Awards
Maine Association of Planners
2021 Awards - Nominations Open (Due May 1)
Categories & Criteria
Every year, planners and their work are acknowledged through the Maine Association of Planners (MAP) awards program. The program is designed to recognize a special person, organization, or project for its contribution to the field of planning. Award categories are Citizen Planner, Professional Planner, Project or Program of the Year, and Plan of the Year.
The Awards Committee is actively seeking nominations for this year which will be awarded at the MAP Annual Meeting. If you wish to nominate a person, organization, plan or project, please review the following criteria and submit to Jim Fisher (jimfisher101@gmail.com) a copy of your NOMINATION FORM and any attachments.
The Committee will work with the winners on preparations for press releases as well as nomination materials and submissions for possible submission to Northern New England Chapter of the American Planning Association (NNECAPA) and American Planning Association (APA).
Questions or comments regarding the MAP Awards Program may be directed to Jim Fisher, AICP at (207) 812-6315 or jimfisher101@gmail.com.
MAP AWARD CATEGORIES
DISTINGUISHED LEADERSHIP/SERVICE AWARDS
Citizen Planner of the Year
ELIGIBILITY: For a non-professional, citizen who has made a distinguished contribution to planning such as members of planning boards/commissions, zoning boards of adjustment/ appeals, economic development boards/commissions, or other elected or appointed officials. It could also include the more non-traditional roles of citizen activists or neighborhood leaders.
CRITERIA:
Support of Planning: To what extent has the nominee's time and dedication increased the understanding of planning principles and the planning process, as well as the goals of the organization of which he/she is a part?
Effectiveness: How has the nominee promoted the cause and advanced the merits of planning?
Professional Planner of the Year
ELIGIBILITY: For sustained contribution to the field of planning through distinguished practice, teaching, or writing.
CRITERIA:
Support of Planning: To what extent has the nominee's work increased the understanding of planning principles and the planning process?
Effectiveness/Results: To what extent has the nominee been effective in formulating and implementing his/her plans and furthered the cause of planning?
OUTSTANDING PLANNING AWARDS
Project of the Year
ELIGIBILITY: For a project, bylaw, ordinance, document, program, guidelines, tax abatement or tool that is of unusually high merit.
CRITERIA:
Originality: To what extent does the project incorporate creative and innovative ideas?
Transferability: How does the project provide an example for others?
Quality: To what extent does the project show excellence of thought, analysis, writing, graphics, etc.?
Comprehensiveness: Does the project implement elements of the community’s Comprehensive Plan or other master planning efforts?
Public Participation: How has the project encouraged participation and included those left out of similar efforts in the past?
Results: How has the project made a difference in the lives of the people affected?
Plan of the Year
ELIGIBILITY: For a plan, program, or process of unusually high merit such as comprehensive/master plans, housing plans, capital improvement plans, environmental/resource conservation plans, park and recreation plans, transportation plans, redevelopment plans, economic development plans, or rails-to-trails plans.
CRITERIA:
Originality: To what extent does the plan incorporate creative and innovative ideas?
Transferability: How does the project provide an example for others?
Quality: To what extent does the project show excellence of thought, analysis, writing, graphics, etc.?
Comprehensiveness: How have planning principles been observed and to what extent does the plan include elements important to the local community?
Public Participation: How has the project encouraged participation and included those left out of similar efforts in the past?
Implementation: Does the plan incorporate measurable implementation tasks and goals and has the plan been supported by those responsible for implementation tasks?
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2020 MAP Awards
The Maine Association of Planners recognizes excellence in planning each year at our annual meeting. Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, the meeting was postponed indefinitely, but the awards process was only delayed. We received nominations in three award categories this year. The winners receive engraved brass plaques and printed award certificates. The winner of the plan of the year also receives, for one year, the coveted MAP Punch Bowl to display in their place of work.
2020 MAP Citizen Planner of the Year
The 2020 Citizen
Planner of the Year is awarded to David Nadeau of Windham, Maine.
This award is given for citizen time and dedication that increased understanding
of planning principles, planning process, and organization’s goals and that
promoted the cause and advanced the merits of planning. David’s work exemplifies these practices. To
name a few, David served on the:
● Town Council (current member, past Chair, Council’s Finance sub-committee)
● Planning Board (past Chair)
● Comprehensive Plan Committee (2000-2003, 2014-2016)
● Comprehensive Plan Implementation Committee (2003-2004)
● Land Use Ordinance Committee
● Long Range Planning Committee
● Private Roads Committee
● Wastewater Advisory Committee
● Retail Adult Use and Medical Marijuana Task Force
He received widespread praise for his dedication to local planning over many years and in many capacities. He championed commercial design standards, diversification of municipal revenue sources and mentoring staff and volunteers.
2020 MAP Project of the Year
The 2020 Project of the
Year is awarded to the Augusta
Downtown Street Redesign. This
project converts an historically important small city corridor from one-way to
two-way traffic flows as a strategy for improving access and returning this
area to former economic prosperity. Small cities across Maine and the US are
facing similar challenges of adapting central business districts to the era of
cars and SUVs.
“Converting a major commercial corridor from one-way to two-way after 70+ years in order to enhance vibrancy, and create a familiar, comfortable, human focused environment for pedestrians and residents is creative and innovative. Joined with a complete reconstruction and redesign of the adjacent leg of the one-way couplet created a more complete project that makes the downtown feel like a- downtown, not a thoroughfare.” (Nomination Document)
The process for achieving the downtown redesign is a model for other communities. The planning team worked simultaneously on several fronts. They coordinated public outreach, professional engineering studies and landscape design to create a solution that worked technically, aesthetically and politically.
Partners in the Augusta Downtown Street Redesign include:
● City of Augusta Development Services, Public Works and City Manager’s Office
● Maine Traffic Resources - Completed a detailed feasibility analysis
● Desman Design Management - Completed a Downtown Parking Study
More information on the Augusta Downtown is available online at: augustadowntown.com
2020 MAP Plan of the Year
This plan seeks to build on the successes of Transit-Oriented Development, encouraging residential and mixed-use development where transportation services are feasible. Key features include increasing the supply of single and multifamily housing close to this center of employment and close to transit services.
This plan is an example of working toward a long-range vision in an incentive-based planning environment. They state, “The Plan is an attempt to reimagine the Mall and show what is possible. It is not meant to be a prescriptive development plan, but rather to serve as a conversation starter, and as a resource for South Portland, PACTS, and other municipalities for future planning and development efforts in Priority Centers.”
Partners in the Maine Mall Transit-Oriented Development Concept Plan include:
● City of South Portland
● Greater Portland Council of Governments
● Richardson and Associates
● Portland Area Comprehensive Transportation System
● Maine Department of Transportation
● Maine Mall Management
● Long Creek Watershed Management District
More information is available at: gpcog.org/305/Maine-Mall-Transit-Oriented-Development
Past Award Winners
2019
Plan | Portland's Plan 2030, Portland, Maine
Project | AIM Development Action Plan
for Tomorrow, Town of Bucksport
Professional Planner | Carol Eyerman, AICP, Topsham, Maine
Citizen Planner | Jean Libby, New Gloucester, Maine
2018
Plan | West End Neighborhood Master Plan, South Portland, MaineProject | Maine Flood Resilience Checklist, SMPDC
Professional Planner | Lynne Seeley, Yarmouth, Maine
Citizen Planner | Don Fellows, Town of Lisbon
2017
Plan | Lewiston LegacyProject | Belfast Rail Trail
Professional Planner | Theo Holtwijk, Town of Falmouth
Citizen Planner | Don Russell, Town of Topsham
Lifetime Achievement Awards | Mark Eyerman, Chuck Lawton, Rodney Lynch, Tom Martin, Frank O'Hara, and Evan Richert
2016
Plan | Falmouth Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan, Town of FalmouthProject | The Rural Business Development Zone, Land Use Planning Commission (LUPC) & Northern Maine Development Commission (NMDC)
2015
Plan | Bold Coast Scenic Byway Corridor Management Plan, Washington County Council of GovernmentsProject | River Landing Senior Housing Community, Developers Collaborative and Seacoast Management
Professional Planner | Jane Lafleur