APA RI Awards

APA RI Awards

The Call for Submissions for the 2025 APA-RI Awards are live!

Nominate a plan, project or person

APA-RI 2025 Awards' nominations are now open!

Do you have a plan or project that you recently completed and want the rest of the state to know about it? Is there a leader in your community who has helped move planning and/or equity forward? Then nominate them for a 2025 APA-RI Award!

The submission instruction sheet, list of this year's categories, and nomination form are available now. Submit them to aparhodeisland at gmail dot com by 4:30PM on March 28, 2025.

The 2025 APA-RI Awards Party will be held on Thursday, April 24

We're holding the awards party at the beautiful Meehan Overlook at Notte Park in North Providence. Details are coming, so check back soon!

The 2025 Awards categories are:
CURRENT TOPIC – Traditionally, this award recognizes excellence in planning for a particular topic of interest to planners and the planning profession. This year instead of one topic we’re offering three topics from which to choose. However, only one award will be selected of all the nominations submitted, regardless of the topic chosen:

• AFFORDABLE HOUSING PLANNING ACHIEVEMENT – This topic acknowledges achievement in affordable housing planning (including successful projects but including excellence in applied planning) at any level (e.g., local, regional, state, NGO, consulting, etc.), in the areas of healthy housing innovation, historic preservation, and, of course, success in increasing the quality of life for low- and moderate-income persons especially for households at 80% and below an area’s county median income.
• PLANNING FOR SUSTAINABILITY & RESILIENCE – This topic captures fundamental planning “moxie” of vision, leadership, and commitment to the evolution of sustainability planning and helping to improve awareness of sustainability in the face of climate change.
• TECHNOLOGICAL SUCCESS IN PLANNING AND ITS IMPLEMENTATION This topic seeks to find and show appreciation for individuals, organizations, and/or projects that are using AI and GIS to solve some of Rhode Island’s toughest challenges,

ANNUAL TOPICS:

AWARD FOR EXCELLENT PLAN – This award is given for a plan that advances the science and art of planning at any scale! Examples of eligible plans include: Comprehensive Plans, Neighborhood Plans, Housing Plans, Parks and Recreation Plans, Transportation Plans, Redevelopment Plans, Economic Development Plans, Strategic Plans, and more.

AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN PLAN IMPLEMENTATION – This award recognizes an effort that demonstrates significant achievement in accomplishing positive changes as a result of planning. This effort should be complete (or largely completed) by the time of the nomination.

PAUL DAVIDOFF AWARD – This award emphasizes the success of planning in a new or different setting that helped to transform distressed neighborhoods. This could include such efforts as provision of affordable housing, neighborhood outreach initiatives, programs designed for special populations, public art or cultural efforts, educational community festivals, environmental or conservation initiatives, innovative summer recreation initiatives for children, and focused tourism ventures.

DAN VARIN MEMORIAL LEADERSHIP AWARD – This award is given to a professional planner, elected official, citizen planner, or organization for sustained contributions to the profession through distinguished practice, teaching or writing, or whose efforts have contributed to elevating planning principles, creating greater awareness of the value of planning, and improving quality of life in one or more communities.

STUDENT AWARD – This award is granted to an individual student or team of students for academic or applied research, studio projects, community service or other works related to community development or planning in Rhode Island. Student work from any high school, college or university is eligible for the Student Project Award, including submissions from out of state institutions.

PROPOSE YOUR OWN! – If you have a project, group, or person you’d like to nominate and it doesn’t fit under any of the above categories, send your nomination in anyway! Propose your own category, or just tell us why the award is deserved.