What is the Georgia Planning Association?

Updated

The Georgia Planning Association (GPA) is the official Georgia chapter of the American Planning Association (APA), a 1,100-plus member organization of professional planners and planning officials. It serves Georgia's communities across all levels of government, the private sector, and not-for-profit organizations. If you work in or with community planning in Georgia — as a practitioner, appointed official, student, or industry partner — the GPA is the state-level body that connects you to peers, training, and events.

What the GPA does

According to the organization, the GPA:

  • Provides leadership to plan and build vibrant communities throughout Georgia
  • Advocates support for sound planning
  • Gives members tools, services, and support that advance the art and science of planning

It describes itself as a place where planners can share expertise and ideas with policymakers and the general public for the benefit of Georgia and its citizens.

Who it serves

The membership spans professional planners and planning officials working in:

  • Government — at all levels
  • The private sector — consulting and development-related planning roles
  • Not-for-profit organizations

The GPA also engages community leaders, students, elected officials, and industry partners, particularly through its conferences and institutes.

Events and programs

The GPA's public calendar shows several recurring activities:

Event Timing shown Notes
Fall Conference September 23–25, Augusta 2026 theme: "Masters of Transition: Driving Sustainable Growth"; three days of learning, collaboration, and networking
Fall Community Planning Institute October 28 Series of classes offered by the DCA Office of Planning in partnership with the GPA, aimed at Georgia's planning commissioners and elected officials
National Planning Conference May 15 2027 conference in Houston, TX; registration opens February 2027

The GPA conference program is paper-free — attendees are directed to download the conference app before arriving to plan schedules, find speakers, note special events, and see sponsors.

Jobs and news

The site maintains a job listings board (with options to view all jobs or submit a job) and a news section (view all news or submit your news). Recent listings have included roles such as Transportation Program Manager (Atlanta), Community Development & Planning Director (Norcross), Senior Urban Planner (Spartanburg, SC), and Planner I (Villa Rica).

How to get involved

  • Join the GPA — membership is open through the site's "Join the GPA!" link.
  • Attend an event — register for the Fall Conference or browse the calendar; you can also submit your own event.
  • Post or find a job — use the job listings board.
  • Submit news — share updates with the membership.

The site does not publish membership pricing or login requirements in the material reviewed here, so check the join page directly for current terms.