World Town Planning Day November 8th Celebrate How Planning Benefits Florida

Please join the Florida Chapter of the American Planning Association in celebrating World Town Planning Day on November 8^th. World Town Planning Day recognizes and promotes the role of planning in creating livable communities. The international organization for World Town Planning Day was founded in 1949 by the late Professor Carlos Maria della Paolera of the University of Buenos Aires to advance public and professional interest in planning. World Town Planning Day is promoted each year by the International Society of City and Regional Planners (ISoCaRP) headquartered at The Hague in The Netherlands. World Town Planning Day is celebrated in 30 countries and on four continents.

Planning is the process of envisioning, mapping or otherwise conceiving how communities will look, grow, and define themselves. Planners work with citizens and local governments to ensure that new developments are planned, designed, and built in harmony with the community character. Planners must carefully balance the needs and desires of residents against the challenges presented by growth and development in the physical, economic and social realm. Planning strives to give residents choices. Whether it is the type of home an individual or family chooses to live in or mode of travel from place to place, planning helps to ensure communities address the needs of everyone.

Florida has significantly benefited from good planning practices. Florida is consistently ranked as one of the best states in which to live. Good planning has enabled the state of Florida to balance the state’s environmental integrity, while experiencing population and economic growth.

The American Planning Association (APA) represents more than 43,000 members including professional planners, associated professionals (engineers, architects and more), academics, business leaders, students, and engaged citizens. To learn more about APA’s World Town Planning Day initiatives, visit the organization’s web page at http://www.planning.org/worldtown/index.htm. The Florida Chapter of APA is based in Tallahassee and has over 3,400 members. To learn more about upcoming planning-related events in Florida visit the Florida Chapter website at http://www.floridaplanning.org.