Planning Conference offers advanced sessions by top presenters — and a high return on your training dollars. Registration is now open for the planning profession's biggest event of the year — APA's 2016 National Planning Conference, April 2–5 in Phoenix. Register before March 4 and save $!

Parks have become an unexpected driver of both tourism and urban transformation. Learn about new approaches to urban parks, from reusing industrial sites to rethinking design and function. Hear about unexpected uses, economic benefits, and enticing ways to attract people to parks. Where do parks fit into the work of the planning commission? Find out in a program designed for commissioners as well as planners.

Come join AHPNJ's Panel Discussion and hear the panelists share their perspectives on the municipal approvals process for affordable housing and it's importance in facilitating effective regulatory compliance.

The 65th NJ Downtown Institute to features Roger Brooks of Roger Brooks International (RBI) as he shares his high-energy, high-value expertise to take you through key strategies and tactics for building communities as destinations and then promoting them effectively. Using uncommon common sense and his ability to cut through the B.S. in our media- and marketing-saturated world Roger will leave you with great ideas that are both inspiring and actionable.

Creating walkable and bikable communities is a successful strategy for maintaining and restoring economic vitality and improving public health in a community.

Creating walkable and bikable communities is a successful strategy for maintaining and restoring economic vitality and improving public health in a community.

Creating walkable and bikable communities is a successful strategy for maintaining and restoring economic vitality and improving public health in a community.

This workshop will review tools and actionable steps that communities can take to be more prepared and resilient to the impacts of climate change. The tools were developed and vetted by public, non-profit and academic partners throughout the state, including Sustainable Jersey’s Task Forces. As such, they represent some of the most current resiliency tools available to New Jersey municipalities.

This workshop will review tools and actionable steps that communities can take to be more prepared and resilient to the impacts of climate change. The tools were developed and vetted by public, non-profit and academic partners throughout the state, including Sustainable Jersey’s Task Forces. As such, they represent some of the most current resiliency tools available to New Jersey municipalities.

A powerful new reality and a profound demographic transformation is an aging America. That baby boomers are swelling the ranks of older Americans is well-documented. This profound demographic transition is challenging communities struggling to maintain the status quo, and, is overwhelming to government and community policymakers at all levels. Preparing for this wave is viewed as a political and economic liability - impacting social security, healthcare costs and services..and placing an added burden on the young.

Interested in learning the ins and outs of implementing transit supportive and transit-oriented development in your community? Want to learn more about funding opportunities and available resources? Then register for the NJTPA’s Transit Supportive Development Forum! The free event will be held on Tuesday, May 24th, from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., at New Jersey Institute of Technology’s Campus Center Ballroom, 2nd Floor.

With limited budgets, communities must prioritize options for addressing flood hazards and the costs of those options. Coastal green infrastructure is a strategy for reducing impacts from storm surge, sea level rise, and precipitation and includes approaches across different scales.

New Jersey led the nation in developing isolated, single use office parks, today, New Jersey is experiencing an exodus of corporate employers, leaving behind large underutilized office buildings and retail centers and the land on which they sit. While these sites currently are a drain on the economy, they also represent an enormous opportunity to redevelop and redesign the suburbs to be more dynamic, connected, and sustainable.

This year’s conference will take place over two days. A number of different registration options are available.
You may register for events on one or both days.

In celebration of Rutgers University’s 250th Anniversary, this conference will showcase efforts of Rutgers’ faculty, staff and students in the Raritan Basin, provide a forum for identifying a University-wide agenda for stewardship of the Raritan, and establish a network for collaboration among University-based research, extension and outreach-efforts related to the Raritan Basin.

Plan now to attend the 2016 New Jersey Sustainability Summit on June 15 at The College of New Jersey. Be part of the collaborative enterprise needed to ensure a sustainable future for New Jersey and beyond!

Join the New Jersey County Planners Association to celebrate their 60th Anniversary with an afternoon of presentations, including a historical review of the NJCPA and a look at the past and future 60 years in regional planning. An optional awards dinner will follow.

Hosted in the heart of downtown Summit - a Main Street New Jersey community since 2014. This 66th NJDI features a day-long intensive workshop teaching how to run a business recruitment program within a variety of budgets and staffing constraints.

As communities look to measure sustainability in a world of proliferating indicators and rating systems, planners find that some metrics are easier to measure – and manage – than others. Dive deeper into the topic of sustainability metrics with speakers from Audubon International, STAR Communities, New York State, and SUNY Binghamton, who will share real world examples and recommendations for measuring sustainability.