Mission, Vision & Values

Mission

APA California serves as a resource for and voice of professional planning in California. We empower planning professionals to best serve their communities by facilitating professional growth and advocating for excellent planning.

Vision

APA California is leading, innovating, and advocating for a future in which all people, in California and beyond, have an equitable opportunity to participate in, contribute to, and share in their communities’ environmental, social, and economic well-being.

Core Values

In our work with members and within communities, we seek to be representative and fully inclusive of community goals and perspectives in our membership and leadership, to engage and empower all community members to participate in democracy and civic leadership, and to ensure that we are planning with communities, not for them.

We demonstrate leadership through action, serving as a voice for the planning profession and advocating for change that benefits all communities. By being innovative and adaptable, we seek to serve as a resource to our colleagues and pave the way for our profession.

We hold ourselves to the highest possible standards of ethics and professionalism. We provide expertise and consistency, earning the trust of planners, communities, and decision makers in the work we do.

We provide a sense of fellowship and camaraderie among planners, and strive to convene safe, open discussion on challenging topics related to planning in our communities.

We work to advance the public interest and ensure fair and equitable access to community benefits and amenities. Sustainability: We remain committed to the principle that environmental, social, and fiscal responsibility must be integrated into all planning policy so that communities remain healthy and viable for the long term.