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2025 APA WA News and Updates

PLAN SLAM is BAAAAACK! | Submit your proposal by 9/1/25

Back by popular demand, the APA WA Conference is once again hosting a rapid-fire session of bold ideas and sharp visuals. Plan Slam is your chance to present a planning concept, story, or experience in a fast, fun, and highly visual format.

Each presentation follows a dynamic structure: 20 slides, 20 seconds each, auto-advancing for a total of 6 minutes and 40 seconds. It's all about impact—using images more than text and energy more than exposition. Whether you're sharing a local project, a professional insight, or a fresh take on planning trends, we want your voice in the mix.

Submit your Plan Slam session here by Monday, September 1.  

Presenters will be selected by September 15. Six spots are available. Come share your ideas with your fellow planners and enlighten the profession! 

Learn More and Submit Today

PSS Conference Scholarships for Students & Emerging Planners

The Puget Sound Section of the American Planning Association Washington Chapter is announcing a pilot program of scholarships to support attendance at the 2025 Conference, October 8-10, in Tacoma.

The purpose of this pilot program is to support the pipeline of students and emerging professional planners in the PSS region (Snohomish, King, and Pierce counties).  The 2025 scholarships will be applied to the conference registration fees for the full, 3-day conference, and will provide up to ten students with $150, and up to ten emerging planners with $250.

Eligible students include those currently enrolled in the following degree programs in PSS area:

  • UW Seattle--Master of Urban Planning (MUP) or BA in Community, Environment & Planning (CEP). 
  • UW Tacoma--BA in Urban Studies, BA in Sustainable Development, and BS in Urban Design or MA in Community Planning.

Eligible emerging planners include:

  • Recent graduates of accredited planning degree programs who graduated no later than five years before the conference (before October 8, 2020); who also
  • Planners who confirm that they are experiencing a financial challenge defined as; job loss/unemployment; an employer that does not pay for ongoing education or conference attendance; or status as a volunteer for a community that does not pay for ongoing education.

Process:

  • Students and Emerging Planners interested in the scholarship can start the process by visiting the Puget Sound Section. Beginning in early August, the site will provide information on how to apply and how scholarship recipients can get the correct amount applied to their APA WA state conference registration. Scholarships will be awarded on a first come first serve basis for complete applications
  • Applications on or before the state conference August 27 early bird registration deadline are strongly encouraged because, while registration rates go up after the deadline, the scholarship amounts don’t!

Conference Photographers Needed

If you are attending the conference and are a moonlighting shutter bug, we would like to talk with you about capturing the 2025 APA WA Conference.  More information coming soon!

Send Your Public Art Photos to Our Keynote

We're inviting planners, artists, and community members from across Washington to take part in a unique keynote session at the 2025 APA WA Annual Conference. One of our keynote speakers is curating a visual showcase celebrating public art from around the state  and your community could be featured! Share your photos of public art in your area for a chance to be included.

Upload Here