The Wisconsin Chapter of the American Planning Association (APA WI) announced recently its juried selection of 2024 Planning Excellence Award winners. MSA is pleased to share that Vanessa Abou Harb, Assistant Planner II in our firm’s Madison office, has been chosen to receive an award in the Student Project category for her “Analysis of Madison’s Isthmus Lakeshore Accessibility” developed under the Department of Planning and Landscape Architecture at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

APA WI awards recognize studies, documents, tools and individuals that exemplify creative visioning, engagement, design and leadership within the planning profession. Submissions are evaluated on the criteria of Originality and Innovation; Potential Added Value; and Comprehensiveness.

Abou Harb’s “Analysis of Madison’s Isthmus Lakeshore Accessibility” is a comprehensive analysis of lakeshore accessibility in the isthmus area, the landmass stretching between Lake Monona and Lake Mendota in the central Madison. Her study evaluates lakeshore accessibility design barriers through the lens of urban design, environmental sustainability and community development. The study proposes a multi-benefit approach to improvements, identifying policies and a pilot park design that enhance access, safety, comfort and inclusivity along the lakeshore.

Vanessa joined MSA in June, 2024. She holds a master’s degree in Urban and Regional Planning from the University of Wisconsin-Madison where she specialized in Sustainable Community Development, and prior, earned a bachelor’s degree in Architecture from the Lebanese American University in Byblos, Lebanon. Vanessa is a Fulbright Scholar through the U.S. Department of State and was awarded the Jake R. Huddleston Award for Best Professional Project from UW-Madison in 2024, among other accolades.

“I am truly humbled by my selection and honored to receive this award from APA Wisconsin,” comments Abou Harb. “Receiving this award feeds into my passion for the urban planning profession and gives me even more motivation to contribute to the betterment of our communities. This award is also a great attestation to the importance of this topic — waterfront accessibility — a topic very dear to my heart and to the heart of local and global communities alike.”

This year’s APA WI planning awards recognized eight winning projects in four categories across the state of Wisconsin. All award winners were formally celebrated at an awards ceremony September 12 at the APA WI Annual Conference in Madison, Wisconsin.