Project Awards

APA Florida Names Record Number of Awards of Excellence for Its 2024 Project Awards

Eight will receive the chapter’s highest honors; Two student projects earn nods

TALLAHASSEE – The Florida Chapter of the American Planning Association (APA Florida) announced the recipients of its 2024 Project Awards. A record eight Awards of Excellence will be distributed, surpassing last year’s recognition of superior projects.

The APA Florida Project Awards program provides the chapter the opportunity to recognize outstanding planning projects throughout the state at its annual Florida Planning Conference. The program provides APA Florida members with the chance to see and learn about development, conservation, government, or environmental projects, where exceptional planning has had a positive impact on the outcome.

The recipients are:

Best Practices

• Award of Excellence – Southside Action Plan (City of Tallahassee)
• Award of Excellence – Heritage at Risk (Miami-Dade County)
• Award of Excellence – Lake Wales Envisioned (City of Lake Wales)

Implementation Project Award

• Award of Excellence – Southwest Greenways and Debbie Lightsey Nature Park (City of Tallahassee)
• Award of Merit – Southport Turning Notch Expansion (Broward County | Port Everglades)

Grassroots Initiative

• Award of Excellence – Building a Network of Citizen Planners in Florida (1000 Friends of Florida)

Comprehensive Plan (Large)

• Award of Excellence – Mobility Section of the City of Tampa Comprehensive Plan

Comprehensive Plan (Small)

• Award of Merit – City of Punta Gorda Comprehensive Plan 2045

Innovation in Planning for All Ages

• Award of Excellence – 20 is Plenty: Residential Speed Reduction Study (City of Jacksonville)

Student Award

• Award of Excellence – Four Points (University of South Florida)
• Award of Merit – Enhancing Regional Transportation Planning in Rural Areas (Florida State University)

The Project Awards recipients will be recognized during the Opening Session on Wednesday, Sept. 4, at the 2024 Florida Planning Conference in Tampa.

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2023 Project Award Recipients

Awards of Excellence

Best Practices

• Special Committee on Critical Quality of Life Issues (Northeast Florida Regional Planning Council & City of Jacksonville)

Implementation Project Award

• Healthy West Orange Wellness Park (City of Ocoee)
• City of Groveland's Dark Sky Initiative (City of Groveland)
• Skateable Art Park (Blueprint Intergovernmental Agency & the City of Tallahassee)

Innovation in Planning for All Ages

• Livable Orlando: An Age-Friendly Initiative Action Plan 2022 – 2025 (City of Orlando)

Neighborhood Planning

• Wimauma Downtown Revitalization Action Plan (Hillsborough County)

Outstanding Student Project

• North Star Legacy Communities: Gadsden County Heritage (Florida State University)

Awards of Merit

Best Practices

• Resilient Ready Tampa Bay (Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council)

Implementation Project Award

• BTactical Lake Ridge Pilot Project (Street Plans, Broward MPO, City of Fort Lauderdale)
• The Bay: “One Park for All” in Sarasota (Agency Landscape + Planning and Sasaki)

Outstanding Student Project

• B-Hive (University of South Florida)
• SPARC’ing Community Spaces for Arts and Wellness (University of Florida)
• St. Petersburg Innovation District Neighborhood Master Plan (University of South Florida)

Past Award Recipients

2022 APA Florida Award Recipients

2021 APA Florida Award Recipients

2020 APA Florida Award Recipients

2019 APA Florida Award Recipients