SCIPP’s Simple Planning Tool (SPT) for Oklahoma Climate Hazards received the Oklahoma Chapter of the American Planning Association’s (APA) 2019 award for Outstanding Public Outreach, Program, Project, Tool, or Community Initiative. The award category emphasizes results and demonstrates how innovative and state-of-the-art planning methods and practices help create communities of lasting value. Jurors from Oklahoma, Arkansas, Texas, North Carolina, and Vermont reviewed all of the award nominations. The award was presented at the Quad State APA conference in Tulsa, Oklahoma on October 10, 2019. Rachel Riley accepted the award on behalf of SCIPP. Paula Dennison, Assistant City Manager for the City of Stillwater and Rob Hill, Director of Emergency Management for the City of Stillwater were key practitioners involved in the development of the SPT and nominated the tool for the award. Mr. Hill joined Ms. Riley at the awards gala to accept the award.
The SPT was developed in 2017 and 2018 through collaborations with planners and emergency managers across the state of Oklahoma. There is also a version for Arkansas that was developed collaboratively with planners and emergency managers in that state. More information about the SPT can be found here.