New APA District Directors
Congratulations and welcome to all our newly elected district directors. Thank you for your service to the chapter.
- Patrick Boylan, Erin Perdu, and Stephanie Rouse –
Metro District
- Wayne Hurley – Northwest District
- Jenn Moses – Northeast District
- Joe Janish – Central District
- Angela Bersaw – Southwest District
- Lew Overhaug – Southeast District
New Executive Director: Kathy Aro
We are excited to announce the selection of Kathy Aro as the finalist for our new Executive Director. The APA Minnesota Board has decided to increase the capacity of this position to better serve its members and build capacity. We are especially excited that Kathy holds the same role with ASLA MN that will allow us to forge new partnerships. The Board of Directors is currently negotiating a contract with Ms. Aro. For more information on the new and exciting changes on the horizon, please visit www.planningmn.org/director. Kathy can be reached at kathy.aro@planningmn.org.
At the same time, this decision is bittersweet. We are sad to see our long term Administrators Peg and Otto Schmid announce their retirement. For fourteen years, their leadership has shaped the organization to the leader that it is today.
We look forward to an exciting future for APA Minnesota!
Great Places: Seward Neighborhood
We are thrilled to announce that Seward Neighborhood has been chosen by APA as one of their 2017 Great Places in America. Seward is a diverse, inclusive, green neighborhood located in Minneapolis. Reasons for this choice include:
* Strong community engagement. Well-organized block clubs keep neighbors appraised of local developments and promote cross-community social ties. Additional groups offer engagement opportunities.
* Fosters recreational opportunities. Residents have access to a number of parks, and the neighborhood features biking and hiking trails and connections.
* Enhances quality of life for all. Seward offers affordable housing, food co-ops, and connected regional parks and trails. It has worked to preserve affordable housing, and offers a broad assortment of housing stock. It has also adopted an Affirmative Inclusion Statement: "All are welcome here."
Congratulations to Seward on this great honor!
Conference Wrap Up
Many thanks to all who attended the APA MN conference in Mankato last week. First, we appreciate all the hours of planning efforts from the Conference Committee and the chairs of the event. Secondly, we obviously would not have a conference without the sessions and tours given by our members and the participants from our many partner organizations. Finally, the exhibitors and sponsors play a huge role in the success of each of our conferences. We hope you enjoyed the conference and more importantly, learned and benefited from the knowledge imparted and from the networking. While we say goodbye for the time being to Mankato, we say hello to Rochester, the site of our conference in 2018 from Sept. 26-28. If any of you are interested in joining the committee to plan this event, please let us know at the APA MN office. -- Conference Committee and Chairs
National Planning Month
October is National Planning Month. This year’s theme is Innovation in Planning, focusing on the role planning plays in adapting to change in the 21st century. Visit the APA website for ideas how to celebrate.
Placemaking Art/Pub Party
Join Forecast at an ART / PUB PARTY on Monday, October 30 from 6-9 p.m. at Surly Brewing Company! The event will bring together artists, arts supporters and professionals in design, planning and public space to spark new ideas, innovations and conversations. Your ticket gets you access to Surly's award winning beer and chef-inspired fare. As an APA MN member, you get a FREE complimentary ticket!
Climate Vulnerability Workshop
A PlanIt workshop entitled How to Address Climate Vulnerability in Your Community will be held October 26, 9 AM – 12 PM in Minneapolis. This workshop will explore local approaches to climate vulnerability assessment. CM | 2.25
Energy Innovation Celebration
Join GPI’s Energy Innovation Celebration on October 11 in St. Paul to learn about ways to address climate and energy goals.
Food Access Summit
The 6th Food Access Summit will be held October 25-27 at the Duluth Entertainment Convention Center in Duluth. Learn about how to ensure access to safe, healthy, affordable food.
MACPZA Conference
The Minnesota Association of County Planning and Zoning Administrators (MACPZA) annual conference will be October 11-13 in Bemidji. Registration is now open.
National Walking Summit
The National Walking Summit is the premier opportunity for community advocates, nonprofit representatives, government officials, and transit, health, and planning professionals to share best practices and stories, increase the visibility of key issues, build support for the walking movement, and create momentum for the work ahead. It will be held September 13-15, 2017 in St. Paul. Scholarships are available.
Energy Planning for Cities Webinar
The Minnesota Local Government Project for Energy Planning (LoGoPEP) is hosting a free webinar entitled Tools for Local Government Energy Champions on October 12, 11 AM-12 PM CT. This webinar will provide tools to assist in meeting local energy planning goals.
Arts, Culture, and Transportation Webinar
Arts, Culture and Transportation: A Creative Placemaking Field Scan is a rigorous national examination of creative placemaking in the transportation planning process. This new resource identifies ways that transportation professionals can integrate artists to deliver transportation projects more smoothly, improve safety, and build community support. Register for a free webinar on the topic on October 13.
Growing Local Guide
The Farmland Information Center has released a new guide entitled Growing Local: A Community Guide to Planning for Agriculture and Food Systems. This guide is intended written to help communities remove barriers and advance solutions to sustain local agriculture and strengthen community food systems.
Community Health Assessment Webinar
The Healthy Communities Collaborative is hosting a free webinar entitled Community Health Assessment Toolkit on October 12, 11-11:30 AM CT. This webinar will provide an overview of this new tool and how it can be used. CM | 0.5
Complete Streets Webinar
The National Complete Streets Coalition is hosting a webinar entitled Public/Private Partnerships: Complete Streets & Large-Scale Development on October 18, 12-1 PM. This webinar will look at challenges and opportunities in applying complete streets principles through partnerships.
Smart City Webinar
The APA Technology Division is hosting a free webinar entitled Planning the Smart City on October 19, 12-1 PM CT. Learn about a range of technology tools to help realize the vision of a smarter city in your community. CM | 1
Student Awards
APA is accepting submissions now for the Outstanding PSO Awards and AICP Student Project Awards. Winners will be recognized at the 2018 National Planning Conference in New Orleans. December 12 is the submission deadline.
Hurricane Relief Fund
The APA Foundation's commitment to help planners in hurricane-wracked communities has expanded to include places affected by hurricanes José and Maria, in addition to Harvey and Irma. The Foundation will match all individual contributions made online to the Community Assistance Fund through December 31.
Job Opportunities and RFPs/RFQs
Job listings and RFPs/RFQs can be found on the APA MN website. Current listings (and application deadlines) include:
- Nicollet County – Comprehensive Plan RFP (10/13)
- Vierbicher – Economic Development Consultant (10/15)
- City of Richfield - Assistant Planner (10/19)
- Hometown Planning LLC – Senior Planner/Zoning Administrator (11/26)
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