Archive for General

June 7: Healthy Communities Collaborations

A Healthy Communities movement is growing in Philadelphia!

Join FitCityPHL on Thursday, June 7th from 8:00am – 9:30am at One Parkway, 1515 Arch Street, 18th Floor, Room 18-028, Philadelphia, PA 19102 to hear from the multi-sector collaborations creating this energy.

REGISTER at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/fitcityphl-collaborations-tickets-45936233511

All the momentum around designing places where residents live, work, and play to increase health have generated multiple cross-sector collaborations in the area. These stakeholder groups all share the goal to pull together public health professionals with the design sector to create Healthy Communities. On June 7th FitCityPHL will bring together the leadership of five stakeholder groups so you can learn how they’re working to increase public health through design.

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May 8: Join Queer Urbanist Exchange (QUE) Meetup

Queer Urbanist Exchange (QUE) is invites you to join our monthly meet up at Independence Beer Garden (100 S Independence Mall West, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19106) at 5:30 pm on Tuesday May 8, 2018. It is a good outdoor space, with cover in case of rain.

Help spread the word!

Facebook Event – https://www.facebook.com/events/2116644305042415/

Meetup Event – https://www.meetup.com/Queer-Urbanist-Exchange/events/250177580/

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2018 Great Places in Pennsylvania Nominations Open

The PA Chapter of the American Planning Association recently kicked-off its 2018 Great Places in Pennsylvania Program.  Great Places are unique, memorable places where people want to be – not only to visit, but to live, work and/or play every day.  They serve as a model that other communities want to emulate – places of exemplary character, quality planning, identity, cultural interest and community involvement with a sustainable vision for the future.

Nominations are now open and we’re seeking the nomination of Great Public Spaces and Great Greenways/Trails. If you know a special public space or greenway/trail that truly stands out in what it offers residents and visitors, NOMINATE IT!!!!  A Great Place in your community demonstrates the importance of planning, provides an opportunity for promotion and tourism, and illustrates how local policies and projects strengthen our communities.

You can view the Program Guidelines, Category Criteria and Nomination Form on the APA PA website. The Great Places in PA 2018 Program Announcement Flyer also contains links to the Program materials and the Nomination Form. The deadline for Nominations is April 17, 2018.

Great Places in PA 2018 Prg Announcement Flyer

Rick Collier Named to AICP College of Fellows (FAICP)

Richard (Rick) Collier has achieved the planning profession’s highest honor by being named to the prestigious American Institute of Certified Planners College of Fellows (FAICP) for his outstanding achievements in environmental planning. Fellowship is granted to planners who have achieved certification through the American Institute of Certified Planners, and have achieved excellence in professional practice, teaching and mentoring, research, public and community service, and leadership. Invitations to join the College of Fellows come after a thorough nomination and review process, ensuring the candidate has had a positive, long-lasting impact on the planning profession.

Mr. Collier is a career planner specializing in environmental planning, land use, site design, and resource protection for the public/private sector spending the first half of career at WRT and the latter half in private practice as a principal of LandConcepts Group, LLC which he helped establish in 1998.  He has been a board member of the APA PA SE Section for over 20 years, serving as Treasurer, and also actively serves on several other boards and associations including the Wissahickon Valley Watershed Association, PennDesign (U of PA) Alumni Association, Upper Dublin Planning Board, Temple Ambler Arboretum Advisory Committee, Princeton Regional Planning Board (serves as an advisor), and Carson Valley School for disadvantaged children.  He has led numerous resource and preservation plans and projects across the country and internationally; several of which have won awards.  Rick is also an active planning instructor, teaching courses for APA, U of PA, Temple University (Center for Sustainable Communities), Drexel University, and Montgomery County Land Trust.

Mar. 8: APA PA SE Council Meeting – All Welcome!

Everyone is welcome to join the APA PA Section Council meetings, which are held the second Thursday of every other month, with our next one on:

 

APA PA Southeast Section Council meeting
(held the second Thursday of every other month)
Thursday, March 8th, 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

To attend, please register at the EventBrite page.

Featured Job Listing: Transportation Planner

DVPRC is looking for a new transportation planner! Click here for the full description.

RFP: 12th Street Connector Alignment Study

Click here for the RFP: 12th_St_ConnectorRFP_1_19_18

Future City Philadelphia Event Day Volunteers Needed

DiscoverE’s Future City® Competition is a non-profit educational program that asks middle school students to imagine, design, and build cities of the future. Participating STEM teams across the country compete once a year in a regional competition in January. Finalists then proceed to present their projects at the National Competition during National Engineers Week in February in Washington, D.C.

48 teams will be competing in the Philadelphia Regional Competition on January 20, 2018. The theme of this year’s competition is “The Age-Friendly City,” and students will be showcasing their age-friendly table models to Special Awards Judges in the morning and presenting to a panel of 4 Finals Judges in the afternoon. The effort of amazing and dedicated volunteers makes Future City Philadelphia a success each year.

Competition support on the day of the event is very valuable to the teams, judges, and organizers. It’s truly a unique opportunity to participate in such a positive event surrounded by fresh ideas (read this post from one of last year’s APA volunteers: https://apapase.org/?p=2862). We encourage our members to sign up as volunteers for this great program.

Please sign up to volunteer here, whether judging your special award or signing up for other roles. Select “General Volunteer” if you wish to provide competition day support with any task needed. You will receive information, directions, and other details regarding your role when you arrive at the competition from the volunteer coordinator or model/presentation judging coordinator. Almost all volunteer roles are needed only in the morning.

WHEN:                 Saturday, January 20, 2018

8:45 AM — Opening Announcement

9:00 to 12:00 PM — Preliminary judging; special awards evaluation

1:15 PM — Announcement of Finalists

1:30 to 3:30 PM — Final judging (oral presentations, questions from judges)

3:30 to 4:30 PM — Awards ceremony and announcement of regional winning teams

 

WHERE:               Archbishop Carroll High School

                            211 Matsonford Road, Radnor, PA 19087

 

 

Looking for an AICP Study Group?

A study group is forming for those taking the May 2018 AICP Exam. If you’re interested in joining the group and learning more, please contact Hailey Stern at hailey.stern@phila.gov.

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.