Planning Awards Application Form

Application Form 
Deadline: 12:00 PM March 19, 2026

Each year the Alberta Professional Planners Institute recognizes exceptional plans and projects, undertaken in whole or in part by members of the Institute, that significantly contribute to the livability of communities in Alberta, the Northwest Territories, and Nunavut. Applications for plans and projects specific to rural and indigenous planning are encouraged.

The awards will be presented at the 2026 APPI Conference in Calgary, September 28, 2026 during the evening Banquet. Award recipients will receive a Certificate of Planning Excellence or a Certificate of Planning Merit.

The plan or project must be submitted for only one category and meet the Submission and Eligibility Criteria requirements. 

APPLICATION FORM
CATEGORIES
• A strategic, long-range policy plan for a municipality, a portion of a municipality (e.g., neighborhood, downtown) or multiple municipalities (a region), often in the form of a municipal development plan, area structure plan, area redevelopment plan or inter-municipal development plan, also including a land use bylaw. • A policy plan which addresses specialized areas such as the environment, housing, economic development, recreation and/or parks, social planning, roads or utility infrastructure of a municipality or region.
• A physical land use plan or project focusing on design elements for a specific site or larger area, including but not being limited to site design plans, park/trail plans, historic site/resource plans, revitalization plans, and downtown improvement plans.
• An original or clearly outstanding study/report, based on sound research and analysis through creative or outstanding approaches leading to findings, solutions and/or approaches of value to the planning profession, the livability of communities or the sustainability of resources.
• Written or electronic materials and videos intended for use within or outside the planning profession to inform or educate the public or segment thereof about the benefits of planning, how planning makes a difference, how planning works and how to be effectively involved in planning processes.
• A Plan, Study, Report or set of Education materials that was approved prior to 2024 and has realized or are realizing their goals and objectives as demonstrated by an accompanying Plan Evaluation (max 3 pages) submitted with the originally approved document. The evaluation must explain specifics of the Plan's positive impact on the community or communities it was intended to serve.
Principal Consulting Firm(s) (if applicable): (3 max)
Only the firms listed on the Application Form will be indicated on the certificate.
SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS
  1. a complete online application form with submitted signature;
  2. a signed covering letter which:
    • confirms the category for which the submission is being made,
    • states how the eligibility requirements are met,
    • summarizes the merits of the project and the role(s) of APPI members,
    • how the project further reflects the Mission of APPI - Mission Statement
    • how the plan or project advances the planning profession and upholds to APPI's values - APPI Values
    • NOTE - as a professional courtesy, any APPI members including but not limited to consultants who contributed substantially to the project named on the award submission, should be copied on the cover letter.
  3. a maximum three-page summary which:
    • articulates how the submission meets its category and explains how it fits into the category,
    • adheres to the evaluation criteria and how it demonstrates exceptional planning: (Exceptional planning goes well above and beyond good planning practice. Good planning is expected of all regulated APPI members. Only exceptional planning warrants award consideration.)
    • provide a 100-150 words maximum statement articulating "Why do you feel your plan/project is exceptional?"
    • confirms the category for which the submission is made, states that the eligibility requirements are met, summarizes the merits of the project and the role(s) of APPI members therein;
  4. project documentation, including the plan, report or other ‘product’ together with supportive illustrative materials (if any) appropriate to the award criteria. Information that is well organized, clearly articulated, in PDF file format with a file size that is readily opened and accessed.
    • Additionally for Category 5, submit a maximum three-page Plan Evaluation that explains the specifics of the Plan’s positive impact on the community(ies) it was intended to serve.
  5. written confirmation that the client is aware and supportive of the submission; and,
  6. use of the file nomenclature specified below when sending the electronic files.

A complete submission requires all information requested on the form and all related files to be uploaded. 

Use the following file name nomenclature in a PDF format only: Abbreviate the Project Name for example: COEH for City of Edmonton Housing, then add one of the following:

  1. Cover Letter and Eligibility Requirements - 1 COEH coverltr
  2. Three Page Summary - 2 COEH summary
  3. Project Documentation - 3 COEH projdoc
  4. Client Certification - 4 COEH cliencert

Please upload a signed covering letter which confirms the category for which the submission is made, states that the eligibility requirements are met, summarizes the merits of the project and the role(s) of APPI members therein, how the project further reflects the Mission of APPI, and how the plan or project advances the planning profession and upholds to APPI's values. 

NOTE - as a professional courtesy, any APPI members including but not limited to consultants who contributed substantially to the project named on the award submission should be copied on the cover letter.


One file only.
10 MB limit.
Allowed types: pdf.
Please upload a maximum three-page summary articulating how the submission meets its category, adheres to the evaluation criteria and how it demonstrates exceptional planning, and provide a 100-150 words maximum statement articulating "Why do you feel your plan/project is exception?";
One file only.
10 MB limit.
Allowed types: pdf.
Please upload project documentation, including the plan, report or other ‘product’ together with supportive illustrative materials (if any) appropriate to the award criteria. Information that is well organized, clearly articulated, in PDF file format with a file size that is readily opened and accessed.
One file only.
12 MB limit.
Allowed types: pdf.
Please upload written confirmation that the client is aware and supportive of the submission.
One file only.
10 MB limit.
Allowed types: pdf.
Additionally for Category 5, please upload a maximum three-page Plan Evaluation that explains the specifics of the Plan’s positive impact on the community(ies) it was intended to serve.
One file only.
10 MB limit.
Allowed types: pdf.
Name of APPI Regulated Member and RPP title if applicable

Important: Refer to Page 2-3 for information regarding Eligibility and Instructions to the award winners.

Refer to the Submission and Evaluation Criteria document outlining the Categories and the Evaluation Criteria. 

Member Type
Please upload a scan of the signature of the APPI Regulated Member.
One file only.
10 MB limit.
Allowed types: gif, jpg, jpeg, png.
ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

For all Categories 1-5:

  • must be relevant to professional planning practice.
  • must have been prepared under the direction of and/or with the substantive involvement of an APPI regulated member (Registered or Candidate) in good-standing.

Must apply to a community, resource, planning process, etc. located within Alberta, the Northwest Territories or Nunavut;

For Categories 1-4:

  • must have been approved by the relevant decision-making body and adopted by bylaw, resolution or other form of acceptance on or before December 31, 2025
  • must have been if implemented within the calendar years of 2023, 2024, and 2025
  • must be submitted for only one category and only once (i.e. the project may not be submitted in different years unless the project has been substantially added to (i.e. phases) or substantially altered (i.e. updated)

Category 5 : 

  • must have been approved by the relevant decision-making body and adopted by bylaw, resolution or other form of acceptance on or before December 31, 2024
  • must have been implemented prior to December 31, 2024
  • MAY have been submitted previously under Category 1-4 and selected for an APPI Planning Award or not selected for an APPI Planning Award.
There may be more than one type of acceptance.
Year Accepted:
You may give a date range

All Entrants Please Note:

  • To be considered for an award, the submission must be complete (see #1 – 6 on the application form) and received by the application deadline; if the submission does not include the six submission requirements, the submission is deemed to be incomplete and will not be evaluated.
  • Submission packages that exceed the page requirements will be considered ineligible.
  • No changes and/or additions to clarify information in the submission will be allowed after the application deadline. Nor will any additional information be solicited by the Planning Awards Committee.
  • The Planning Awards Committee may determine a submission is better suited to a category other than the category applied for by the applicant and may adjudicate on that basis.
  • Due to the volume of submissions received the Planning Awards Committee will not provide evaluation feedback on individual submissions.
  • All submitted materials become the property of APPI.
To be eligible for consideration of an award, the plan or project:
Information and Instructions for Award Winners

Should your project be selected to win an award, submit the items below to the APPI office by August 20, 2026. Award winners will be notified on June 4, 2026. ONLY the winners of an award will be required to submit:

  • A video, 90 seconds maximum – for use at the APPI 2026 Planning Awards Ceremony at the 2026 APPI Conference in Calgary, September 28th during the evening Banquet.
  • The actual plan/project items in a video format to post on the APPI website.
Certificate Information

State the number of loose certificates required for each organization as stated on the Application Form.

Each firm and organization will receive one framed Certificate.

Certificates are not personalized with the names of individuals who contributed to the project but rather the municipality or organization which initiated the project and the principal consulting firm (if applicable).  By means of this signed form you agree to submit the additional information, or you will not receive your award.

Personal and commercial information is collected under the authority of the Personal Information Protection Act. The use of personal and commercial information is limited to administration of the awards management, presentation ceremony and publication of a video on the APPI website.

The Application and Submission information of an entry to the APPI Planning Awards grants APPI use of the entrants approved texts and images designated for press purposes in all media, including electronic media.
Permission from owners/clients and photographers is the responsibility of the entrants, and must be obtained before making an entry. Photographs used for any purpose by APPI will bear the customary photographer’s credit line as provided by the entrant.

The presentation ceremony may be videotaped and/or live stream to be posted on the APPI social media after the conference. By submitting and signing the application you are confirming agreement to your participation to be recorded at the national conference and use in any related media releases.

ENQUIRIES regarding the APPI Planning Awards program may be made to:
MaryJane Alanko, APPI Executive Director at [email protected]