Continuing Education Opportunities – May and June 2026

May and June bring new opportunities for learning and connection, including four in-person events in Seattle, Vancouver, Wenatchee, and Burlington. Take advantage of the excellent (and free!) continuing education programming happening across Washington in the final weeks of spring.

 APA WA Puget Sound Section Professional Development Event

Date: May 7, 2026
Time: 5:00 PM – 8:00 PM
CM Credits: 1.0 CM (pending)
Cost: Free
Location: In person; Seattle Central Library, 1000 4th Avenue Seattle, WA 98104
Organizer: APA WA Puget Sound Section
Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/apa-wa-puget-sound-section-professional-development-event-tickets-1987465359391?aff=oddtdtcreator

Description: Join us for the Puget Sound Section’s first event of 2026! The Professional Development Event is a free in-person event at Seattle Central Library. Light refreshments will be provided.
The event will include networking opportunities, a brief presentation from the Puget Sound Section Board highlighting upcoming plans and events, and a panel discussion on Legislative Highlights. This will be an opportunity for attendees to hear about the Spring Legislative session, and to ask questions from our panelists.
Panel members include:

• Anne Fritzel, Housing Section Manager, Washington State
• Chris Collier, Government Relations Director for the Housing Authority of Snohomish County (HASCO), and Vice Chair of the APA WA Legislative Committee
• Marcella Buser, State Organizer, Futurewise

Event Program:

5:00 – 5:30 pm: Networking
5:30 – 6:00 pm: Welcome, overview of APA WA PSS plans for 2026
6:00 – 7:00 pm: Panel discussion and questions
7:00 – 8:00 pm: Networking

Reimagining the Industrial Past: Context-Sensitive Design in the 2026 APA Student Competition

Date: May 7, 2026
Time: 10:00 AM – 11:30 AM
CM Credits: 1.5 CM
Cost: Free
Location: Online
Organizer: APA Urban Design & Preservation Division
Register: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_-otxEJwlSU2yzMeLHBN3BQ#/registration

Description: This year's Student Planning and Design Competition focused on the Division-Schoolcraft neighborhood along the Joe Louis Greenway in the NPC26 host City of Detroit. Situated northwest of downtown, the competition site is bisected by a newly completed section of the JLG and diverse land uses ranging from light industrial to vacant school buildings with established neighborhoods in between. This site presents a model opportunity to explore sensitive and strategic infill solutions while complementing the existing neighborhoods and facilitating growth of jobs through the rebirth of light manufacturing. Join us post-NPC conference with representatives of the three student team finalists and members of the final jury to discuss the student work and the broader response to reimagining the industrial past.

Introduction to Land Use Planning for Wildfires in Washington

Organizer: Community Wildfire Planning Center

The Community Wildfire Planning Center (CWPC), in partnership with other agencies and organizations, is offering two in-person training opportunities in Washington in June 2026. Trainings are intended to promote cross-disciplinary learning on topics related to wildfire hazard and risk, the wildland-urban interface, and land use planning tools and strategies. Trainings feature speakers with national, state, and local expertise and highlight state resources, planning requirements, and best practices and includes peer learning opportunities. Trainings are intended for land use planners, fire marshals, fire chiefs, building officials, wildfire mitigation specialists, and other professionals engaged in planning, development review/approval, or mitigation activities.

Attendees who participate in this training will:

• Be able to define and distinguish between key terms associated with wildfire and the wildland-urban interface (WUI)
• Understand wildland fire and WUI concepts and mitigation best practices
• Identify specific land use planning tools and how they can address WUI concerns
• Understand minimum state-level planning and regulatory requirements to comply with current or future state laws
• Apply best practices that go above and beyond minimum requirements
• Learn about resources and programs to support implementation

Vancouver, WA Training
Date: June 2, 2026
Time: 8:30 AM – 4:30 PM
CM Credits: 6.0 CM | 1.0 Sustainability and Resilience CM
Cost: Free
Location: Heathman Lodge: 7801 Northeast Greenwood Drive, Vancouver, WA
Register: https://communitywildfire.org/events/an-introduction-to-land-use-planning-for-wildfires-in-washington-vancouver-clark-county/

Wenatchee, WA Training
Date: June 4, 2026
Time: 8:30 AM – 4:30 PM
CM Credits: 6.0 CM | 1.0 Sustainability and Resilience CM

Cost: Free
Location: Confluence Technology Center: 285 Technology Center Way #102, Wenatchee, WA
Register: https://communitywildfire.org/events/an-introduction-to-land-use-planning-for-wildfires-in-washington-wenatchee-chelan-county/

Washington Planners’ Forums

The Planners’ Forums are a combined effort on behalf of the Department of Commerce, the Planning Association of Washington, and the Washington Chapter of the American Planning Association to educate and support planners throughout our state with new and important topics to planning. More information about Planners’ Forums can be found on the Department of Commerce’s website.

The following Planners’ Forum events are coming soon:

Southwest Planners’ Forum

Date: May 7, 2026
Time: 9:00 AM – 11:15 AM
CM Credits: 1.5 CM
Cost: Free
Location: Online
Register: https://wastatecommerce.zoom.us/meeting/register/IZpii9b6QfiS-tsKodyRmQ#/registration
Description: Topics for the forum will include:

• WA Department of Commerce Energy Division – Data Center Workgroup
• WA Department of Ecology – Data Center Regulatory Framework
• Quincy, WA – Local Government Data Center Case Study

Northwest Planners’ Forum

Date: May 19, 2026
Time: 9:00 AM – 11:15 AM
CM Credits: 1.5 CM
Cost: Free
Location: In-person at Burlington City Hall Council Chambers, 833 S. Spruce St., Burlington, WA
Register: https://app.smartsheet.com/b/form/019d63a11e707ce19f010fb4a595fbdd
Description: Topics for the forum will include:

• Lessons learned from Skagit County 2025 floods
• WWU Senior Urban Planning Studio
• Updates to Regional Floodplains and Estuaries Implementation Strategy

Explore more CM credit opportunities using the CM Search function on the APA website.

Stay Connected
For questions or to share ideas for future training opportunities, contact Katie Enders, APA WA Continuing Education Chair, at [email protected].