Indianapolis' Department of Metropolitan Development is being honored by the American Planning Association (APA) with the 2019 Gold National Planning Achievement Award for its free public education program the People's Planning Academy.

The Academy, a free program whose development stemmed from a need for the city to seek diversity in its planning process, includes six classes that are televised through local public access TV and online recordings. The classes teach the basics of planning and new land use classification. The classes incorporate social equity, food access, fair housing and transportation equity and teach participants how to plan so that their city can be healthy, more inclusive, competitive and resilient. 

The APA honored a total of 25 individuals, planning departments, government agencies and private firms for their work on planning issues with its National Planning Excellence Awards and APA Achievement Awards during its National Planning Conference held in San Francisco today. 

“This year’s award recipients demonstrate how planning helps create communities that offer access and opportunity for all,” 2019 Awards Jury Chair Wendy Shabay said in a press release.  “Planning is vital to keep communities thriving and to ensure quality of life for residents.”

For more than 50 years, the APA's National Awards Program has honored global recipients whose work establishes "communities of lasting value." The APA, a nonprofit educational organization, includes 42,000 members who work with residents, civic leaders and businesses to create communities that enhance people's lives.