Planning and the Black Community Division

The Planning and the Black Community Division provides a forum for planners, administrators, public officials, students, and other interested individuals to address issues of significance to the black community. An annual two-day retreat seeks to enlist maximum participation in determining division policy issues. The division newsletter publishes articles on economic development, housing, transportation, career opportunities, and division activities. Division-sponsored sessions at the National Planning Conference have included international themes and speakers.

For more than two decades Planning and the Black Community Division (PBCD) of the American Planning Association has pursued its mission of providing a forum for discussion, research, and action by African-American planners, citizens, and students.

In this position, PBCD fills a unique role of creating a space where communities can partner with political, economic and educational institutions to build strategic alliances that encourage collaboration and resource sharing. Such partnerships would assist communities struggling with a lack of collaboration and grassroots planning due to reduced community participation, and would decrease the breakdown in short- and long-term planning linkages.

Our national economy is booming, but the benefits have not been evenly distributed. As powerful forces in many locations, PBCD members are well suited to exhibit leadership in tackling the pressing social and economic challenges in our communities. Now is the time for planners to engage in major new national initiatives that harness the potential for development and regeneration.