St. Louis Metro Section
2026 Sponsorship Opportunities Partner with APA St. Louis - Become an Annual Sponsor
The St. Louis Metro Section of the American Planning Association invites you to join us as an annual sponsor and help strengthen the planning profession across our region! Your support makes possible our robust programming, including educational webinars, networking events, scholarships to state and national conferences, and facilitation of the UMSL Chancellor’s Certificate in the Fundamentals of Planning & Zoning. We also host signature events like our Summer Picnic and Winter Workshop, creating opportunities for connection and collaboration among city planners, community & economic developers, transportation planners, and other allied professions.
As a sponsor, you’ll gain visibility among local planning professionals while investing in education and innovation that shape the future of St. Louis communities. Please see the attached sponsorship brochure for details on levels and benefits and visit our website to learn more about our organization. If you have any questions or would like to become a sponsor, please contact Katy Shackelford, Board Treasurer (katy.shackelford@stantec.com).
Thank you for supporting the planning community in the St. Louis area!
Creating great communities for all in the St. Louis region
The St. Louis Metro Section (SLMS) of the American Planning Association is a professional group of city planners, transportation planners, community developers, housing advocates, and more, who are working to improve the communities in the St. Louis region through sound urban planning practices, guided by principles of equity, resilience, and collaboration. Learn more here.
Weekly Newsletter
Want to stay up to date on the latest events and job opportunities in the St. Louis planning community? Every other Friday, the St. Louis Metro Section publishes a newsletter with upcoming events and new networking and job opportunities. Subscribe to the newsletter here.
To request an announcement or event be advertised in the newsletter, please complete this form.
2026 Awards Program
Encouraging and recognizing excellence in planning has been a key component of the American Planning Association (APA) since its inception. The St. Louis Metro Section Board of the Missouri Chapter of the APA invites all its members to submit nominations for the 2026 APA St. Louis Section Awards.
Nominations are due Friday, September 18, 2026 at 5:00 pm. To learn more, visit the awards page.
Contact
If you'd like to get involved or have any questions about upcoming events and opportunities, you can reach us at moapa.slms@gmail.com.
Committees
The St. Louis Metro Section's Board of Directors is comprised of numerous and ongoing working committees. Visit the page below to learn more about our committees' work and leadership.
Job Opportunities
If you'd like share a job opportunity with our members, please post for free on the APA Missouri job board. These listings are automatically included our weekly newsletter.
Section Sponsors
Our sponsors help support the section, allowing member programming, conferences, and support. We are grateful for their gratitude helping to provide programming for planners throughout the region every year.
Planning Education in the St. Louis Region
Saint Louis University recently decided to eliminate its Master of Science in Urban Planning & Development program, which has left the region with no formal planning degree program. A group of planners, educators, and leaders in the region are putting their heads together on how to move forward and are exploring avenues to continue educating planners in the St. Louis area.
In spring 2023, two Coro Fellows, Anahi Lopez and Adam Soliman, under the leadership of UMSL Professors Adriano Udani and Todd Swanstrom, published a report on the future of planning education in the St. Louis region. From the report's executive summary:
"We emphasize the need to develop a pipeline to educate and attract students in middle school, high school, and college as well as other community members to the planning profession. We also outline which institutions might consider hosting a planning education program, the model a program should adopt, and whether and how a program should begin the process of attaining accreditation. We conclude by offering next steps to obtain political and financial support and emphasizing the need to train planners who are also mindful of our region’s history.
To read the full report, click the link below: