about Us

South Dakota Planners Association was created in 1989, it evolved from the Association of Planners and Geographers. As the State Planning Bureau was dissolved and reorganized to fulfill other responsibilities in the late 1970’s, the state comprehensive planning assistance functions with local units of government ceased to exist as did the original state planning association called the South Dakota Association of Planning Officials.  So, another institution was needed to help provide those functions. Over the years SDPA has hosted and co-hosted many trainings, a yearly conference and every 10 years or so a Western Planner Conference. It has become a very active and strong group--training planners, planning commissioners, and participating in the South Dakota legislative process as a voluntary sounding board as state statutes are revised and updated.