PRESS RELEASE

The City of Long Beach has received four prestigious awards by the Los Angeles section of the American Planning Association (APA). The annual awards, presented on June 20, 2019, celebrated many of the most noteworthy planning projects, plans and programs in the Los Angeles region.

“These award-winning projects represent the City’s innovative development and planning efforts aimed at providing greater opportunity for our diverse community,” said Mayor Robert Garcia. “We’re proud to be recognized among some of the most distinguished planning efforts in Southern California.”

The following Long Beach projects and initiatives have been recognized for demonstrating outstanding planning work that serves to create more livable, vibrant, and inclusive communities:

• Wetlands Restoration and Oil Operations Consolidation; Award of Excellence – Environmental Planning; Best Environmental Document The project consolidates existing oil operations and implements a wetlands habitat restoration effort that would provide new public access opportunities to a portion of the Los Cerritos wetlands.

• ‘Everyone In’ Economic Inclusion Initiative; Award of Excellence – Economic Planning and Development Everyone In focuses on creating an inclusive economy that includes and benefits every Long Beach resident, prioritizing historically underrepresented communities. The Initiative addresses key economic inclusion objectives in the City’s Blueprint for Economic Development. Throughout 2018, City staff developed and implemented several economic inclusion projects, including the Economic Inclusion Listening Tour, Equitable Growth Profile of Long Beach, Kiva Long Beach Loan Program, and Youth Banking and Financial Literacy Education. This video provides more information about the highlighted projects.

• Historic District Design Guidelines; Award of Excellence – Urban Design The Guidelines assist owners of historic properties by providing an instructive framework for the restoration of historic sites, and encourage preservation efforts throughout the City’s 18 historic districts.

• Alison Spindler; Outstanding Young Planner A member of the Development Services Planning Bureau has been named Outstanding Young Planner of the Year. This title is awarded to an individual who exhibits exemplary leadership and has made a valuable contribution to the advancement of the planning profession. Ms. Alison Spindler completed the Long Beach City Manager’s Management Assistant Program in 2016 and serves as an Advance Planner and Budget Specialist. She has been involved in several City planning efforts, including the General Plan update and the Climate Action and Adaptation Plan (CAAP).

This is the sixth consecutive year that Long Beach has been recognized by the APA for outstanding accomplishments in regional planning.

The APA is a professional organization representing the field of city and regional planning in the United States. The Los Angeles section of the APA is one of eight local sections of the APA’s California Chapter, with more than 1,300 members in the Los Angeles area.  For more information on this organization, visit: http://apalosangeles.org/.

About the City of Long Beach

Home to approximately 470,000 people, the multiple award-winning and innovative City of Long Beach offers all the world-class amenities of a large metropolitan city while maintaining a strong sense of individual and diverse neighborhoods nestled together along the California coast. As a full-service charter city, Long Beach is home to the Queen Mary, Aquarium of the Pacific, several museums and theaters, a highly-rated school district, Long Beach Airport, the Port of Long Beach, as well as many award-winning City departments such as Health, Parks, Recreation and Marine, Development Services and more. The City also has a highly-respected university and city college, two historic ranchos, five hospitals, five golf courses, 171 parks, miles of beaches, marinas, bike paths, and a Bike Share program.

For more information about the City of Long Beach, visit http://longbeach.gov/. Follow us on social to keep up with the latest news: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.

About Long Beach Development Services

Serving residents, businesses, and the community at large, the award-winning Long Beach Development Services sets a standard for high-quality, innovative urban planning and livability efforts that create more progressive and sustainable communities within the diverse City of Long Beach, CA. Through a variety of development, code enforcement, housing and neighborhood services, and building activities, the Department builds a better future for the City while also honoring its unique past. For more information, visit www.lbds.info. Like our Facebook page and follow us on Twitter.

About Long Beach Economic Development

The mission of the City’s Economic Development Department is to create economic opportunities for workers, investors, and entrepreneurs. This includes making it easier to start and grow a business, streamline the process for property development, and provide businesses with a skilled workforce. The Department includes Property Development, Business Development, and the Pacific Gateway Workforce Investment Network. For more information on the Economic & Property Development Department, please visit http://www.longbeach.gov/economicdevelopment/ or follow us on Twitter @LBEconDev and Facebook.

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