Glendale CDD Best in California

From the left: Principal Urban Designer Alan Loomis, Director Hassan Haghani, APA CA 

President Brooke Peterson & Senior Planner Kristen Asp . 

The California Chapter of the American Planning Association (APA) recognized the City's Community Development Department as the #1 Department of its kind in the entire state of California. The award comes after the Los Angeles Chapter of APA recognized the department as the best in Los Angeles County. Under the leadership of Hassan Haghani, CDD stands above others because it provides innovative, high‐quality, and effective planning and outreach services to the community. CDD has successfully continued to improve its level and quality of service despite significant downsizing due to the economic recession and dissolution of redevelopment.

In 2007 Hassan Haghani became director of Glendale’s Planning Department. He embarked on a mission to transform the department into a design‐centered, goal‐oriented, community‐supported agency that was integrated both internally and with other City departments providing related community services. Starting in 2010, the Planning Department merged with the Neighborhood Services, Housing, Redevelopment, and Building & Safety Divisions to form the current CDD. The integrated Department now contains full in‐house teams addressing planning, urban design, community outreach and engagement, neighborhood problem solving, housing development and housing services, building regulation and the implementation of key community development projects.

This recognition comes as no surprise since each of the Department’s divisions have been recognized regionally for their exceptional programs.  CDD has won numerous awards including the Beacon Awards for sustainability, AIA California Chapter Urban Design Award, LA Conservancy Awards, and the California Building Officials’ Building Department of the Year Award. Additionally, CDD has received the SCAG Compass Blueprint Presidents Excellence Award twice since it’s inception in 2007 (past awards).

APA is an independent educational organization that provides leadership in the development of communities by advocating excellence in planning, promoting education and citizen empowerment.