Focus North Texas (FNT) is a one-day symposium providing training and continuing education relating to city planning.  Gathering attendees from across the world, but mostly from North Texas, city planners, elected and appointed officials, students, and citizen planners enjoy the reasonable cost of the FNT program, the high quality of the event, and its convenient location in the DFW Metroplex.

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FNT was started in 2010 by Brooks Wilson, AICP.  She was serving on the North Central Texas APA Board at the time with Abra Nusser, AICP (FNT2019 and FNT2020 Committee Co-Chair) among others, and recognized the need for a one-day regional training program.  Started right after the Great Recession, many planning departments and private firms were cutting back on travel and training.  It was thought that by eliminating travel and lodging costs, more people could get the training and continuing education they needed. It was held at the first of the year to ensure that those planners who needed CM Credits could still get the continuing education they needed in the "CM Grace Period."  A core group planned FNT that year and for years to come.

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Prior to 2019, FNT was hosted by the North Central Texas Section of the American Planning Association (NCTAPA) on the Dallas side of the DFW Metroplex.  In 2018, FNT was not held for the first time in seven years, but for 2019, the Midwest Texas Section of the APA (MWTAPA) and the NCTAPA combined forces to put on this affordable and regional training program together.  The sold-out event, held in a new centralized location in Irving, was a resounding success.  The two sections partnered again for #FNT2020, right before COVID-19 hit.  COVID stole #FNT2021 and #FNT2022, but FNT is BACK for #FNT2023!!

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As North Texas evolves, it becomes increasingly apparent that the imaginary line between the two APATX sections, generally splitting the east from the west, is arbitrary and does not make sense for most things.   The two North Texas sections of APA intend to partner on more events and programs together in the coming years.