YPG History

In the Spring of 2008, the American Planning Association (APA) made it a top priority to focus on young planners and their needs regarding professional development.  A Young Planners Taskforce was commissioned by APA President, Bob Hunter, to investigate the feasibility of a young planners program. The Young Planners Taskforce effort culminated with the presentation of a report to the APA Board of Directors at the 2008 national conference in Las Vegas. The Sacramento Valley Section of California served as the first young planners group in the Spring of 2008.  Their overwhelming success led to nine other states creating their own groups. Georgia is the ninth state to join the movement.

In the Summer of 2009, the Georgia YPG hosted a Kick Off Meeting at Manuel’s Tavern in Atlanta where 30 young planning professionals gathered to share challenges and offer potential opportunities for YPG to assist up-and-coming young planners.  Since the Kick Off Meeting,  YPG facilitated a successful session at the Georgia Fall Conference in Athens where young planners from around  Georgia shared their ideas. From these events, we  identified ways to further organize YPG in Georgia and reach out to young planners across the State.