Formed in 1973, the North Dakota Planning Association strives to be a forum for a diverse population across the state, region and county.  It serves professional planners, economic developers, state agency staff and officials, region council board members, city and county planning board members, private individuals, businesses and utilities.  Over the years, the North Dakota Planning Association has provided a place for an exchange of ideas, educational opportunities, legislative information and lobbying activities, and kept its membership informed on the current topics of concern across the state.  In response to today's pressures of change, the North Dakota Planning Association is developing training opportunites for members as well as non-members.

Membership in the North Dakota Planning Association provides a link to the diverse group who are looking to the future of North Dakota.  Join us as we tackle the issues of the 21st century.

The North Dakota Planning Association (NDPA) was incorporated on October 26, 1973. The state boasted only three professional planners at that time, and the planning process was new to many. The planners from Bismarck, Fargo, Minot, Grand Forks and the director of the State Planning Department were well acquainted and had been meeting informally for about a year prior to the actual incorporation. This initial group included Will Walton, Russell Staiger, Tom Jacobson, Keith Burkholder, Mort Mazaheri, Vern Hunter, Earl Stewart, Willis Kingsbury, Dave Schmidt, Bill Sharff, Charles Franks, Greg Waldoch, Francis Chichester, Karen May, Jerry Schimmelpfennig, Lewis Lubka, Irv Rustad, Bonnie Austin and others. The initial mission statement stated the desire for a professional organization to provide a forum for discussion and education among people involved in planning. Minutes from the initial meetings indicate a need for education for planning commissioners and for formulation and lobbying for or against legislation. Two meetings were held each year, one in May and the other in October-November, and meeting sites were scattered around the state. The organization recognized outstanding work in the state with awards for Planner of the Year and Publication of the Year, beginning in 1978 spring meeting.

Membership grew to around 60-70 people by 1982. Annual conferences during that period were very well attended, with some 250-300 attendees at the 1987 conference (which was the regional Western Planner conference that featured the Poppers). Membership dropped during the late 1980s and in recent years has climbed to 100 members, exceeding the original level.

Archived meeting brochures and other files give a profile of association activities. The themes and topics from 1973 to 1976 follow the mission of the NDPA: to provide a forum for education on planning and zoning issues. Meetings from 1981 to 1985 featured topics about survival, greater local responsibility, “back to Basics,” and “current needs.” Economic development dominated conference themes and agendas from 1986 to 1997. Strategic planning was first mentioned in 1990 and the conferences from 1995 to 1997 dealt with the immediate problems of coping with the disasters that impacted ND during 1993 to 1996. Workshops on training for lay officials formed the basis for conferences in the late 1990s. The Growing Smart program in 2000 capped several years of interest in reviewing the state’s enabling legislation.

The advent of email has provided another network for the NDPA, since questions can be posted to the membership and help is (almost) instantly available. To handle planning concerns during the 2003 and subsequent legislative session, the NDPA is working with the North Dakota League of Cities.

A Section Affiliate of the American Planning Association and a sustaining member of the Western Planner.