2017 Division Achievement Award Winner, Overall ... · • Bi-weekly e-bulletins are sent to...

Division Council Awards, Awards Nomination

Sustainable Communities Division

Division Contact: Scott Turner, Division Chair, [email protected], 617-429-3288

Award Category: Overall Division Performance

The Sustainable Communities Division is pleased to submit this awards nomination application for the Overall Division Performance

Award. Although the Sustainable Communities Division (SCD) is the second youngest Division within APA, the Division has enjoyed

great success since it was started in 2012. We have consistently increased our membership, sponsors program, and programming

over time and continue to add programming to provide exceptional value for our members. At the end of FY 2015, SCD had 557

members and that figured increased to 572 by the end of FY 2016. Membership at the end of December, 2016 was over 600

members. The size and percentage of growth are certain indicators that the programs that have been established by Division

leadership are effective in growing and developing the Division. However, it is the depth of programming that continues to grow

that provides the most value to our members. Each year we add to the programming

Division leadership has maintained the philosophy that in order to grow the Division, a high level of member involvement and

engagement is necessary. In order for members to value their membership, and therefore be inclined to renew and become

involved with Division, they need to see the value it brings. Therefore, the strategy to growing the Division includes a high level of

interaction with membership through a number of program and activities. By engaging more members, we are able to establish

more programming within the Division and deliver more content to our members. We also feel that the most value that members

can experience is through actively involving them with Division programs. Our most active members are constantly striving to add

new programming and expand on existing programming as described and highlighted in bold below. We feel our core strategy of

involving members at all levels is crucial to our success and can be replicated by other Divisions.

Division leadership spends significant time and effort with member communication, education, and engagement. Highlights of the

Division’s communication efforts include the following:

• Bi-weekly e-bulletins are sent to membership. The e-bulletins were recognized by the Divisions Council at the 2015

Conference with the Division Council Achievement Award.

• Two newsletters are published per year. This will increase to three of four in 2017 consistent with Division Council

direction.

• High involvement with social media. In 2015, SCD had 707 likes on Facebook, 4,838 LinkedIn Members, and 1,437 Twitter

followers. At the end of 2016, social media involvement has increased and SCD had 767 likes on Facebook, 5,567

LinkedIn Members, and 1,716 Twitter followers.

• Bi-Yearly member surveys that allow Division leadership to understand what our members desire from the Division. The

member surveys set the agenda for the Division’s yearly workplan, so we can provide members with the content, materials,

and tools that they request through the survey.

• Recognition of the Division’s overall communication efforts at the 2015 National Conference, with the APA Branding

Excellence Award.

With regards to education, the Division provides a number of opportunities that both educate our membership while

maintaining strong communications and engagement including:

• Division-sponsored webinars that provide free Certification Maintenance credits as well as inform our membership

regarding trends and activities related to Sustainability Planning. This is a growing program that was started in 2015 with

four webinars. In 2016, we increased our webinar program and provided five Division sponsored webinars for our

members and invested in a new webinar platform to expand our webinar capacity.

• Division-sponsored Excellence in Sustainability Awards which provide an opportunity to both communicate and educate our

membership regarding outstanding practices in sustainability planning. The Division currently awards seven different

categories of sustainability planning efforts. Awards were given in 2014, 2015, 2016 and will continue in 2017.

• In 2016, we added a Student Essay Contest to the Excellence in Sustainability Awards. This program will continue in

2017.

• The Division Sustainability Champions program is a unique and innovative program intended to educate, engage, and

communicate with Division members at the state level. This growing program currently includes thirteen champions in

twelve states and was recognized at the 2016 NPC with a Best Practice Award from the Divisions Council. Our Champions

are active. For example, our Massachusetts Champion led a new pro-bono green streets/health impact assessment

regarding tree planting in Lawrence, Massachusetts. Our New York Champion has established the Northeast Region

Sustainability Network consisting of 87 members and has organized four regional webinars. Therefore the Division

offered a total of nine webinars in 2016.

• At the 2016 NPC, we provided an additional free Special Session regarding Sustainability collaboratively with the Arizona

State University School of Sustainability, Urban Land Institute, and United States Green Building Council, consistent with

APA leadership direction.

The Division is also highly involved with Policy and Legislative initiatives as follows:

• The Division has been working with the APA Legislative and Policy Committee to lead the review and update of the APA’s

Planning for Sustainability Policy Guide. This multi-year effort will be concluding in 2016 with the issuance of the

Sustainability Policy Framework at the 2016 Conference.

• Since December 2013 the Division has been highly involved with the Smart Cities and Sustainability Taskforce formed by

APA’s President. This has been a collaborative effort between the Sustainable Communities, Technology, and

Transportation Planning Divisions.

• The Division provided volunteers to evaluate plans related to APA’s Sustaining Places for Comprehensive Plans program.

In addition to the efforts described above, the Division has also established a sponsor program. In 2015, the Division had eleven

sponsors that provide additional financial support and allow the Division to fund expansion of its programs. That number grew to

thirteen sponsors in 2016. Last year, the Division funded stipends for one of the Sustainability Champions and some of the

Division's most engaged volunteers to attend the National Conference.

The Sustainable Communities Division has consistently received high grades from APA regarding Division performance. The Division

is financially stable, due in part to additional revenue obtained through our sponsorship program. The Division has exceeded all of

the minimum requirements regarding Division activities at the National Conference. We have consistently provided quality by right

sessions, facilitated discussions, and well attended receptions in addition to the annual business meeting. The Division has been

represented at and participated in all Division Council calls and meetings.

The initiatives described above are all possible through the dedication and high level of involvement of the Division’s members. The

Division is fortunate to have an incredible membership that is willing to dedicate their time and energy which results in a highly

engaged, vibrant, and successful Division. Our communications and engagement approach is something that could certainly be

replicated by other Divisions. Other Divisions should be able to provide similar diversity in programming by attracting and rewarding

Division volunteers. By engaging a highly involved and dedicated volunteer base, many of these successful programs could be

replicated by other Divisions.

The Sustainable Communities Division leadership is happy to discuss any of the programs and activities described above with the

Divisions Council Awards Committee. The full extent of the activities and programs runs by the Sustainable Communities Division is

difficult to capture in a two page application. We have attached our last two Annual Reports to give a more complete picture of the

depth and scope of our activities. We hope that the Committee seriously considers our application and feels free to contact us if you

have any additional questions.

APA DIVISIONS COUNCIL

FY2015 ANNUAL DIVISION PERFORMANCE REPORT

DUE NOVEMBER 15, 2015

Division: Sustainable Communities

Chair (or primary author if not Chair): Scott Turner

1. Workplans and Budgets

• Appendix A: FY 2015 Work Plan with Approved Budget

• Appendix B: FY 2016 Work Plan with Proposed Budget

2. Communications

So much of our time is communicating with members. How do you do it? Please identify how

often each tool was used to communicate with Division members (include weblinks for any

posted material and dates if available):

• Newsletter (including hard copies, electronic versions, or other) – We publish a

newsletter twice a year. The newsletter features original content; division

announcements, updates and special initiatives; and volunteer and executive committee

profiles.

i. The summer 2015 newsletter is posted here:

https://www.planning.org/divisions/sustainable/newsletter/ and a

winter newsletter is being developed now.

• Website updates – We maintain an APA website which includes information about the

Division, elections, and our annual awards program, and hosts our newsletter. We also

have a blog website that we use for announcements and e-bulletins.

i. APA Website: https://www.planning.org/divisions/sustainable/

ii. Blog Website: https://apascd.wordpress.com/ (can also be accessed at

www.sustainableplanning.net)

• e-blasts

i. e-Bulletin – We produce a bi-weekly email bulletin which includes five

standard sections: Division News; New from APA’s Sustaining Places

Blog; Sustainability Tools, News, and Resources; Feeds; Upcoming

events. The e-bulletin, which is currently sent out to over 1500 recipients,

received a Divisions Council award at the 2015 APA conference Seattle.

a. E-Bulletin example: http://us1.campaign-

archive2.com/?u=0a196b8525f96edf44a4b3f53&id=8fd8e7cff

e

FY2015 ANNUAL DIVISION PERFORMANCE REPORT: SUSTAINABLE

COMMUNITIES DIVISION

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ii. We also send out periodic updates and information (e.g., regarding

elections and calls for volunteers) to a members-only email list.

• Social media – SCD has an active social media presence with (as of late October 2015) 767

likes on Facebook, 4838 LinkedIn members, and 1,437 Twitter followers.

• Membership surveys – We conduct a survey every year or every other year to help us set

the direction for member activities and improve our communications and other

programming. These surveys inform the Work Plan.

i. Results from the 2015 membership survey can be found here:

https://apascd.wordpress.com/2015/09/04/results-of-the-2015-scd-

member-survey/

• Specific outreach for volunteer opportunities – Our outreach is primarily conducted

through the e-bulletin and is occasionally cross posted on social media, through the

newsletter, or through a direct email.

3. Annual National Planning Conference Activities

• General sessions, facilitated discussion, mobile workshops, or other

i. SCD General Session – The Updated APA Sustainability Policy Guide

(4/20, 9:00 am – 10:15 am). Interactive session during which speakers

shared information about the policy guide and then gathered input on the

key elements of the policy guide, by having participants review elements

and leave comments at stations around the room.

ii. SCD Facilitated Discussion – Sustainable Neighborhoods Program (4/20,

7:30 am – 8:45 am). Representatives from the Cities of Lakewood and

Denver, Colorado, presented strategies for participation and for

addressing implementation challenges related to sustainability programs.

iii. SCD Reception & Sustainability Awards (4/19, 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm).

Announced the winners of the 2nd Annual SCD Awards for Excellence in

Sustainability and provided a networking opportunity for members for

the Sustainable Communities, Urban Design and Preservation, and

International Divisions in Pike Place Market. Event was organized with

the Urban Design and Preservation and International Divisions.

iv. Smart Cities & Sustainability Task Force Session - ABCs of Smart Cities

(4/20, 4:15 – 5:30 pm). SCD volunteer Matt Bucchin spoke with a

representative from the Technology Division to give “IT tips for resilient

communities.”

v. Participated in the Delegate Assembly Work Session for the

Sustainability Policy Guide (4/19, 3:00 pm – 5:00 pm).

• Annual Business Meeting

i. Sunday 4/19, 7:00 am – 8:00 am

ii. See notes and attendance list in Appendix C

• Staffing of the Divisions Council booth at the direction of the Divisions Council

i. Scott Turner (Division Chair) and Mark Teschauer (Past Secretary-

Treasurer for SCD) staffed the booth from 3:30 pm - 5:00 pm on

Monday, 4/20.



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• Rob Kerns (Past Chair) and Matt Bucchin (Division Volunteer) provided an update at the

APA Board about the Smart and Sustainable Cities Task Force.

• The APA Sustainable Communities Division accepted two awards during the APA and

AICP Annual Meeting and Leadership Honors Ceremony. The E-Bulletin won a Divisions

Council Achievement Award which recognized our efforts to share relevant and

interesting information to our members. The APA Branding Excellence Award recognized

our efforts to communicate through one brand, telling the planning story with a strong

and unified voice.

4. All Other Events/Programs

What did you work on before and after the NPC? Please identify any events/programs

sponsored by your Division (other than those at the National Planning Conference), including

the number of participants, revenue generated (if applicable), and CM credits offered (if

applicable):

• Education programs (including webinars, events at local APA conferences, events co-

sponsored with other organizations, etc.)

i. Webinars

a. March 26, 2015 - “Collaborating for Sustainability Planning”.

i. Presenters: Joanna Nadeau – Director of Community

Programs, Audubon International; Sheila Rose –

Director, Department of Sustainable Development,

Coconut Creek, FL; Linda Whitman – Senior Planner,

Coconut Creek, FL; Sal Celona – Chair, Sustainability

Community Alliance, Rio Verde, AZ.

ii. Presentation

slides (https://apascd.files.wordpress.com/2015/03/ap

a-scd-webinar-1-2015-0326-web.pdf). Webinar

recording (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AgDStq

vs7Tc).

iii. 1.0 CM.

iv. 80 participants

v. No revenue generated (free event)

b. May 20, 2015 - “Smart Growth and Resilience in Coastal

Communities”

i. Presenters: Susan Fox – Project Manager and Training

Specialist, Baldwin Group at NOAA; Gavin Smith –

Associate Research Professor, University of North

Carolina at Chapel Hill, Department of City and

Regional Planning; Executive Director, UNC Center for

the Study of Natural Hazards and Disasters; Executive

Director, U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s

Coastal Hazards Center of Excellence; Wendy

Goodfriend – Senior Planner, San Francisco Bay

Conservation and Development Commission



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ii. Presentation


a-scd-webinar-2-2015-0520-web.pdf), Webinar

recording (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lv9Dgv

DCojU)

iii. 1.5 CM

iv. 256 participants


c. August 21, 2015 - “Best Practices and Lessons Learned for

Sustainable Comprehensive Planning”

i. Presenters: David Rouse, APA Managing Director of

Research and Advisory Services; Patrice Carroll, Senior

Planner, City of Seattle; Matthew Dugan, Development

Services Process Coordinator, City of Austin

ii. Presentation


a-scd-webinar-2-2015-0520-web.pdf), Webinar

recording (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lv9Dgv

DCojU)

iii. 1.5 CM



d. October 23, 2015 – “Smart Cities and Decision-Making: The

Art of Building a Better Haystack with Data”

i. Presenters: Rob Kerns, AICP – Development Division

Chief, City of Alexandria (and Past Chair of SCD); Nick

Bowden – Chief Engagement Officer, mySidewalk by

MindMixer; Fred Merrill, FAICP – Principal, Sasaki;

Ken Goulding – Principal, Sasaki

ii. Presentation slides

(http://www.ohioplanning.org/aws/APAOH/asset_ma

nager/get_file/113138?ver=15), Webinar

recording (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TZBUJ

Xmvlh8)

iii. 1.5 CM



ii. Networking/social events (events at local APA conferences, events co-

sponsored with other organizations, etc.)

a. Joanna Nadeau –Sustainability Champion from New York -

put together a table for the Division at the APA Region I

Conference, held on June 25-26. The table included a scrolling

presentation regarding the Division and the Division’s

initiatives. It also included handouts, including the most

recent newsletter. The table was staffed by Joanna Nadeau



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and Scott Turner. Approximately 500 people attended the

conference. A number of attendees expressed interest in

becoming part of the Division or playing a more active role in

Division activities.

• Recognition events/programs

i. Scholarships:

a. The Division offered three $500 scholarships to the

Sustainability Champions participants, for people who wanted

to attend the National Conference. We asked each participant

to answer the following questions:

1. Why do you want to attend the conference? What

do you hope to get out of it?

2. If you receive a scholarship, will you, your

employer, or other funders be able to provide the

matching funds necessary to attend? Please

estimate the total amount that it would cost for you

to attend the conference, including registration,

lodging, and travel. Please note that early-bird

registration ends on February 19th, after which rates

will increase. [Note: Links for registration and

lodging were included.]

b. Because we only received 1 scholarship application, the

Executive Committee chose to offer scholarships to Division

volunteers – specifically, those who were involved with the

Division initiatives that won APA awards this year, including

the Branding and Communications awards.

• Awards you give out (student papers, diversity, etc.)

i. 2nd Annual Awards for Excellence in Sustainability:

a. Though the Awards culminated in an event at the National

Planning Conference, the SCD’s Education & Practice

Committee worked behind the scenes for months to prepare

the second round of awards.

b. Awards were given in seven categories: Sustainable

Development Project; Sustainable Building Project;

Sustainable Parks, Recreation + Open Space Project; Green

Infrastructure Project; Sustainable Law, Policy or Plan Award;

Emerging Leaders’ Sustainable Plan Award; Leadership in

Sustainability Award; and Sustainable Urban Design or

Preservation Plan or Project Award. The final category was

added this year, as a nod to the two divisions that were

partnering for our National Conference reception.

c. The award criteria for projects included (1) Originality +

Innovation, (2) Compatibility, (3) Effectiveness + Results, (4)

Engagement, & (5) Transferability. For Leadership in

Sustainability, criteria were (1) Quality, (2) Influence, (3)

Innovation + Inspiration, (4) Outreach and Engagement. The



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award nominations were open to both members and non-

members. Nominees were evaluated by a jury of experienced

planners.

d. More info about the awards here:

https://www.planning.org/divisions/sustainable/awards/

• Any Division management meetings/conference calls

i. Executive Committee: Monthly (in the months leading up to the

conference) and bi-Monthly (in the months immediately after the

conference) conference calls with the Executive Committee, including the

Chair, Past Chair, Secretary-Treasurer, and Committee Leads (for

Communications, Leadership & Policy, and Education & Practice)

ii. Calls and in-person meetings as needed between the members of the

Executive Committee.

iii. Coordination calls for the Pilot Sustainability Champions Program.

5. Membership

• Members at start of FY 2015: 482

• Members at the end of FY 2015: 557

Member Type Start FY2015 (as of 9/16/2014) End of FY2015 (as of 9/30/2015)

LIFE 12 12

MEM 332 341

FCLTS 5 4

RET 3 5

NP 43 100

STU 83 86

STF 0 2

FCLTI 1 1

XSTU 0 2

NOM 0 1

FSTU 2 2

XMEM 0 1

XNP 1 0

TOTAL 482 557

• Committees/task forces/etc: The SCD’s Executive Committee comprises the Chair, Past

Chair, Secretary-Treasurer, and the Chair of each of three committees:

o Communications Committee

� The Communication Committee manages all of the Division

communications, including social media, email bulletins, newsletters,

and a website. The committee works on “getting the word out” about

Division activities, as well as facilitating sustainable community planning

discussions that are relevant and meaningful to our members.

� Members

• Beth Otto – Committee Chair



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• Lisa Nisenson – Social Media Manager

• Andrew Aurbach – Social Media Assistant

• Stephanie Weigel – E-bulletin Editor

• Andrew Parish – Newsletter Editor and E-bulletin Graphics

• Kevin Cook – LinkedIn Manager

• Peter Lowitt – Newsletter Contributor

• Mark Teschauer – Student Essay Contest Coordinator

• Webmaster – currently seeking (Andrew Parish, acting

webmaster)

o Education & Practice Committee:

� Provides webinars and other learning opportunities for members. Also

coordinates the Awards for Excellence in Sustainability.

� Members

• Becky Bradley – Committee Chair. Executed the Awards,

including a call for nominations, coordination of review

processes (with volunteer reviewers), media outreach, and an

awards program for the conference reception in Seattle

• Jennifer Koch – Organized four webinars between March and

October 2015. See section 4(a)i

o Leadership & Policy Committee

� Sustainability Champions Pilot Program: The Division’s Leadership &

Policy Committee led the development of the Sustainability Champions

Program through the pilot year of the initiative in FY2015. Thirteen

Sustainability Champions in 12 states across the country made up this

initial leadership group. These Champions form the core group of what is

envisioned as a national Sustainability Champions Network. These

Champions have been busy with outreach and education efforts to

promote sustainability planning. They have also provided outreach for

SCD initiatives at the local level. Examples of activities include

workshops at state conferences (KY, IL, CO, NV), outreach and

networking events (MA, NY), and a work session to review the

sustainability policy guide update (CO). The Champions developed a

workplan for their activities and communicate as a network with bi-

monthly conference calls and electronic communication. A SCD

facilitated discussion at the 2016 APA conference in Phoenix will provide

a forum to reflect on the successes and lessons learned of this pilot

initiative and explore strategies for enhancing and expanding the

program.



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� APA Policy Guide Update: The Leadership & Policy Committee was also

involved in updating the policy guide for planning for sustainable

communities in coordination with APA’s Legislative & Policy Committee.

This effort shifted approach to a sustainability framework for all APA

policy guides. This new document is underdevelopment and expected to

be adopted by the APA board in 2016.

� Members

• Anne Miller – Committee Chair

• Aaron Tuley

• Matt Bucchin

6. Division Assistance Programs

Are your Division members supporting the planning community? Tell us all about it. Please

identify any assistance provided by your Division:

• Sustainability Policy Guide Taskforce: SCD worked with APA’s Legislative and Policy

Committee to lead the review and update of APA’s Planning for Sustainability Policy

Guide. Four members of the Division served on the Taskforce.

• Smart Cities & Sustainability Taskforce: The Smart Cities and Sustainability Taskforce

(https://www.planning.org/sustainingplaces/smartcities/) was formed by APA’s

President in December 2013. The Taskforce, which is a collaborative initiative between

the Sustainable Communities, Technology, and Transportation Planning Divisions of

Current Sustainability Champions

1 Scott Edmondson California

2 Marco Velotta Nevada

3 Waverly Klaw Colorado

4 John Hoal Missouri

5 Andrew Meindl Illinois

6 Malika Hainer Illinois

7 Scott Southall Kentucky

8 John Zeanah Tennessee

9 Joanna Nadeau New York

10 Kevin Coyle Delaware

11 Rebecca Keefer Georgia

12 Lester King Texas

13 Angela Vincent Massachusetts



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APA, seeks to identify and promote recent advances in technology and innovation to

cultivate cities which are smarter, more resilient, and sustainable. The Taskforce

presented their work at the 2015 National Conference and highlighted their final report

and recommendations to the APA Board during their April meeting. Three SCD members

served on the Taskforce, which has now become a Divisions Council initiative.

• In response to external requests (provide date, topic, and division member(s) who

participated).

i. n/a

• If any member was quoted or cited in a publication? (We recommend you highlight it to

your whole Division too.)

i. Cards Against Urbanity, which was co-founded by Division volunteer Lisa

Nisenson, has been covered extensively in blogs and other online media.

(e.g., http://www.citylab.com/cityfixer/2015/10/these-urban-planners-

want-to-demystify-the-process-with-cheeky-card-games/411877/)

ii. Jennifer Koch, Division Secretary-Treasurer, was profiled by NextCity

(https://nextcity.org/daily/entry/jenny-koch)

7. Research and Publications

Are you conducting technical work or publishing? If so, please identify any Division-sponsored

research activities, and/or publications (provide a weblink for all publications)

• The APA Smart Cities and Sustainability Task Force was accepted as a Division Council

initiative at the national conference in Seattle. A White Paper was published in April

2015 summarizing the work that has been performed as part of this important initiative,

which is being developed collaboratively with the Technology and Transportation

Divisions. Following is a link to the white paper:

https://www.planning.org/sustainingplaces/smartcities/

8. Elections

If your Division held an election this Fiscal Year, please tell us the names of your Nominating

Committee members, names of candidates by position, and final vote totals by position. (Note:

This information will be provided to you by APA National in October).

• Names of Nominating Committee Members: Ben Herman & Andrew Aurbach

• Names of candidates by position: Scott Turner, Chair

• Final vote totals by position: Turner for Chair, 120 (100%)

9. Financial Report

As an appendix, please provide a final Financial Report for FY 2015 (make sure to use the

Financial Report template). In text, let us know if your Division met its FY 2015 financial plan

in terms of revenues and expenses. If your end of year balance is less than your start of year

balance, please explain why (especially if this was planned). Please highlight any new revenue

generating programs initiated this year.

• Appendix D: Financial Report

• More sponsorships than expected, combined with less spending than anticipated, led to a

surplus for the year.



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• No new revenue-generating programs were initiated, though there was a charge for the

conference reception which led to a small, non-anticipated revenue stream. We also

enhanced our sponsorship program, which existed previously, by ending out a

sponsorship package (via email) to describe the Division’s activities and the benefits of

sponsorship.

10. Bylaws

• SCD did not made any changes to our bylaws this year. We have included in our new

work program an action to make changes regarding elections, to ensure that our bylaws

match up with APA’s consolidated elections initiative.

11. Divisions Council Meetings

• Robert Kerns, who was the Division Chair (now Past Chair) represented the Division at

the Divisions Council meeting at the Fall Leadership meetings.

• Robert Kerns and Scott Turner, the current Chair, represented the Division at the

Divisions Council meeting at National Planning Conference in Seattle.

12. APA Development Plan

Please identify any specific efforts your Division undertook to support the APA Development

Plan and/or Divisions Council Initiatives.

• The Division has been extremely active in developing APA’s Sustainability Policy Guide. A

draft of the Guide was sent to APA’s Legislative and Policy Committee in mid-March prior to

the national conference in Seattle. A work-session was held with APA’s delegate assembly at

the conference in Seattle and was also the topic of the Divisions facilitated discussion. Based

on the comments received from these two meetings, work on the Guide, which has been

changed to a framework, will be finalized prior to the conference in Phoenix.

• The APA Smart Cities and Sustainability Task Force was accepted as a Division Council

initiative at the national conference in Seattle. A White paper was published in April 2015

summarizing the work that has been performed as part of this important initiative, which is

being developed collaboratively with the Technology and Transportation Divisions.

13. Division Challenges

Has your Division had any challenges this year? Don’t be shy, we’ve all been there. Tell us what

happened and let’s see how the Divisions Council or other Divisions can help. Historically,

Divisions have struggled with membership, finding active volunteers, and limited funding. Tell

us if your Division dealt with any of these, any other emerging issues, and how you addressed

them.

• Our Division had few - if any - issues this year. Many of our programs improved or grew

along with our overall membership. We have great volunteers, and we will likely need more

to accomplish all of our programming goals moving forward.

14. Shout it from the Mountains



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You’ve told us so much already, we want to make sure we really hear the highlights. Even if

you’ve mentioned it above, please tell us about your Division's efforts from this year that you’re

most proud of, so we can tell everyone about (the answer to this question could be the start of

your application for a Divisions Council award!). Also, include any new initiatives you're

exploring that you’re excited to try and especially anything focused on growing your

membership. We provide this information to the APA Board – the more you tell us, the more

you shine!

The Division had a great year. Here are some highlights of our accomplishments:

• SCD membership grew by 75 members, or approximately 16%.

• We currently have eleven sponsors including Clarion, Dewberry, Farr Associates, ICLEI,

Lehigh Valley Planning Commission, mySidewalk by MindMixer, Nitsch Engineering, Teska,

the United States Green Building Council, VHB, and WRT.

• Our bi-monthly e-bulletin won an APA Divisions Council Achievement Award at the National

Conference in Seattle.

• The Division also received the APA Branding Excellence Award for a Division.

• We published two newsletters

• SCD held four webinars (with AICP CM credit) to 900+ participants.

• Our Sustainability Champions program continues to grow and thrive.

• The Division had a strong presence at the National Planning Conference in Seattle: including

multiple sessions, a well-attended business meeting, and a fun reception and awards

reception at Pike Place in Seattle.

• The APA Smart Cities and Sustainability Task Force (co-lead by SCD with the Technology

and Transportation Divisions) completed its work, presented a strong report to the APA

Board, and will continue this work as a new Divisions Council Initiative.

• SCD provided leadership during the APA Delegate Assembly at the National Conference in

Seattle to review the update APA Sustainability Policy Guide.

• We conducted a survey of the membership to understand what they need and want from the

Division.

• Our Division successfully transferred leadership in electing a new Chair

Everything is good with Sustainable Communities.

Appendices:

• Appendix A: FY 2015 Work Plan with Approved Budget

• Appendix B: FY 2016 Work Plan with Proposed Budget

• Appendix C: Annual Business Meeting Notes and Attendance List

• Appendix D: FY 2015 Financial Report

APA DIVISIONS COUNCIL

FY2016 ANNUAL DIVISION PERFORMANCE REPORT

DUE NOVEMBER 15, 2016

Division: Sustainable Communities

Chair (or primary author if not Chair): Scott Turner

1. Workplans and Budgets

Appendix A: FY 2015 Work Plan with Approved Budget

Appendix B: FY 2016 Work Plan with Proposed Budget

2. Communications

So much of our time is communicating with members. How do you do it? Please identify how

often each tool was used to communicate with Division members (include weblinks for any

posted material and dates if available):

Newsletter - (including hard copies, electronic versions, or other) – We publish a newsletter twice a

year. The newsletter features original content; division announcements, updates and special initiatives;

and volunteer and executive committee profiles.

� The winter 2015 newsletter is posted here:

https://www.planning.org/media/document/9012890/

� The summer 2016 newsletter is posted here:

https://www.planning.org/media/document/9106906/

� We are currently developing a winter 2016 newsletter/publication consistent with

the new Divisions Council’s specifications for communication.

Website updates – We maintain an APA website which includes information about the Division,

elections, and our annual awards program, and hosts our newsletter. We also have a blog website that we

use for announcements and e-bulletins.

� APA Website: https://www.planning.org/divisions/sustainable/

� Blog Website: https://apascd.wordpress.com/ (can also be accessed at

www.sustainableplanning.net)

e-blasts

� e-Bulletin – We produce a bi-weekly email bulletin which includes five standard

sections: Division News; New from APA’s Sustaining Places Blog; Sustainability



2

Tools, News, and Resources; Feeds; Upcoming events. The e-bulletin is currently

sent out to over 1500 recipients.

� E-Bulletin example: http://us1.campaign-

archive2.com/?u=0a196b8525f96edf44a4b3f53&id=bab681ca

ba&e=fcda9b7379

� We also send out periodic updates and information (e.g., regarding elections and

calls for volunteers) to a members-only email list.

Social media – SCD has an active social media presence with (as of late October 2016) 767 likes on

Facebook, 5,567 LinkedIn members, and 1,716 Twitter followers. This is an increase from 4,838 LinkedIn

Members and 1,437 Twitter followers in 2015.

Membership surveys – We conduct a survey every other year to help us set the direction for member

activities and improve our communications and other programming. Our last survey was in 2015. These

surveys inform the Work Plan.

� Results from the 2015 membership survey can be found here:

https://apascd.wordpress.com/2015/09/04/results-of-the-2015-scd-member-

survey/

Specific outreach for volunteer opportunities – Our outreach is primarily conducted through the

e-bulletin and is occasionally cross posted on social media, through the newsletter, or through a direct

email. We did perform a webinar in December, 2015 to describe membership volunteer opportunities.

3. Annual National Planning Conference Activities

General sessions, facilitated discussion, mobile workshops, or other

� SCD General Session – Regenerative Urbanism Rising (4/2, 10:30 am – 11:45 am).

This session explored the strategic planning challenge sustainability presents to

cities and regions. It explored leading edge practices in sustainable and restorable

urbanism that can be applied in response to forge resilient places.

� SCD Facilitated Discussion – Championing Sustainability (4/2, 9:00-10:15 am).

This discussion highlighted the work that the Division’s Sustainability Champions

Program was engaged in over the previous year. The discussion was led by Anne

Miller, who leads the Champions program, and a number of our Sustainability

Champions.

� SCD Reception & Sustainability Awards (4/3, 7:30 pm – 9:30 pm). Announced the

winners of the 3rd Annual SCD Awards for Excellence in Sustainability and

provided a networking opportunity for members for the Sustainable Communities,

Urban Design and Preservation, International, New Urbanism, and Technology

Divisions at DeSoto Market. Event was organized with the Urban Design and

Preservation and International Divisions.

� SCD Special Session – Advancing Sustainability: An Evening with Sustainability &

Resilience Leaders in Planning Practice, Policy, and Research (4/2, 7:00 – 9:00

PM) This Special Session, which was organized by the Sustainable Communities

Division in co-operation Arizona State University’s Global Institute of

Sustainability, the Arizona Chapter of the Urban Land Institute, the Green



3

Chamber, the United States Green Building Council of Arizona, Green Living, and

the Arizona Chapter of APA, featured a panel of three local experts. Each expert

gave a brief presentation regarding the future of sustainability and resilience in

Phoenix and nationally followed by a panel discussion moderated by Daniel Lerch,

the founding Chair of the Sustainable Communities Division. Video of the event

can be found at the following link:

https://apascd.wordpress.com/advancing-sustainability-an-evening-with-

sustainability-resilience-leaders-in-planning-practice-policy-and-research/

� Rob Kerns participated in the Facilitated Discussion entitled “Smart Cities,

Geodesign, and Big Data” along with members of the Transportation and

Technology Divisions in support of the Smart Cities Initiative.

�

Annual Business Meeting

� Sunday 4/3, 7:00 am – 8:00 am

� See notes and attendance list in Appendix C

Staffing of the Divisions Council booth at the direction of the Divisions Council

� Anne Miller (Past Secretary-Treasurer for SCD) staffed the booth from 4:00 pm -

5:00 pm on Monday, 4/2.

The APA Sustainable Communities Division accepted one Division Council award during the APA and

AICP Annual Meeting and Leadership Honors Ceremony. The Sustainability Champions Program won a

Best Practice Award.

4. All Other Events/Programs

What did you work on before and after the NPC? Please identify any events/programs

sponsored by your Division (other than those at the National Planning Conference), including

the number of participants, revenue generated (if applicable), and CM credits offered (if

applicable):

Education programs (including webinars, events at local APA conferences, events co-sponsored with

other organizations, etc.)

Webinars - In FY 2016, SCD held 5 webinars as follows:

� October 23, 2015, “Smart Cities and Decision-Making: The Art of Building a

Better Haystack with Data” presented by Rob Kerns, Nick Bowden, Fred Merrill,

and Ken Goulding. This session described how data can be used to better inform

planning decisions. (248 attendees)

� December 14, 2015, “APA Sustainable Communities Division – Division

Overview and Volunteer Opportunities” presented by Scott Turner and Jenny

Koch regarding how members can get involved with the Division operations.

(About 30 attendees)

� February 26, 2016, “Award Winning Sustainability” presented by Neil Angus,

Ronda Fast, Justin Golbabai, and John Zeanah highlighting four of the projects

that received 2015 Awards for Excellence in Sustainability. (552 attendees)



4

� May 13, 2016, “Local Government Sustainability: Practices and Promises”

presented by Dr. Mildred Warner, Dr. George Homsy, Ed Marx, and Leslie Ethen

regarding the results of the 2015 Local Government Sustainability Practices

Survey sponsored by SCD with the Small Town and Rural Division. (248

attendees)

� July 15, 2016, “Regenerative Urbanism Rising: Next-Generation Practice”

presented by Scott Edmondson, Joshua Foss, and Charles Kelley regarding

regenerative urban planning. (386 attendees)

Networking/social events (events at local APA conferences, events co-sponsored with other

organizations, etc.)

� A Sustainable Communities Division Mixer was held at Nitsch Engineering in

Boston on October 28, 2016. This mixer was held to introduce Massachusetts

Division members to Angie Vincent, the Massachusetts Sustainability Champion,

and set a program for Massachusetts initiatives over the next year. It was

attended by approximately 25 people including a mix of students, public sector,

and private sector planners.

Recognition events/programs

Scholarships:

� The Division offered two $500 scholarships to the Sustainability Community

Division members to attend the National Conference. One scholarship was

intended for a Sustainability Champion and one was intended for a Division

volunteer. We asked each participant to answer the following questions:

1. How have you contributed to the success of the Division over the past

year.

2. Why are you attending the conference?

3. How would you paying for the conference and is it a hardship for you, or

your employer, to pay for attending the conference.

� We received six applications and awarded a scholarship to Joanna Nadeau, our

New York Champion, and Lisa Nisenson, a volunteer with our communications

effort.

Awards you give out (student papers, diversity, etc.)

3rd Annual Awards for Excellence in Sustainability:

� Though the Awards culminated in an event at the National Planning Conference,

the SCD’s Education & Practice Committee worked behind the scenes for months

to prepare the second round of awards.

� Awards were given in seven categories: Sustainable Development Project;

Sustainable Building Project; Sustainable Parks, Recreation + Open Space

Project; Green Infrastructure Project; Sustainable Law, Policy or Plan Award;

Green Infrastructure or Transportation Project; Leadership in Sustainability

Award; and Sustainable Urban Design or Preservation Plan or Project Award.

We advertised an Emerging Leaders category but did not receive any applicants.

� The award criteria for projects included (1) Originality + Innovation, (2)

Compatibility, (3) Effectiveness + Results, (4) Engagement, & (5) Transferability.



5

For Leadership in Sustainability, criteria were (1) Quality, (2) Influence, (3)

Innovation + Inspiration, (4) Outreach and Engagement. The award nominations

were open to both members and non-members. Nominees were evaluated by a

jury of experienced planners.

� More info about the awards here:

https://www.planning.org/divisions/sustainable/awards/

1st Annual Sustainable Communities Division Student Essay Awards.

� This year, SCD held a Student Awards competition. Two $250 awards were given

out, one for undergraduate students and one for graduate students. We received

a total of twelve applications, three undergraduate applications and nine

graduate applications. Essays were accepted on subjects that address items in

APA’s Comprehensive Plans for Sustaining Places program.

Any Division management meetings/conference calls

� Executive Committee: Monthly (in the months leading up to the conference) and

bi-Monthly (in the months immediately after the conference) conference calls

with the Executive Committee, including the Chair, Past Chair, Secretary-

Treasurer, and Committee Leads (for Communications, Leadership & Policy,

and Education & Practice)

� Calls and in-person meetings as needed between the members of the Executive

Committee.

� Coordination calls for the Pilot Sustainability Champions Program.

5. Membership

� Members at start of FY 2016: 557

� Members at the end of FY 2016: 572

Member Type Start FY2015 (as of 9/30/2015) End of FY2015 (as of 9/27/2016)

LIFE 12 16

MEM 341 374

FCLTS 4 2

RET 5 4

NP 100 76

STU 86 91

STF 2 2

FCLTI 1 0

XSTU 2 1

NOM 1 1

FSTU 2 3

XMEM 1 0

XNP 0 1

GPBM 0 1

TOTAL 557 572



6

� Committees/task forces/etc: The SCD’s Executive Committee comprises the

Chair, Past Chair, Secretary-Treasurer, and the Chair of each of three

committees:

o Communications Committee

� The Communication Committee manages all of the Division

communications, including social media, email bulletins, newsletters,

and a website. The committee works on “getting the word out” about

Division activities, as well as facilitating sustainable community planning

discussions that are relevant and meaningful to our members.

� Members

• Beth Otto – Committee Chair

• Lisa Nisenson – Social Media Manager

• Andrew Aurbach – Social Media Assistant

• Stephanie Weigel – E-bulletin Editor

• Andrew Parish – Newsletter Editor and E-bulletin Graphics

• Kevin Cook – LinkedIn Manager

• Peter Lowitt – Newsletter Contributor

• Mark Teschauer – Student Essay Contest Coordinator

• Webmaster – Yuqi Wang

o Education & Practice Committee:

� Provides webinars and other learning opportunities for members. Also

coordinates the Awards for Excellence in Sustainability.

� Members

• Jennifer Koch – Committee Chair. Organized five webinars

during FY 2016. See section 4(a)i.

• Scott Turner - Executed the Awards, including a call for

nominations, coordination of review processes (with volunteer

reviewers), media outreach, and an awards program for the

conference reception in Phoenix

o Leadership & Policy Committee

� Sustainability Champions Pilot Program: The Division’s Leadership &

Policy Committee led the continued development of the Sustainability

Champions Program through FY2016. This group has been led by Anne

Miller. Thirteen Sustainability Champions in 12 states across the

country made up this initial leadership group. These Champions form the

core group of what is envisioned as a national Sustainability Champions

Network. These Champions have been busy with outreach and education

efforts to promote sustainability planning. They have also provided

outreach for SCD initiatives at the local level. Examples of activities

include workshops at state conferences and webinars (KY, IL, CO, NY,

CA) and outreach and networking events (MA, NY, CA). Several

Champions participated as presenters for SCD webinars (CA, NY, TN). In

addition, Champions have promoted the Comprehensive Plan Standards

for Sustaining Places and some have volunteered as reviewers for the

pilot recognition program. Finally, Champions contributed to the



7

development of a new brochure and website improvements to enhance

communications about this initiative.

� The Champions each develop a workplan for their activities and

communicate as a network with bi-monthly conference calls and

electronic communication. A SCD facilitated discussion at the 2016 APA

conference in Phoenix provided a forum to reflect on the successes and

lessons learned of this pilot initiative and explore strategies for

enhancing and expanding the program.

� The Sustainability Champion program was pleased to receive the

Division Council’s “best practices” award in 2015.

� APA Policy Guide Update: The Leadership & Policy Committee was also

involved in updating the policy guide for planning for sustainable

communities in coordination with APA’s Legislative & Policy Committee.

This effort shifted approach to a sustainability framework for all APA

policy guides. This new document was adopted by the APA Board in early

2016.

� Members

• Anne Miller – Committee Chair

• Aaron Tuley

• Matt Bucchin

6. Division Assistance Programs

Current Sustainability Champions

1 Scott Edmondson California

2 Marco Velotta Nevada

3 Waverly Klaw Colorado

4 John Hoal Missouri

5 Andrew Meindl Illinois

6 Malika Hainer Illinois

7 Scott Southall Kentucky

8 John Zeanah Tennessee

9 Joanna Nadeau New York

10 Kevin Coyle Delaware

11 Rebecca Keefer Georgia

12 Lester King Texas

13 Angela Vincent Massachusetts



8

Are your Division members supporting the planning community? Tell us all about it. Please

identify any assistance provided by your Division:

� Sustainability Policy Guide Taskforce: SCD worked with APA’s Legislative and Policy Committee

to lead the review and update of APA’s Planning for Sustainability Policy Guide. Four members of

the Division served on the Taskforce.

� Comprehensive Plan Standards for Sustaining Places: A number of our members, including some

of our Champions, have volunteered as reviewers for the Pilot recognition program.

� NOAA Regional Coastal Resilience Grant project: Our chair is representing the Division by

serving on the Technical Advisory Committee for administering this grant.

� Smart Cities & Sustainability Taskforce: The Smart Cities and Sustainability Taskforce

(https://www.planning.org/sustainingplaces/smartcities/) was formed by APA’s President in

December 2013. The Taskforce, which is a collaborative initiative between the Sustainable

Communities, Technology, and Transportation Planning Divisions of APA, seeks to identify and

promote recent advances in technology and innovation to cultivate cities which are smarter, more

resilient, and sustainable. The Taskforce presented their work at the 2015 National Conference

and highlighted their final report and recommendations to the APA Board during their April

meeting. Three SCD members served on the Taskforce, including past chair Rob Kerns. This

effort is now a Divisions Council initiative. Work continues on this initiative. In 2016, the Smart

Cities & Sustainability Initiative accomplished the following under the leadership of Rob Kerns,

SCD past chair and current member:

• Expanded the number of Divisions involved in the Initiative to actively include the International and City Planning & Management Divisions

• Participated in a Facilitated Discussion entitled “Smart Cities, Geodesign, and Big Data” at the APA National Conference in Phoenix

• Participated in an India Trade Mission presentation focused on smart city planning in the US

• Held two webinars on smart cities related topics.

• Developed two panels at the Smart Cities Week conference in Washington DC focusing on autonomous vehicles and smart cities & municipal planning

• Moderated a plenary session on smart cities at the APA Fall Policy Conference

• Prepared two blogs on Smart Cities Week and the Columbus, OH Smart City grant

• Organized a Smart Cities Student Competition with APA's Student Representative Council to be held at the APA National Conference in New York City

In response to external requests (provide date, topic, and division member(s) who participated).

• Periodically we have been asked to participate in sessions at conferences. However, we

have declined these requests due to our members inability to commit the time or finances

associated with these requests. We have not kept record regarding the specifics of each

request.

7. Research and Publications

Are you conducting technical work or publishing? If so, please identify any Division-sponsored

research activities, and/or publications (provide a weblink for all publications)



9

� In March 2016, the International City/County Management Association Local

Government Sustainability Practices report was published which summarizes the results

of the 2015 survey of 1,899 local governments regarding their sustainability initiatives.

This survey was led by two Division members, George Homsy, an assistant professor in

the Department of Public Administration at Binghamton University, and Mildred

Warner, a professor in the Department of City and Regional Planning at Cornell

University and was supported by the Sustainable Communities Division along with the

Small Town and Rural Division.

http://icma.org/en/icma/knowledge_network/documents/kn/Document/308135/2015_

Local_Government_Sustainability_Practices_Survey_Report

� George Homsy and Mildred Warner published a number of articles over the past year

related to sustainability issues including the following:

• Homsy, George and Mildred Warner, “Cities and Sustainbility:

Polycentric Action and Multilevel Governance.” Urban Affairs Review,

2015. http://thirdworld.nl/cities-and-sustainability-polycentric-action-

and-multilevel-governance

• Homsy, George, “Powering sustainability: Municipal utilities and local

government policymaking.” Government and Policy, 2015.

http://epc.sagepub.com/content/34/6/1076

8. Elections

If your Division held an election this Fiscal Year, please tell us the names of your Nominating

Committee members, names of candidates by position, and final vote totals by position. (Note:

This information will be provided to you by APA National in October).

� Names of Nominating Committee Members: Scott Turner, Anne Miller

� Names of candidates by position: Secretary Treasurer, Merril St. Leger, Edward Charles

Sanderson, Joshua Clements., Secretary-Treasurer

� Final vote totals by position for Secretary Treasurer: Merrill St. Leger 56 (58.3%), Edward

Charles Sanderson 22 (22.9%), Joshua Clements 18 (18.8%)

9. Financial Report

As an appendix, please provide a final Financial Report for FY 2015 (make sure to use the

Financial Report template). In text, let us know if your Division met its FY 2015 financial plan

in terms of revenues and expenses. If your end of year balance is less than your start of year

balance, please explain why (especially if this was planned). Please highlight any new revenue

generating programs initiated this year.

� Appendix D: Financial Report

� An increase in sponsorships, combined with less spending than anticipated, led to a

surplus for the year.

� No new revenue-generating programs were initiated, although we did increase our

sponsors by $1,250.



10

10. Bylaws

� SCD began editing our bylaws but we have not formally gone through the process to

change them. We effectively missed the deadline to change the bylaws to accommodate

the consolidated election schedule. Therefore, we extended Jenny Koch’s term as

Secretary Treasurer to the end of 2016. Scott Turner’s term as Division Chair is extended

to the end of 2017. Rob Kerns term as past-Chair was extended to the end of 2016.

11. Divisions Council Meetings

� Scott Turner, the current Division Chair, represented the Division at the Divisions

Council meeting at the Fall Leadership meetings.

� Scott Turner, the current Division Chair, represented the Division at the Divisions

Council meeting at National Planning Conference in Phoenix.

� Scott Turner was present on the interim Divisions Council calls.

12. APA Development Plan

Please identify any specific efforts your Division undertook to support the APA Development

Plan and/or Divisions Council Initiatives.

• The Sustainability Policy Guide was adopted as the Sustainability Framework prior to the

National Planning Conference in Phoenix.

� The Sustainable Communities Division, through Rob Kerns and Matt Bucchin, continue to be

active with the Smart Cities initiative, a Division Council Initiative.

13. Division Challenges

Has your Division had any challenges this year? Don’t be shy, we’ve all been there. Tell us what

happened and let’s see how the Divisions Council or other Divisions can help. Historically,

Divisions have struggled with membership, finding active volunteers, and limited funding. Tell

us if your Division dealt with any of these, any other emerging issues, and how you addressed

them.

� Our Division had few - if any - issues this year. Many of our programs improved or grew

along with a slight increase in our overall membership. We have had some transition of

volunteers. Becky Bradley, who previously ran the Awards program, stepped away from the

Awards program. Scott Turner ran the Awards program prior to the NPC. Beth Otto, who

was our Communications Chair, has stepped away from that role and has been replaced by

Andrew Parrish. We continue to work to get new members involved with volunteer

opportunities.

� We have not made as much progress on our Strategic Plan as anticipated but we will complete

it in 2017. We also did not finish revising our bylaws but will do so in 2017 as well.

14. Shout it from the Mountains

You’ve told us so much already, we want to make sure we really hear the highlights. Even if

you’ve mentioned it above, please tell us about your Division's efforts from this year that you’re

most proud of, so we can tell everyone about (the answer to this question could be the start of



11

your application for a Divisions Council award!). Also, include any new initiatives you're

exploring that you’re excited to try and especially anything focused on growing your

membership. We provide this information to the APA Board – the more you tell us, the more

you shine!

The Division had a great year. Here are some highlights of our accomplishments:

� SCD membership grew by 15 members, or approximately 3%.

� We currently have thirteen sponsors which is an increase by two over the previous year. Our

sponsors include Clarion, Dewberry, Farr Associates, Halff Associates, Jacobs, Nitsch

Engineering, Robinson and Cole, SmithGroup JJR, the United States Green Building

Council, Teska, Montgomery Associates, CDP Engineers, and Transformative Tools.

� The Division received a Division Council Award for Best Practice for the Sustainability

Champions program at the NPC in Phoenix.

� The Division organized and made awards in 7 categories as part of the Third Annual Awards

for Excellence in Sustainability.

� The Division held it’s first ever student essay contest and awarded a graduate and

undergraduate student.

� We awarded two scholarships to assist volunteers attending the National Planning

Conference.

� Our members assisted with reviewing Comprehensive Plans as part of the Comprehensive

Plans for Sustaining Places Initiative.

� Our Chair and Secretary Treasurer attended a meeting, along with representatives from the

Hazard Mitigation and Disaster Recovery Division, with Dr. Kathryn Sullivan, Under

Secretary of Commerce and Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric

Administration to discuss collaboration between APA Divisions and NOAA efforts regarding

Hazard Mitigation.

� Our Chair is representing the Division on the Technical Advisory Committee for the NOAA

Regional Coastal Resilience Grant project, “Building Coastal Resilience through Capital

Improvement Planning.”

� We published two newsletters.

� We continued to publish bi-weekly e-bulletins.

� SCD held five webinars (with AICP CM credit) to 1400+ participants. This is an increase

over the four webinars we did the previous year.

� Our Sustainability Champions program continues to grow and thrive.

� The Division had a strong presence at the National Planning Conference in Phoenix including

multiple sessions, a well-attended and productive business meeting, and a fun reception and

awards reception at DeSoto Market in Phoenix.

� The Division organized and led a Special Session concurrent with the NPC collaboratively

with Arizona State University’s School of Sustainability at the Cronkite Building at ASU’s

Phoenix Campus. This session was moderated by SCD Founding Chair Daniel Lerch and

included representatives from the Arizona State University School of Sustainability, the City

of Phoenix Planning Department, and Phoenix’s Chief Sustainability Officer. This program,

which was well attended and free to all, was supported by the Arizona Chapter of the Urban

Land Institute, USGBC, and other local like-minded organizations.



12

� Our Massachusetts Champion organized a Division mixer in Boston for Division members.

� Massachusetts members are working with Groundwork Lawrence to do a Rapid Health

Impact Assessment/Green Streets Project regarding the benefits of planting street trees.

� The APA Smart Cities and Sustainability Task Force (co-lead by SCD with the Technology

and Transportation Divisions) continued its work.

� Our Division successfully transferred leadership by electing a new Secretary Treasurer from

three qualified candidates.

Everything is good with Sustainable Communities.

Appendices:

Appendix A: FY 2016 Work Plan with Approved Budget

Appendix B: FY 2017 Work Plan with Proposed Budget

Appendix C: Annual Business Meeting Notes and Attendance List

Appendix D: FY 2016 Financial Report

Work Plan

for


FY2015 - FY2016

Appendix A

Tasks Actions Responsible Budget

Member

Engagement

1. Grow member

involvement

A. Regular member engagement

communications in E-Bulletin. Solicit input

from the membership regarding E-bulletin

content.

B. Complete a yearly survey of members

interests/expertise (Focus on what

communications are helpful to members, what

more they would like to see, and what division

programs they would be interested in being

involved in.)

C. Increase opportunities for members to

participate via social media.

D. Engage planning students to become more

active with the division. Explore conduits for

more student involvement.

A. E-Bulletin coordinator

B. Communications &

Outreach Committee

C. Social Media

Coordinator

D. Executive Committee

$1,000

(Action D)

2. Develop a member

recruitment &

retention strategy

A. Identify key recruitment opportunities &

prepare outreach actions (e.g. National Conf

erence, webinars, awards). Provide broad

opportunities for involvement for different

membership interests.

B. Welcome new members and point them to

our resources every quarter.

C. Provide flyers for recruitment at

state/regional/ chapter conferences or other

opportunities as identified by Executive

Committee/Sustainability Champions

D. Call to join the Division a minimum of twice

per year.

A. Communications &

Outreach Ctte, Executive

Committee, and

Sustainability Champions

B. Communications and

Outreach

Committee/Membership

coordinator

C. Communications &

Outreach

Ctte/Sustainability

Champions

D. Communications and

Outreach Committee

$1,000

(Action C)

Leadership/

Policy

1. Develop a

nationwide leadership

network

A. Develop a strategy for expanding

Sustainability Champions program out of pilot

program.

A. Sustainability

Champions Cdr. with

Division Chair

$1,500

(Action A)

2. Work with APA

Sustaining Places

Initiative

A. Work with APA Divisions Council Policy

Committee / Legislative & Policy Committee

on completing the update to APA’s

Sustainability Policy Framework. Finalize this

effort and publish the Sustainability Policy

Framework.

A. Past Chair -

3. Develop the Smart

Cities & Sustainability

Initiative

A. Work with the Technology and

Transportation Divisions as well as the Division

Council to develop and implement the Smart

Cities & Sustainability Initiative.

A. Past Chair -

4. Attend APA annual

meeting and other

leadership meetings

A. Arrange for Chair or a representative to

attend.

A. Chair $2,000

(Action A)

Communications 1. Refine

communications and

outreach activities

A. Further define Newsletter

Committee/volunteers. Establish a more

robust stable of volunteers to compose and

publish the newsletter.

A. Committee Chair /

Newsletter editor

-

2. Provide array of

communications

options

A. Publish e-bulletin every 2 weeks B.

Identify new webmaster. Reorganize the

website to allow for more blog activity, to

better facilitate division programs and support

state sustainability committees.

C.. Publish SCD newsletter twice a year

A. E-bulletin cdrs

B. Community & Outreach

Committee with Executive

Committee

D. Community & Outreach

Committee with

Newsletter editor

3. Increase

engagement of 3

audiences (paid

members, mailing list

members, and social

media followers)

A. Recruit field area experts to aggregate news

and information. (Beth please address)

B. Create a “communicating sustainability

strategy” for planners to use with boards,

councils, and commissions. To be

developed/published following the release of

the Sustainability Policy Framework.

C. Create original content, or facilitate group

discussion, on how an individual can

incorporate sustainability into their job (Beth

any ideas)

A. Committee

Chair/Newsletter editor

B. Communications &

Outreach Ctte/Past-Chair.

C. Communications &

Outreach Ctte

-

4. Prepare annual

report to SCD

members

A. Assemble committee reports and prepare

annual report with SCD newsletter

B. Produce biweekly social media report for

internal use. Track growth, stats, and

communicate them through the newsletter

and e-bulletin.

A. Executive Ctte /

Newsletter editor

B. Communications &

Outreach Ctte

-

Education/

Practice

1. Refine SCD’s

educational and

practice-building

program

A. Expand the Education & Practice Ctte.

Recruit additional volunteers to participate

and organize Education and Practice activities.

B. Make educational webinars available to

members on a regular basis, either by

developing within the Division or joining

existing webinar group

C. Further develop awards program

D. Identify new web platform for national and

regional webcasts

A. Committee Chair

B. Education & Practice

Ctte/Treasurer

C. Education & Practice

Ctte

D. Education & Practice

Ctte/Treasurer

$1,245

(Actions B

and D)

2. Organize events for

the APA National

Conference

A. Prepare "by-right" session

B. Organize SCD Facilitated Discussion

C. Plan SCD reception / Business meeting

A. Conference

Coordinator

B. Conference Coordinator

C. Conference Coordinator

$4,000

(Action C)

Administration 1. Define Executive

Committee

A. Develop job descriptions for members A. Executive Committee -

2. Bi-monthly

Executive Committee

meetings

A. Chair creates agenda and facilitates

meetings of Executive Ctte

A. Chair / Executive Ctte -

3. Develop SCD Work

Plan

A. SCD Officers draft work plan and distribute

to division leaders for refinement

A. SCD Officers / Executive

Ctte

-

4. Review and update

by-laws biennially

A. Distribute by-laws for review and comment

via SCD website in 2015

A. Executive Ctte

Taskforce

-

5. Hold Division

elections in late 2016.

A. Form Elections Ctte as subcommittee of

Executive Ctte

A. Executive Committee -

6. Ensure finances are

managed per APA

policy

A. Treasurer will work with APA to ensure

compliance and provide reports to the

Executive Ctte

B. Provide annual financial report to

membership in Spring newsletter.

A. Treasurer

B. Treasurer

-

7. Develop a targeted

sponsorship program

A. Grow our SCD sponsorships by 25 percent.

B. Create marketing materials to recruit

sponsors.

A. Treasurer / Chair

B. Treasurer /

Communications &

Outreach Ctte

8. Develop a strategic

growth plan for the

Division.

A. Hold a strategic planning session and

develop a Strategic Growth Plan for the

Division.

A. Executive Committee

9. Respond to

advice/assistance

requests from APA

staff on policy issues,

research, etc.

A. Stay in regular contact with APA staff via

email and, as needed, conference calls. Yes.

A. Chair -

Work Plan

for


FY2016 - FY2017

Appendix B

Tasks Actions Responsible Budget

Member

Engagement

1. Grow member

involvement

A. Regular member engagement

communications in E-Bulletin. Solicit input

from the membership regarding E-bulletin

content.

B. Complete a bi-yearly survey of members

interests/expertise (Focus on what

communications are helpful to members, what

more they would like to see, and what division

programs they would be interested in being

involved in.)

C. Increase opportunities for members to

participate via social media.

D. Engage planning students to become more

active with the division. Explore conduits for

more student involvement.

A. E-Bulletin coordinator

B. Communications &

Outreach Committee

C. Social Media

Coordinator

D. Executive Committee

$1,000

(Action D)

2. Develop a member

recruitment &

retention strategy

A. Identify key recruitment opportunities &

prepare outreach actions (e.g. National

Conference, webinars, awards). Provide broad

opportunities for involvement for different

membership interests.

B. Welcome new members and point them to

our resources every quarter.

C. Provide flyers for recruitment at

state/regional/ chapter conferences or other

opportunities as identified by Executive

Committee/Sustainability Champions

D. Call to join the Division a minimum of twice

per year.

A. Communications &

Outreach Ctte, Executive

Committee, and

Sustainability Champions

B. Communications and

Outreach

Committee/Membership

coordinator

C. Communications &

Outreach

Ctte/Sustainability

Champions

D. Communications and

Outreach Committee

$1,000

(Action C)

Leadership/

Policy

1. Develop a

nationwide leadership

network

A. Develop a strategy for expanding

Sustainability Champions program out of pilot

program.

A. Sustainability

Champions Cdr. with

Division Chair

$1,000

(Action A)

2. Continue to work

with the Smart Cities

& Sustainability

Initiative

A. Work with the Technology and

Transportation Divisions as well as the Division

Council to develop and implement the Smart

Cities & Sustainability Initiative.

A. Past Chair -

3. Continue to work

with the Hazard

Mitigation and

Disaster Recovery

Division.

A. Identify synergies and opportunities for

Sustainable Communities and HMDR to work

together through webinars, research

initiatives, etc.

A. Chair -

4. Continue to work

with APA on research

topics related to

sustainability.

A. Serve on the Technical Advisory Committee

for “Building Coastal Resilience through Capital

Improvement Planning.”

A. Chair

5. Attend APA annual

meeting and other

leadership meetings

A. Arrange for Chair or a representative to

attend.

A. Chair $2,000

(Action A)

Communications 1. Refine

communications and

outreach activities

A. Further define Newsletter

Committee/volunteers. Generate four

newsletter type publications per year.

Establish a more robust stable of volunteers to

compose and publish the newsletter.

A. Committee Chair /

Newsletter editor

-

2. Provide array of

communications

options

A. Publish e-bulletin every 2 weeks

B. Reorganize the website to allow for more

blog activity, to better facilitate division

programs and support state sustainability

committees.

C. Publish shorter version of SCD newsletter

four times a year, consistent with Division

Council recommendations.

A. E-bulletin cdrs

B. Community & Outreach

Committee with Executive

Committee

D. Community & Outreach

Committee with

Newsletter editor

$306 (Action

A)

3. Increase

engagement of 3

audiences (paid

members, mailing list

members, and social

media followers)

A. Recruit field area experts to aggregate news

and information.

B. Create a “communicating sustainability

strategy” for planners to use with boards,

councils, and commissions. To be

developed/published following the release of

the Sustainability Policy Framework.

C. Create original content, or facilitate group

discussion, on how an individual can

incorporate sustainability into their job

A. Committee

Chair/Newsletter editor

B. Communications &

Outreach Ctte/Past-Chair.

C. Communications &

Outreach Ctte

-

4. Prepare annual

report to SCD

members

A. Assemble committee reports and prepare

annual report with SCD newsletter

B. Produce biweekly social media report for

internal use. Track growth, stats, and

communicate them through the newsletter

and e-bulletin.

A. Executive Ctte /

Newsletter editor

B. Communications &

Outreach Ctte

-

Education/

Practice

1. Refine SCD’s

educational and

practice-building

program

A. Expand the Education & Practice Ctte.

Recruit additional volunteers to participate

and organize Education and Practice activities.

B. Make educational webinars available to

members on a regular basis, either by

developing within the Division or joining

existing webinar group

C. Further develop awards program

D. Identify new web platform for national and

regional webcasts

A. Committee Chair

B. Education & Practice

Ctte

C. Education & Practice

Ctte

D. Education & Practice

Ctte

$1,445

(Actions B

and D)

2. Organize events for

the APA National

Conference

A. Prepare "by-right" session

B. Organize SCD Facilitated Discussion

C. Plan SCD reception / Business meeting

A. Conference

Coordinator

B. Conference Coordinator

C. Conference Coordinator

$4,025

(Action C)

Administration 1. Define Executive

Committee

A. Develop job descriptions for members A. Executive Committee -

2. Bi-monthly

Executive Committee

meetings

A. Chair creates agenda and facilitates

meetings of Executive Ctte

A. Chair / Executive Ctte -

3. Develop SCD Work

Plan

A. SCD Officers draft work plan and distribute

to division leaders for refinement

A. SCD Officers / Executive

Ctte

-

4. Review and update

by-laws biennially

A. Distribute by-laws for review and comment

via SCD website in 2016-2017

A. Executive Ctte

Taskforce

-

5. Hold Division

elections in late 2017.

A. Form Elections Ctte as subcommittee of

Executive Ctte

A. Executive Committee -

6. Ensure finances are

managed per APA

policy

A. Treasurer will work with APA to ensure

compliance and provide reports to the

Executive Ctte

B. Provide annual financial report to

membership in Spring newsletter.

A. Treasurer

B. Treasurer

-

7. Develop a targeted

sponsorship program

A. Grow our SCD sponsorships by 25 percent.

B. Create marketing materials to recruit

sponsors.

A. Treasurer / Chair

B. Treasurer /

Communications &

Outreach Ctte

8. Develop a strategic

growth plan for the

Division.

A. Hold a strategic planning session and

develop a Strategic Growth Plan for the

Division.

A. Executive Committee

9. Respond to

advice/assistance

requests from APA

staff on policy issues,

research, etc.

A. Stay in regular contact with APA staff via

email and, as needed, conference calls.

A. Chair -

1

APPENDIX C

APA Sustainable Communities Division

2016 Business Meeting at NPC Phoenix

April 3, 2016

Attendees

• Scott Turner, Chair

• Jennifer Koch, Secretary-Treasurer

• Robert Kerns, Past Chair

• Sakura Namioka

• Edward Sanderson

• Peter Lowitt

• Paul Farmer

• George Homsy

• John Zeanah

• Anne Miller

• Scott Edmonson

• Marco Velotta

• Richard Allen

• Matt Bucchin

• Mildred Warner

Minutes

Scott Turner led the meeting.

1. Introductions

2. Acknowledgements of volunteers: No matter how big or how small your role – thank you!

3. Membership

a. Fluctuates, depending on when people renew. We want to see the Division grow.

b. Question: Student members are important – how do we stand with them?

i. We have about 20% student members at this point

ii. Rob is the Divisions Council rep to the student group

4. Sponsors

a. We have 11 sponsors

b. Idea: Individuals may be interested in sponsorship – should consider $50-100

sponsorship (Membership Plus/Supporter)

5. Financial report – We have about $8,500 currently

6. Leadership & Policy

a. Sustainability Champions – Wrapping up our first pilot year of the leadership program.

13 champions in 12 states. Champions have a conference call every other month. We

have a facilitated discussion tomorrow – please join!

APA-SCD 2016 Business Meeting

2

i. The Divisions might not be as clear to APA members as the chapters are.

Champions gives some geography to our Division.

b. Sustainability Policy Guide – Reviewed draft guide with delegate assembly last year.

Needed to re-work as something broader. Now looking at Sustainability Framework,

which can not only guide policy, but also other initiatives within APA. Got broader and

brought in the comprehensive plan standards. Also added education and other

components. Framework was adopted by the board in January. As soon as we get the

draft, we’ll distribute.

c. Smart Cities Initiative – APA President’s initiative, stated 2013. Question was how

technology will affect the urban form. Realized the topic was broader than just land use.

This topic is engaging, particularly to younger planners. Published a white paper, but

realized that we had only scratched the surface. It’s now a Divisions Council initiative.

Will be focused on New York (next year’s conference), where it will have a session track

i. Devens has an event called Robotica. Lots of autonomous vehicles, drones, etc.

Interoperability playground

ii. Next year’s conference is in May, so need to consider how we’ll get students

involved. If the students had a competition, e.g., would be a good way to

showcase product and stir up interest. Ideas:

1. Tech Zone has been doing an app competition

2. Good contact: Maxine G. – senior vice president at Columbia

3. Smart Cities world expo

4. Rockefeller

d. Communications and Outreach

i. APA is looking at allowing Divisions to decide their own communications

methods rather than needing to send two newsletters per year, etc.

1. Idea: Newsletter – make it easy for people to submit articles. Maybe

two tiers of articles.

ii. We have a website separate from the APA website. Need to talk more with APA

about the website. APA would like us to do more on their website.

e. Education and practice

i. Announcing seven award winners tonight.

ii. Webinars

7. Strategic plan

a. Division still fairly young. Want to keep growing. Hoping to engage members in the

Division’s direction.

b. Idea: “Sustainability” is vague. Doesn’t influence every day actions. Need concrete

actions.

c. Idea: Adopt sustainability definition (the framework does have one). What does

sustainability mean for different places?

d. Need to look at core needs that allow us to address other needs

e. Survey of 1900 places – released this week (ICMA)

i. Webinar? Get a couple of small communities involved

ii. Opportunity to make linkages to small town & rural divisions, etc

iii. Economic development is the big driver

APA-SCD 2016 Business Meeting

3

iv. How do you put equity on the sustainability agenda?

f. Need to innovate on an ongoing basis

g. Will hopefully be a concise document

8. Other business

a. As part of Champions program, doing a pro bono health impact assessment in the

Boston area. Angie Vincent is leading. Have approached a group called Groundwork

Lawrence

9. Closing

Appendix D

Type Funds Available 10/01/15

Funds Available

09/30/16

Checking $7,341.03 $12,066.63Money Market $0.00 $0.00

Other $0.00 $0.00

TOTAL $7,341.03 $12,066.63

FY2016 Budget

Proposed

Budget FY2017

REVENUE Description Subtotal REVENUE

Rebates Q4 year 1 (trf in November) 1,436.00 1,090.00 1,090Q1 year 2 (trf in February) 963.25 1,020.75 1,021Q2 year 2 (trf May/June) 2,067.00 1,616.50 1,617Q3 year 2 (trf August) 866.75 879.00 879Rebate Revenue 5,333.00 4,606.25 4,606

[Add other Revenue categories in additional rows, as needed.]

Sponsorships Other Revenue 4,000 5597.50 5597.50 6500TOTAL REVENUE 9,333 10203.75 11106

EXPENSES Description Amount Subtotal EXPENSES

Newsletter Design/Printing/Handling/Postage 0 235.50 306Newsletter Expense 0 235.50 306

Annual Business Meeting Refreshments 3500 3,440.27 3,000Printing 500 229.25 500Postage 14.00 25Other (Incl. awards) 353.51 500Annual Meeting Expense 4000 4,037.03 4,025

Travel - Division Chair APA National Planning Conference 1500 1,941.00 2,000APA Fall Leadership Meetings 500 0.00 500Travel Expense 2000 1,941.00 2,500

Marketing/Communications Member Recruitment 1000 1,000Sponsorship marketingPossible website upgradeMarketing Expense 1000 0.00 1,000

Education

Webinars - Involvement in webinar

group & CM provider cost 245 245.00 245Potential webinar platform or web

upgrade 1000 0.00 1,200

Education Expense 1245 245.00 1,445

Sustainability Champions Champions 1000 0.00 1,000

Leadership & Policy Expense 1000 0.00 1,000

Scholarships

Scholarships/awards: Scholarships for

conference 1500 1,520.45 1,500

Scholarship Expense 1500 1,520.45 1,500

-1,412.00 2,224.77 -669.75


FY2016 Financial Report (10/01/2015 - 09/30/2016)

FY2017 Proposed Budget (10/01/2016 - 09/30/2017)

Submitted by: Jennifer KochDate: 11 - 12 - 2016

FY2016 Actuals

as of 09/30/2016

Revenue over (under) Expenses for reporting period:

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