The American Planning Association, Utah Chapter is pleased to announce the opening of its 2023 Awards Program nominations. This Program provides APA Utah with the opportunity to recognize outstanding planning projects, efforts, and outstanding individuals engaged in planning in the State of Utah. The APA Utah Awards will be presented at the APA Utah annual conference in Ogden on September 28^th, 2023.

The Awards Program is open to Utah organizations and agencies, professional planners, citizen planners, elected officials, and appointed officials (such as planning commissioners). Utah APA highlights the award-winning project and efforts during the annual conferences as shining examples of how to plan in Utah. In reviewing submissions, the APA Utah Awards Committee, with assistance from the APA Nevada Chapter, will be looking for innovation, quality, and the ability to transfer elements of the project or effort to other communities. We welcome and look forward to receiving your nominations!

We are excited to announce a new format for how nominations can be submitted. We will be utilizing an online form which should only take a few minutes to complete. We are hoping to increase the ease of submitting in order to increase the number of nominations we receive. The new nomination form can be found here: Utah APA Call for Nominations

https://forms.gle/Bsy3HsM1JnU8EahHA

Also new this year, are the award categories! We have aligned the award categories with National APA in order to make it easier for the planning projects and efforts here in Utah to be recognized on the national stage. Utah APA will be creating and providing each award winner a short video of the project, effort or individual to bolster the submission to National APA’s awards program.

Deadline: 5:00 PM Mountain Daylight Time on Friday, June 30, 2023.

Incomplete applications or those not received by the deadline cannot be considered

We are looking forward to receiving your nominations!

Project or Planning Effort Award Categories

The Planning Excellence – Beehive Award

This award recognizes the premier planning achievement from all the nominations submitted. This is not an award where nominations are received; rather, it is an award APA Utah grants to the individual or effort that exemplifies the amazing planning work here in Utah. The winner of this award will demonstrate application of APA Utah’s mission of encouraging and fostering the principles of visioning and planning for a better future here in Utah.

Outstanding Plan Award

This award honors a written plan that advances the science and art of planning or brings awareness of the benefits of good planning. The award seeks to recognize excellence in planning for livable and sustainable communities with public engagement and realistic goals. Eligible nominations encompass plans of many types, including but not limited to: comprehensive, strategic, transportation, energy, environment, economic development, urban design, tourism, rural, cultural/historic, neighborhood, or tribal planning.

Planning Tool or Implementation Award

This award honors a specific planning tool, practice, program, project, process, or effort that has accomplished positive changes. This award emphasizes innovation, transferability, and results that can be measured over long-term. Nominated projects  must  have been in use  for a minimum of one  year. Eligible projects and tools may include ordinances, design or growth management guidelines, public-private partnerships, applications of technology, citizen participation tools, farmland preservation, rural development, resource conservation, capital improvements, transportation management, public health improvements, or sustained economic development.

Public Outreach Award

This award honors a plan, project or process that meaningfully engaged the public through information, consultation, coordination, collaboration and/or empowerment means. Nominated work should highlight innovation or extraordinary effort in encouraging inclusive public participation in planning efforts. Consideration will be given to how available funds were used or leveraged to conduct the public involvement effort.

Individual Award Categories

Planning Leadership Award

Awarded to a professional planner OR Elected Official in recognition of significant and unique contributions to the profession through distinguished practice while employed/volunteering in Utah.

Morris Johnson Award

Awarded to an individual who has made significant and unique contributions to planning in Utah over an extended period. This is a Lifetime Achievement Award with nominations to come from the APA Utah Executive Board.

Gene Moser Award

Awarded to a person who is neither a professional planner nor an elected official for a significant contribution to excellence in planning. Nominees may be a commissioner, member of a development board, other appointed official or interested citizen, living, and working in Utah.

Gene Carr Award

Awarded to an individual for outstanding contributions to planning education or training in Utah.

George Smeath Planning Student Award

Awarded to a student enrolled in an academic planning program in Utah for outstanding achievement during the nominee’s academic career. This may be awarded to a student during enrollment in a planning program or within 2 years of graduation.

Award Program Details

APA Utah Chapter Award nominations will be evaluated on their innovation, transferability, comprehensiveness, and other award-specific criteria. The content of the plan or project, the processes used, and leadership demonstrated are of primary importance. The visual quality of the document itself is a factor, but layout and graphics are less significant than the overall quality of the plan and effort. Both large and small communities and other planning entities are encouraged to apply. The APA Utah Awards will be presented at the APA Utah annual conference in Ogden on September 28^th, 2023.

Nominations will be evaluated by the APA Nevada Chapter. They will be reviewed for the award category in which they are submitted. However, the Awards Committee may, upon majority vote and upon warrant, move a nomination to a different category. Awards may not be granted for every category if the Awards Committee finds that none of the nominations in a particular category meet the desired standards. Self-nominations are welcome!

Only plans or planning projects for a Utah locale will be eligible for consideration. For the Planning Tool or Implementation Award, only plans or projects completed within the last ten (10) years are eligible for consideration. For all other award categories, only plans or projects completed within the last two (2) years are eligible.

Deadline: 5:00 PM Mountain Daylight Time on Friday, June 30, 2023.

Incomplete applications or those not received by the deadline cannot be considered