APA-PA Southeast Section is compiling a list of agencies and organizations to partner with for future Southeast Section events. Please take a few moments to view the Prezi Chart (http://bit.ly/APAPASEpartnerchart) and add any contacts to the spreadsheet link located in its center or here at http://bit.ly/APAPASEpartners.
The Ohio State University is conducting a survey in order to understand the degree to which city planning professionals use mobile apps and smartphone and tablet devices. This survey is being undertaken to gain an understanding of the importance of mobile apps in the planning profession and how they can be adapted upon and used in the future to enhance the planning process.
This survey should take approximately 10 – 15 minutes to complete. Your responses to this survey will remain confidential. Each question is optional and you can choose not to answer any question.
Survey results will be used for academic research and practice recommendations. The information may also be used for journal articles and other important research projects in the future. This research study is being undertaken by Professor Evans-Cowley with The Ohio State University. For more information regarding this study please send an e-mail to cowley.11@osu.edu
APA has recently started a planning ethics blog: http://blogs.planning.org/
The blog is designed to highlight common ethical traps, provide memorable illustrations, and provide a platform for regular review and discussion of the AICP Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct, with particular focus on the Ethics Case of the Year. Discussion of ethics case studies should begin in late November 2013. If you are a member of AICP, the blog should be a periodic stop to revisit ethical issues. If you aren’t AICP, the blog will also touch on APA’s Principles, which are relevant to all citizen and professional planners.
The school year is off to a great start. To date 42 schools have signed up and have started designing their cities of the future. Hopefully there will be a few more schools that sign up before the October 31 deadline. After the jump is the current list of schools that need mentors:
A significant portion of Delaware County is served by SEPTA, which means that most County residents have access to a reliable transportation network to meet most of their transportation needs. In consideration of this fact, the Delaware County Planning Department has completed the 3rd edition of the Delaware County Public Transportation Map and Guide, which serves as a reference to SEPTA’s public transit system in Delaware County.
One side shows a map of all bus, regional rail, trolley, and high-speed rail services in Delaware County and certain routes in neighboring Chester and Montgomery Counties and the City of Philadelphia. The map also shows the locations of colleges, shopping centers, hospitals, state and county government office buildings, business centers and office parks, hotels and motels, senior care facilities, and parks and trails. Detailed inset maps show Media, the Darby and Chester Transportation Centers, the 69th Street Transportation Center, and Center City Philadelphia.
The core document or “blueprint” of municipal development decision making is the comprehensive plan. This advisory document forms the basis for the zoning ordinance, municipal land use and policy decisions, and the acquisition of land for public use. Comprehensive plans are carefully crafted with input from professional planners, local officials, business owners, and residents. The process of drafting these plans can last up to 18 months, with the finished plan providing dozens of recommendations to help aid local officials with municipal initiatives. Throughout the extensive process of drafting a plan, the greatest challenge for planners is formulating a plan that is a relevant document for local officials; that is, securing a place for the plan on the desk of the borough or township manager where it is frequently consulted for day-to-day decisions, and not just sitting on a shelf gathering dust.
A great week for job searching, especially if you’re an urban designer or real estater.
1) Entry-Level Urban Designer (Provisional) – Philadelphia City Planning Commission – Philadelphia
2) Urban Designer/Planner – WRT – Philadelphia
3) Program Associate, Community Planning & Development – Isles, Inc. – Trenton, NJ
4) Strategy & Sustainability Planner – SEPTA – Philadelphia
5) Senior Policy Associate – Philadelphia Works – Philadelphia
6) Analyst – Athenian Razak LLC – Philadelphia
7) Real Estate Associate – Doyle Real Estate Advisors – Philadelphia
8) Programs Director, Philadelphia Office – DREAM – Philadelphia POSITION FILLED!
9) Intern – Garden Justice Legal Initiative/Grounded in Philly – Philadelphia
10) Research Assistant – Camden Coalition of Healthcare Providers – Camden, NJ
11) Manager, Policy Communications – Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce – Philadelphia
12) Wetlands Project Coordinator – The Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University – Philadelphia
Full descriptions after the jump!
The 2012 William H. Bates Memorial Award for Outstanding Land Development went to a project in Glenolden Borough titled “Knowles Avenue Pedestrian Tunnel.” The project was completed by Stantec Engineers and nominated by Brian Hoover, Glenolden Borough manager.
The Delaware County Planning Commission is now accepting nominations for the 2013 William H. Bates Award for Outstanding Land Development. These awards, named for the late Chairman of the Delaware County Planning Commission, honor excellence in site planning, development practices, and innovative use of land resources.
We received the following note from our friends at DVRPC:
As many of you may have realized, access to data through the U.S. Census Bureau’s web site is not available during the current government shutdown. As an FYI, DVRPC has downloaded much of the 2006-2010 and 2007-2011 American Community Survey data for our nine-county region and for the entire Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, searchable at the links below.
ACS 2007-2011, nine-county region: http://www.dvrpc.org/asp/ACS2011/default.aspx
ACS 2006-2010, nine-county DVRPC region: http://www.dvrpc.org/asp/ACS2010/default.aspx
ACS 2006-2010, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania: http://www.dvrpc.org/asp/acs2010pa/default.aspx
