American Planning Association

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American Planning Association

Abbreviation	APA
Formation	1978; 46 years ago (1978)
Merger of	American Institute of Planners American Society of Planning Officials
Type	Non-profit 501(c)(3) educational organization
Purpose	To provide leadership in the development of vital communities [citation needed]
Headquarters	205 N. Michigan Ave., Suite 1200, Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
President	Kurt E. Christiansen, FAICP
Past President	Cynthia Bowen, FAICP
Board of directors	Kurt E Christiansen, FAICP, President Cynthia Bowen, FAICP, Past President Deborah Lawlor, FAICP, AICP President Courtenay Mercer, AICP, Director Region I Rodger Lentz, AICP, Director Region II Wendy Shabay, AICP, Director Region III Wendy Moeller, FAICP, Director Region IV Leo Asuncion Jr., AICP, Director Region V Kristen Asp, AICP, Director Region VI Kara Drane, AICP, Director At Large Lauren Driscoll, AICP, Director At Large Marjorie Press, Director At Large, Focused Fleming El-Amin, AICP, Director At Large, Focused Ben Hitchings, FAICP, Advisor to Board, CPC Chair David Fields, AICP, Advisor to Board, Divisions Chair Rachael Thompson Panik, Advisor to Board, SRC Chair
Key people	Joel Albizo (CEO and executive director)
Subsidiaries	American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP)
Affiliations	47 member chapters (2014)
Website	planning.org

The American Planning Association (APA) is a professional organization representing the field of urban planning in the United States.^[1] APA was formed in 1978, when two separate professional planning organizations, the American Institute of Planners and the American Society of Planning Officials, were merged into a single organization. The American Institute of Certified Planners is now the organization's professional branch.^[2]

Like many professional organizations, the American Planning Association's main function is to serve as a forum for the exchange of ideas between people who work in the field of urban planning. The organization keeps track of the various improvement efforts underway around the country, which may include the improvement or construction of new parks, highways and roads, or residential developments. The organization is also a starting point for people looking for employment.^[3]

The association also publishes the Journal of the American Planning Association (JAPA, ISSN 0194-4363). JAPA was founded in 1935 as Planners' Journal, and was from 1943 known as Journal of the American Institute of Planners (ISSN 0002-8991).^[4]

The American Planning Association holds an annual national conference that attracts planners, local government officials, planning commissioners, advocates and planning students from across the United States, Canada and the world.^[5] Each conference hosts several hundred individual sessions with thousands of attendees.

The association has 47 state/regional chapters, such as the NJAPA (New Jersey Chapter of the APA)^[6] or the Western Central Chapter of the APA.^[7] APA members in the United States are required to belong to a local chapter. Many APA Chapters meet regularly, and most are a source for local conferences and education, networking. Each of 47 local chapters publishes a newsletter and maintains a presence on the web and on social media.

To manage the various interests of American planners, APA has 21 divisions.^[8] APA divisions offer professional networking opportunities for planners. They also produce newsletters and special publications, develop conference sessions, collaborate with related organizations, and contribute to policy work.

• American Planning Association
• JAPA
• Annual National Planning Conference