Archive for Committees

Earthfest 2018 – Planning & Youth Engagement

On an unseasonably cold and blustery April day, aspiring planners from the Temple Student Planning Organization (TSPO) – in partnership with APA Pennsylvania’s Southeast Section (APA PA SE) – hosted a booth at Temple University’s EarthFest.  The purpose of this annual event is to teach students about sustainability concepts and promote environmental awareness.  This year, the event honored Dr. Jeffrey Featherstone, founder of the Center for Sustainable Communities and professor in the Department of Planning and Community Development at Temple University.

 

TSPO volunteers led elementary and middle school students in an exercise designed to foster a discussion about planning and encourage them to think about how land can be sustainably developed.  Using an enlarged aerial map of the field in which they were standing, students were asked to guess what the map depicted. With impressive regularity, students correctly identified the location of the aerial.  Next, volunteers led a discussion of various types of development, culminating in students suggesting ideas for developing the field by placing sticky notes on the map. Some of the most compelling responses were “homes but cheap” and “a nature preserve,” though “swimming pool” seems to be the perennial favorite.  The APA brochure What Planners Do was also available at the booth and used to spark discussions with interested chaperones.

Each year, Temple University’s EarthFest provides an opportunity to engage with students and their families about the work that planners do to improve communities.  The participation of TSPO and APA PA SE in this event is a small but meaningful way in which the planning community can promote a greater understanding of the important role planning has in our society.

May 10: APA PA SE Council Meeting – All Welcome!

APA PA Southeast Section Council meeting
(held the second Thursday of every other month)
Thursday, May 10th, 2018

5:30 pm
STV Incorporated
1818 Market, Suite 1410
Philadelphia, PA 19103

Calling in?  Please use the following:
Toll free:  1-866-499-7054
Conference code: 735 289 0020

APA PA Southeast Section Council meeting (held the second Thursday of every other month)
Calling in?
Please use the: Toll free: 1-866-499-7054 Conference code: 735 289 0020
Please direct any agenda topics and/or questions to secretary@apapase.org.
If you are a voting member unable to attend, please email secretary@apapase.org.

June 7: APAPASE Events Committee Meeting

APAPASE Events Committee Meeting: June 7, 2018, 5:45 – 7:00 PM

 
Thursday, June 7, 2018
5:45 – 7:00 PM

Michael Baker Corporation
1818 Market Street
Suite 3110
Philadelphia, PA 19103 


Please RSVP at: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/apapase-events-committee-meeting-june-2018-tickets-41612060794 (A conference call option is also available).

Do you like to organize events like happy hours, walking tours, and educational events related to planning? Then join the APAPASE Events Committee and help us plan fun events! Come out and meet other planning professionals.

We would love to have volunteers to help with all aspects of the event-planning process, from brainstorming event ideas, coordinating with venues, ordering food/beverages, inviting speakers, advertising/marketing events, working the registration table, speaking at events, and conducting event follow up.

Of course, we’re always looking for event sponsors too (contact sponsorship@apapase.org). Service on Section Committees may be logged as pro bono planning service and may be counted towards your self-reported CM credits. Learn more at: https://www.planning.org/cm/logging/selfreport/probono/.

April 12: Join Queer Urbanist Exchange (QUE) Meetup

Queer Urbanist Exchange (QUE) is invites you to join our monthly meet up at Prohibition Taproom at 501 N. 13th Street, Philadelphia at 5:30 pm on Thursday, April 12. Since the weather didn’t agree with us last time, we’ll try it again. We are going to run out to check out the Reading Viaduct Rail Park at some point (or maybe in shifts).

Read more

Mar. 20: Join Queer Urbanist Exchange (QUE) Meetup

Queer Urbanist Exchange (QUE) is invites you to join our monthly meet up at Prohibition Taproom at 501 N. 13th Street, Philadelphia at 5:30 pm on Tuesday, March 20. We are going to run out to check out the Reading Viaduct Rail Park at some point (or maybe in shifts).

Facebook Event – https://www.facebook.com/events/191926611400267/

Meetup Event – https://www.meetup.com/Queer-Urbanist-Exchange/events/248259816/

Can’t make it?  Select your availability in April at https://doodle.com/poll/94wzdrk5nbq5stmb.

Read more

Feb. 26: Queer Urbanist Exchange (QUE) Quizzo Night

Queer Urbanist Exchange (QUE) is invites you to join our monthly meet up at Tavern at 243 S. Camac St. (Downstairs at Tavern on Camac) at 8:00 pm on Monday, February 26. Note we will be starting later than usual and meeting downstairs to join long time (maybe founding?) member Simone Allender for Quizzo at 8:30 pm, so stay for a drink or bring your trivia knowledge. It was really popular in December and one of our teams won.

We’re going to do brief updates on our projects before quizzo starts (around 8:15). Please come with ideas of things you’d like to see the group participate in. If you’re interested in seeing more, check out our Meeting Notes from our past meetings.

Read more

Don’t forget to apply to APA’s Ambassador Program by December 31

As the end of year quickly approaches, so is the December 31 deadline to apply to become an APA Ambassador.  This important initiative is designed to encourage future planners with diverse racial, ethnic, and cultural backgrounds.  The application is short and easy to fill out, even during the end of year crunch.  Participation in the program will provide valuable skills and earn you up to 8 pro-bono AICP CM credits in 2018.

Check out our previous blog post with all the important information on the application and details of the program.  You can apply as an individual or as a team.  Contact Al Beatty at ab5562@nyu.edu if you would like to join the local team of ambassadors.  Thank you Al for stepping up to be a regional team leader!

Post Authored by: Maggie Rwakazina

(Image from APA Ambassador’s blog: https://www.planning.org/blog/blogpost/9127770)

CM Credits for Pro Bono Planning Service

AICP members can obtain up to eight CM Credits for Pro Bono Planning Service, as outlined on the APA National website at https://www.planning.org/cm/logging/selfreport/probono

APA Future City Mentorship could relate to these allowed activities:

  • Planning-related support to groups that lack adequate planning resources, including service that expands choices and opportunities for everyone.
  • Planning to meet the needs of the disadvantaged and to promote racial and economic integration.
  • Mentoring the development of students, interns, beginning professionals, colleagues, and members of underrepresented groups to help them advance in the planning profession.

Future City Mentors Needed – One Month until Competition Day

Downingtown Middle School – Honorable Mention at the 2017 Future City Philadelphia Regional Competition (Source: futurecityphilly.org)

If you’ve been looking for a way to give back this holiday season, become a Future City mentor for a school in your community. 10 Future City Philadelphia teams still need mentors, and the students could really use your support in the final days leading up to the regional competition. Students must prepare a model of an “Age-Friendly City” to present in front of a panel of judges on Saturday, January 20, 2018.

As a planner, you can provide meaningful feedback and assistance as the students creatively tackle this topic.

The following 10 middle schools need mentors:

  • Eisenhower – Norristown
  • Keith Valley – Horsham
  • Mother Teresa – King of Prussia
  • Murray Avenue – Huntingdon Valley
  • St Albert the Great – Huntingdon Valley
  • St Elizabeth – Uwchlan
  • Helena – Blue Bell
  • Ignatius – Yardley
  • WCPA Homeschool Group – Pleasant Mount
  • Windsor Christian Academy – Uwchlan

Sign up to mentor one of these teams here.

Check out our latest post for a refresher on the Philadelphia Regional Future City Competition.

CM Credits for Pro Bono Planning Service

AICP members can obtain up to eight CM Credits for Pro Bono Planning Service, as outlined on the APA National website at https://www.planning.org/cm/logging/selfreport/probono

APA Future City Mentorship could relate to these allowed activities:

  • Planning-related support to groups that lack adequate planning resources, including service that expands choices and opportunities for everyone.
  • Planning to meet the needs of the disadvantaged and to promote racial and economic integration.
  • Mentoring the development of students, interns, beginning professionals, colleagues, and members of underrepresented groups to help them advance in the planning profession.

 

APA and AARP Partnering on Aging and Livable Communities Initiative

APA’s International Division has received a grant to partner with AARP International to implement the Divisions’ Council initiative, Aging and Livable Communities. The initiative seeks to educate planners regarding awareness building techniques, tools and best practices for planners from the US-focused research of APA’s earlier efforts under the initiative to those that can be gleaned from researching internationally.

APA’s LGBTQ & Planning Division is participating in the project to learn from existing initiatives that may provide insight on how best to plan for LGBTQ seniors and their needs and also to provide information to the project team regarding issues that LGBTQ persons encounter as they age.

Read more

Sponsor APA Pennsylvania Southeast for 2018

The work and programs by the Southeast Section of the Pennsylvania Chapter of the American Planning Association (APAPASE) aren’t possible without the support of our sponsors. We are releasing sponsorships now for organizations who prefer to take advantage of end of year giving, but are always happy to work with new sponsors.

The sponsorship levels are laid out in our 2018 Sponsorship Package. If you would like to discuss a custom sponsorship, simply contact sponsorship@apapase.org to start the discussion.

Read more