The Global Planners Network is a plurality of voices with diverse and relevant experience to advocate for effective planning. Member organizations work to advance inclusionary and sustainable planning practice worldwide.

International Activities at APA’s National Planning Conference

In San Francisco, the American Planning Association (APA) expects to host a large contingent of planners from around the world from April 13–16. The 2019 National Planning Conference affords a chance for the members of the Global Planners Network (GPN) to get together face to face for a meeting. On the agenda are each members’ updates, other conferences, and topics including building planning capacity worldwide.

GPN also hosts a session on the morning of April 14 showcasing the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals. Members will share how national, state, and local action is promoting and incorporating the SDGs into plans and development rules.

APA is one of the founders of Planners for Climate Action. “Planners for Climate Action” (P4CA) is a “cooperative initiative” under the UNFCCC’s Marrakesh Partnership for Global Climate Action. This initiative shares knowledge, coordinates action, and identifies best practices for implementation. It brings together key associations of planning professionals, educators, and practitioners in a global platform.

P4CA will host a conference session on April 15 to highlight the role of planners in climate action. International charters and agreements such as the Paris Accords and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) provide support for climate action and planning.

If you want to find out more about what APA’s International Division is up to, check out its business meeting on April 15, 6:30–7:30 p.m. The division is also hosting Career Services: Working Abroad on April 15 for planners interested in working abroad. Learn from professionals about gaining experience, skill development, possible career paths, and strategies to prepare for living and working abroad.

Another session that has an international sustainability component is Integrating Urban and Regional Sustainability Planning on April 13. The session describes and compares the ways in which U.S. and international planning organizations and initiatives integrate sustainable planning at regional and city levels, exploring if one level does or should set the agenda or context for the other.

New Documents in Resources

Check out links to three new UN Habitat Documents on the GPN Resources page.