All things APA WA!

Issue 42

Month: November 2025

This month's newsletter includes:

Laddi Quintanilla Selected for APA WA Chapter 2025 Student Scholarship  

Congratulations to Ladislao (Laddi) Quintanilla for being selected by the Western Washington University’s Department of Urban & Environmental Planning & Policy as the recipient of an APA Washington Chapter’s 2025 Student Scholarship in the amount of $2,650!

AICP CM Credits Information   

Please log your CM credits by December 31, 2025 for a chance to win free NPC26 registration. You may continue logging 2024–2025 credits through the grace period ending April 30, 2026.

2025 APA WA Annual Conference session presentations are now available online for speakers who submitted materials.

Upcoming WA APA Continuing Education Opportunities – November & December 2025

Stay current on your AICP CM credits with these upcoming trainings and webinars from Washington State and beyond. See below for opportunities to earn Law, Equity, and Ethics CMs in the coming weeks!

Comprehensive Plans' Housing Elements Under Increased Scrutiny

Is your comprehensive plan’s housing element facing more public scrutiny? Recent changes to the GMA have introduced new requirements for housing elements, putting additional pressure on cities, towns, and counties to comply.

Poulsbo’s Moving the Needle on Affordable Housing

During the third week of September, the City of Poulsbo both celebrated a major affordable housing milestone and took steps toward encouraging new housing opportunities in our community.

More Big Things Happening! 

Happy November Planners and Friends,

Below are some social events we'd like to bring to your attention as 2025 winds down.

Columbia Section Meetup | w/ SW WA and OR APA

When: November 7, 6:00-9:00 PM

Place: pFriem Family Brewers in Hood River (see attached flyer here)

 

Puget Sound Holiday Party

When: December 5, 5:00 PM

Place: Pub 70, 2801 Alaskan Way.

 

SW WA APA Year-End Social

When: Thursday, December 11, 6:00 PM

Place: Tap Union, Vancouver

We hope to see you at one or all of these events!

 
 

                          Trivia Question

There is no Trivia Question for this month. Stay tuned for next month's Trivia Questions.

 

Last month's Trivia question and answer:

What regulation most directly produced New York’s “wedding-cake” skyscraper form by forcing step-backs to protect light and air at street level?

A) A citywide Floor Area Ratio cap
B) The 1916 NYC Zoning Resolution’s sky exposure plane rules
C) A maximum lot coverage rule
D) Fire code limits on masonry height

Answer:

B) The 1916 NYC Zoning Resolution’s sky exposure plane rules.
Mini-lesson: The famous setbacks came from angled “sky exposure planes” tied to street width. FAR became a central tool later in 1961, but it was the 1916 light-and-air rule that shaped the classic tiered skyline.

 

 

Interested in submitting an article for the next newsletter? 

Contact the APA WA Communications Committee! Email Riya Debnath and Ben Braudrick at [email protected].

Thank You to Our 2025 Sponsors

Gold

 

Silver

American Planning Association, Washington Chapter

[email protected] | (206) 682-7436 | www.washington-apa.org