Award Categories and Criteria
PLAN DOCUMENT, NEIGHBORHOOD PLANNING, PLANNING TOOL
Plan Document: Approved plan or report of unusually high
quality and effectiveness.
Neighborhood Planning: Approved plan for a neighborhood that engages the residents, provides a unique vision for a new or redeveloped area, and is of unusually high quality.
Planning Tool: Approved regulation, ordinance, or program that is of unusually high quality and effectiveness.
Criteria: Plan Document, Neighborhood Planning, Planning Tool
1. Originality and Innovation (30 points)
2. Transferability (10 points)
3. Quality (20 points)
4. Public Participation (15 points)
5. Role of Planners (10 points)
6. Effectiveness and Results (15 points)
URBAN DESIGN
Approved urban design concept for a new or redeveloped area of unusually high quality and design.
Criteria: Urban Design
1. Originality and Innovation (30 points)
2. Value Added to the Community (20 points)
3. Quality of the Physical Form (20 points)
4. Relationship to the Natural Environment (15 points)
5. Long-term Sustainability (15 points)
INNOVATIONS IN PLANNING
Approved plan, activity, or event that expands the art and practice of planning. Examples could include: using new technology to improve planning eff orts, best practices in sustainability, leadership in city or regional planning, or a creative public participation strategy.
Criteria: Innovations in Planning
1. Originality and Innovation (30 points)
2. Transferability (15 points)
3. Increased Understanding of Planning (20 points)
4. Role of Planners (15 points)
5. Eff ectiveness and Results (20 points)
PLAN IMPLEMENTATION
Implementation of a project or plan that accomplishes its objectives in a substantial, timely, and eff ective manner and represents best practices in the field of planning.
Criteria: Plan Implementation
1. Community Acceptance and Support (20 points)
2. Environmental Planning and Impacts (15 points)
3. Value Added to the Community points)
4. Quality (15 points)
5. Role of Planners (15 points)
6. Effectiveness and Results (15 points)
SPARK AWARD [NEW Category in 2018]
Approved plan, plan document, or implementation of a project that is either, A) within a community where planning has not had a recent and/or historic foothold; or B) a project of limited scope and budget that has received community support and excitement (planning budgets under $25,000 or staff equivalent).
Criteria: Spark Award
1. Community Acceptance and Support (50 points)
2. Value Added to the Community (20 points)
3. Role of Planners (20 points)
4. Quality (10 points)
STUDENT PROJECT
An outstanding student planning project or paper. Students must be attending a planning program, or be within one year of graduation, at a Wisconsin university.
Criteria: Student Project / Paper
1. Originality and Innovation (40 points)
2. Potential Value Added (30 points)
3. Comprehensiveness (30 points)
INDIVIDUAL AND MEDIA
Elected Official of the Year: An elected official who has made a substantial contribution to planning excellence in their community.
Citizen of the Year: A citizen who has made a substantial contribution to planning excellence in their community.
Outstanding Journalism: A story about a Wisconsin community or project that highlights an outstanding
planning issue or raises public awareness of planning.
Criteria: Individual and Media
1. Support of Planning/Planners (50 points)
2. Effectiveness and Results (50 points)
SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS [2018]
The following requirements are mandatory. If any item is omitted, the application will not be considered. Nomination submittal should be organized by each of the numbered sections below.
Digital copy via email or dropbox of all submission requirements, or one (1) fl ash drive with all of the submission requirements. Note: kindly keep the plan document as a separate PDF file, without binding it to the rest of the submission packet.
1. 2018 APA-WI Awards Application Form.
2. Explanation of how the nomination meets the judging criteria for the category. Two (2) page maximum.
3. One (1) to three (3) one-page letters in support of the nomination.
4. Identify communities, fi rms, agencies, or individuals who should be listed on the award if you are selected as a winner.
5. Category-specific requirements:
A. Plan Document, Neighborhood Planning, Planning Tool, and Spark Award categories:
• Digital file in PDF format of the adopted/approved plan or planning tool OR a digital link to the plan/tool (if PDF, keep as separate fi le from the nomination submttal).
• Five (5) PowerPoint slides with bulleted talking points about the project.
• A one (1) to three (3) page summary of the document or tool (or summary of project for the Spark Award, if an implementation). List of all consultants and municipalities that worked on the document.
B. Urban Design, Innovations in Planning, and Plan Implementation categories:
• Digital file in PDF format of the approved plan or project OR a digital link to the plan (if
• PDF, keep as separate fi le from the nomination submttal).
• Five (5) PowerPoint slides with bulleted talking points about the project, in .pptx format.
• A one (1) to three (3) page summary of the project. List of all consultants and municipalities that worked on the project.
C. Student Project category:
• Digital file in PDF format of the student project or paper (if PDF, keep as separate file from the nomination submttal).
• Five (5) PowerPoint slides with bulleted talking points about the project, in pptx format.
• A one (1) to three (3) page summary of the document or project. List of all students and faculty that worked on the project or paper.
D. Individual categories: One (1) portrait of the individual nominee in .pdf or .jpeg format and up to five (5) Powerpoint slides (in .pptx format) highlighting the work of the individual with a brief caption for each image.
E. Media category: One (1) essay, document, article, article series, or transcript that best represents the nomination. The text and any associated images should be provided in .doc or .jpeg formats.