City of Houston's Planning and Development Department and the Mayor's Office of Resilience brought home top awards for planning projects in Texas.

To kick off Planning Month in October, the American Planning Association (APA) Texas Chapter announced the state’s best planning projects, advocates, and communities for 2020.

Mayor Turner's Resilient Houston strategy earned gold in the resilience category and the Planning and Development Department earned silver in the implementation category for its User's Guide for Walkable Places and Transit-Oriented Development.

"Earning these top awards from the Texas chapter of the American Planning Association shows that Houston is innovative and thoughtful in how we make this city better for all Houstonians," said Mayor Sylvester Turner. "I could not be more proud of our Planning Department and the Mayor's Office of Resilience."

“Thank you to the American Planning Association, Texas Chapter, for honoring Resilient Houston and congratulations to everyone who contributed to this collaborative effort,” said Marissa Aho, AICP, Chief Resilience Officer. “This plan is a comprehensive framework for a more resilient Houston and I look forward to working with many more partners to ensure its successful implementation.”

"The Walkable Places and Transit-Oriented Development initiatives represent nearly three years of intensive work from our planners and committee," said Margaret Wallace Brown, Planning and Development Director. "This user’s guide makes a complex program accessible and inviting for property owners to join the efforts to make our city more walkable and less reliant on cars.

The Texas Planning Awards Program recognizes outstanding efforts in planning achievements and planning leadership in Texas. These awards represent the state’s highest planning honors. The Awards Selection Committee evaluated nominees based on originality and innovation, engagement, implementation and effectiveness, quality, and promotion of planning.

To read more about each award category and award recipient, visit https://texas.planning.org/community-outreach/chapter-awards/chapter-awards-2020/.