AICP Initiates New Requirements for Certification Maintenance Program

AICP has announced new mandatory educational requirements for the Certification Maintenance (CM) program. The update aims to ensure AICP’s certification remains relevant to the dynamic and ever-changing needs of today’s planners and communities. Under the previous iteration of the CM program, planners were required to obtain 32 CM credits during each two-year reporting period, with at least one and a half credits each in the areas of Law and Ethics. While the 32-credit requirement remains in place, the CM program update will require credits in two new topics, Equity and Sustainability and Resilience, which were identified by the AICP Commission as essential knowledge areas for planners.

First, a credit in Equity will now be mandatory to ensure planners are equipped to responsibly serve the public interest, expand choice and opportunity for all persons and plan for the needs of disadvantaged communities. The Equity credit will also encompass training on the topics of diversity and inclusion. The second new requirement, a credit in Sustainability and Resilience, recognizes the growing need for planners to help their communities prepare for climate change, cultivate resilience against natural disasters and promote sustainable growth and development. The Sustainability and Resilience credit is intentionally broad to account for the diverse needs of planners and their communities, as strategies and tools for resilience will vary depending on the geographic and socioeconomic characteristics of each community.

Since January 1, 2022, members of AICP have been able to log credits under the new topic areas for the current two-year reporting period. Prior to the close of the reporting period on December 31, 2023, AICP-certified planners will need to log 32 CM credits in total and one credit each in the areas of Equity, Sustainability and Resilience, Law and Ethics. Centralina Regional Council is prepared to help you meet your AICP CM requirements through our annual Centralina Learns program offerings. Centralina Learns sessions encompass a diverse range of planning topics, feature subject matter experts from the Centralina region and beyond, and offer a minimum of 1.5 CM credits per session. Preview the FY23 Centralina Learns curriculum below to start planning your CM credits for this reporting period and be on the lookout for session registration and pricing details in the next few weeks.