2026 APA California Awards

The following awards were announced October 4 at the conference of the California Chapter of the American Planning Association, held in Los Angeles. 

"Excellence" is the higher award; both awards were not given in all categories.

Academic

Excellence Building the Planning Pipeline - Long Beach City College Urban Planning Associate of Science Degree, Long Beach City College & Long Beach Community Design Center

Merit Lost Hours, Lost Opportunities: The Toll of Extreme Travel on Lower Income Communities in the San Fernando Valley, Alejandra Rios Gutierrez

Advancing Diversity and Social Change in Honor of Paul Davidoff

Excellence Advancing Agricultural Land Equity in California, Recommendations of the California Agricultural Land Equity Task Force

Merit

Zone In: City Core, City of Long Beach and Team

Communications Initiative and Outreach

Excellence Ride, Walk, & Roll, Orange County, Latino Health Access

Daniel Burnham Award for Comprehensive Plan

Excellence Los Angeles New Zoning Code: A Dynamic, Digital-First Framework, City of Los Angeles, Department of City Planning

Merit City of Bellflower Parks and Recreation Master Plan, City of Bellflower, KTUA Planning and Landscape Architecture

Grassroots Initiative

Excellence Safe Travels in Nyeland Acres, Nyeland Promise

Implementation

Excellence Los Angeles Legacy Business Program, City of Los Angeles Community Investment Department

Merit Bakersfield Community Land Trust

Planning Excellence

Excellence Family Zoning Plan, San Francisco Planning Department

Merit MEA Guidelines for Archaeological and Tribal Cultural Resources, City of Santa Barbara

Resilience and Sustainability

Excellence Big Basin Redwoods State Park Facilities Management Plan, California State Parks

Merit Los Angeles County Heat Action Plan, Los Angeles County Chief Sustainability Office, Environmental Science Associates, AECOM, Paradigm

Transportation Planning

Excellence Cudahy Together: A Strategic Plan for a Thriving Community, City of Cudahy and Team

Merit Freeway Ramp Active Mobility Enhancement Study, Caltrans District 12

Urban Design

Excellence Citywide Corridors Plan, City of Jurupa Valley

Merit Olympus Park, City of Encinitas and RRM Design Group

Planning Pioneer Award

James Rojas

Planner Emeritus (PEN) Honor Awards

Southern Margaret Moore SohagiAl Zelinka, FAICP, CMSM John Keho, AICPAnna Pehoushek, FAICP

Northern Charles S. Bryant, AICP Laurel Prevetti

Distinguished Service Award

Michael P. Cass, APA California Northern

Distinguished Contribution Award

Geoffrey Danker, AICP

Section Activity Award

Central Coast Section