Membership

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. Our 40th-anniversary conference and celebration, held in November 2020, virtually brought together planners to celebrate our history and look forward toward addressing the issues facing our communities. The division newsletter and social media are resources for issues of economic development, housing, transportation, career opportunities, and division activities. Division-sponsored sessions at the National Planning Conference have included international themes and speakers. PBCD is active on Twitter @apa_pbcd, Instagram @apa_pbcd, and Facebook @apablackcommunitydivision.

For four decades the 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 planners, citizens, and students who are committed to addressing issues of importance to the Black community. In this position, PBCD fills a unique role.

PBCD's goal is to provide a forum where communities in partnership with their political, economic, and educational institutions can build strategic alliances that encourage collaboration and resource sharing. Such partnerships assist communities challenged with insufficient planning and community participation, both in the short- and long-terms.

As PBCD members we each bring skills, knowledge, experience, and a commitment to supporting the Black community. PBCD members are well suited to exhibit leadership in tackling the pressing social and economic challenges in our communities. As we look forward, planners must engage in initiatives that harness the potential for development and regeneration in collaboration within the Black communities.