APA - PA Southeast Section | Blog, Upcoming Events, and Jobs

Submit a Nomination for APAPASE Section Council

April 24, 2023 / APAPA-SE / Comments Off

This summer we will hold elections for American Planning Association, Pennsylvania Chapter, Southeast Section (APA PA SE) Officers and Council members. Nominate a friend, nominate a colleague, nominate yourself! All nominations are due NO later than May 12th to elections@apapase.org!

We are taking nominations for Chair, Vice Chair, Treasurer, Secretary, 6-7 Professional Planners, and 2-3 Citizen Planners.

The four Section Council Officer positions consist of President, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer. Chair provides leadership and guides the development of the chapter, the Vice Chair assists, the Treasurer maintains the budget and all financial matters, while the Secretary administers the documentation and membership of the organization.
A Professional Planner is an individual earning a majority of their income practicing planning or who is retired from such occupation. Professional planners are required to be a member of the Pennsylvania Chapter of APA.
A Citizen Planner is any appointed or elected official who is involved in planning decisions for the betterment of a state, region, county, city or municipality; an individual who has an interest in furthering the purposes of Association, but who is not a Professional Planner (for example, planning commissioner, planning official, zoning board member, Philadelphia RCO zoning representative, or similar). Elected citizen planners will receive complementary membership to the Pennsylvania Chapter of APA.

If you are interested in serving either in an Officer or Council member position:

New members welcome! No previous experience required.
AICP not required to join the board.
Review the Chapter Bylaws for descriptions of the Officer and Council member duties and responsibilities.
Determine if your schedule will allow sufficient time for the position, generally 1-3 hours/month.
Speak with current Officers or Council members regarding any questions or concerns.
Submit a nomination and candidate statement (600 words max) to the Nominating Committee no later than May 12th at: elections@apapase.org. You may also submit a photo.

The official elections ballot will be distributed online during the summer by APA national to coincide with their election and voting will end in early September. The results of the election shall be published for Section members in October, with official terms to start in January 2024.

Please visit the APAPA-Southeast Section website for more information about the section.

Category: Featured, General /

May 9 – From Data to Funding: Accelerating 10-Minute Walk in Pennsylvania

April 10, 2023 / APAPA-SE / Comments Off

Date – May 9, 2023

Time – 11am-12pm ET

Title – From Data to Funding: Accelerating 10-minute Walk in Pennsylvania

Zoom link – https://tpl.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_F5v0MfmeR36fhaFTMYSl-g

Description – Local, state and federal funding sources are critical to preserving Pennsylvania’s green spaces, land, water, and natural character, and to develop parks for current and future residents throughout the state. This webinar will look at statewide 10-minute walk data, Pennsylvania’s park equity gaps, potential funding sources, and examples of successful grants and projects.

Category: Upcoming Events, Webinar /

NPC 23 – Call for Volunteers!

March 23, 2023 / APAPA-SE / Comments Off

The NPC Merchandise Subcommittee is in need of volunteers to help staff the APA-PA merchandise table. All volunteers will receive a FREE conference T-shirt!

Volunteers are asked to staff the table for at least one 1.5 hour shift. Please indicate your availability to volunteer via this doodle poll – https://doodle.com/meeting/participate/id/avQEEYLe.

Category: Upcoming Events /

Deadline March 8th: Student Scholarship to Attend NPC 2023

March 7, 2023 / APAPA-SE / Comments Off

The Student Representatives Council (SRC) is providing $1000 to sponsor students to come to NPC23. The application is due March 8 – apply here!

The Student Representatives Council (SRC) firmly believes that the National Planning Conference (NPC) is a valuable experience for students and emerging planners to form meaningful connections with peers and other professionals, gain relevant knowledge, and amplify student and emerging planner voices as the future of the planning profession. However, the SRC acknowledges that there often are significant financial and logistical barriers to in-person conference attendance. This year, the SRC is pleased to announce that we will be able to sponsor students for up to $1,000 to attend NPC2023.

Eligibility Criteria – This opportunity is open to all students and emerging planners, with an emphasis on those who come from traditionally underrepresented backgrounds. You should be able to attend at least the entire in-person conference (April 1-4 in Philadelphia) and ideally the online conference as well (April 26-28).

Application Details – Applications will be due by midnight on March 8th. Awardees will be announced in later in March. There are a limited number of Sponsorship slots. This year, we hope to support two students, but the exact number is to be determined.

Sponsorship Expectations – There will be certain expectations to be fulfilled by the awardee during and after the conference. During the in-person conference, the awardee will be required to fulfill the following expectations: attend one (1) official NPC mobile workshop, take at least ten (10) photos of their time at NPC and share them with APA (images will become property of APA), meet up with their APA sponsor (information provided upon award), and complete your two (2) self-determined goals (see application below). In addition, after the conference, the attendee will write a 500-word blog post reflecting on their experience for online publication.

For questions or comments, please reach out to the SRC using this address: apastudentsrepcouncil@gmail.com.

Selection for this program is an honor, and the SRC is proud to offer this opportunity. We hope you will apply!

Category: Grants and Funding /

April 1st: APA PA Social Event

March 5, 2023 / APAPA-SE / Comments Off

APA PA is hosting a social event on April 1st from 6 to 8 PM at the Racquet Club. This social aims to connect planning professionals from all over country. Light appetizers and drinks will be available.

Registration is $10 for PA APA members and $20 for non-members.

The Racquet Club of Philadelphia 215 South 16th Street Philadelphia, PA 19102

Category: Upcoming Events /

Feb. 23 – APA PA SE Mentor Mixer

February 8, 2023 / APAPA-SE / Comments Off

It’s back! APAPA-SE will be holding another planning mentor mixer for Philadelphia area planning students and professionals to share information about professional development, career paths, and how to succeed in any kind of planning field.

RSVP by Tuesday February 21st!

Students? We invite you to join us! Bring your burning questions, grand ideas, and thoughts about how you hope to reach your professional development goals.

Professionals? We need you too! Sign up to lead discussions with students and pass along your knowledge of success and pitfalls. We’re looking for a wide variety of planning professionals in all fields to speak with students.

Catered refreshments will be available.

APAPA-SE Planning Mentor Mixer
Thursday, February 23
6:30 PM – 8:00 PM

Temple University Center City Campus
1515 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA 19102
Room 320

Students and professionals should both RSVP by February 17^th on Eventbrite: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/apa-pa-se-mentoring-mixer-spring-2023-registration-515204228717

Category: Upcoming Events /

Feb. 14: Strategies to Advance Park Equity in Rural Areas

January 26, 2023 / APAPA-SE / Comments Off

Park Equity in Rural Areas

Webinar | Tuesday, February 14, 2023 | 11:00am – 12:00pm EST

Rural communities are facing a host of challenges, including loss of population; economic dislocation and traditional industries shed jobs; and loss of young people and an educated workforce. The recreation economy is one path towards revitalizing rural communities. The workshop will highlight cases, such as building and protecting trails in rural areas in Pennsylvania.

CONFIRMED SPEAKERS

Christine Detorre – Regional Advisor, Department of Conservation and Natural Resources
Owen Franklin – Vice President, Regional Director, Trust for Public Land
Owen Worozbyt – Operations Director and Trail Manager, Lackawanna Heritage Valley Authority

REGISTRATION LINK: bit.ly/3Xg3P5q

Category: Upcoming Events, Webinar /

Register Today for NPC23!

January 19, 2023 / APAPA-SE / Comments Off

Sip on this…Registration is now open!

It’s only January, but NPC23 Philadelphia and NPC23 Online, will be here before you know it. The National Planning Conference is being offered in two distinct, complementary experiences.

NPC23 will be held in Philadelphia April 1-4, and NPC23 Online can be streamed from your favorite chair April 26-28. Experience refreshing conversations while new ideas bubble up in a variety of learning settings.

Don’t miss the opportunity to register early and save.

What’s in it for you?

This year’s NPC content will focus on how the planning community can lead the way to develop solutions to today’s most pressing problems. The experience will be empowering, educational, and inspirational.

You can count on:

Content that is relevant and interesting
Experiential learning environments through Mobile Workshops
Case studies that shine a light on real experiences
Connection to your community and expand your network

Hope to see you in Philadelphia or Online!

Category: CM Credits, Upcoming Events /

December Annual Event Reflection

January 17, 2023 / APAPA-SE / Comments Off

Over 60 APAPA-SE members gathered at Daniel’s Restaurant and Bar in Conshohocken on December 8 for the 2022 Southeast Section Annual Meeting and to celebrate the retirement of Barry Seymour from the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission. Meeting attendees enjoyed networking opportunities and casual conversations while enjoying a multip

le course dinner and drinks from Daniel’s bar. Meeting highlights included an overview of the state of the chapter and information about the upcoming national conference from Alexis Williams, section president, presentation of the 2022 Southeast Section Student Paper Awards by Rebecca Ross, Education committee chair, and an in-depth conversation with Barry Seymour led by Matthew Popek, Events committee chair. A great time was had by all!

We plan to have our 2023 annual event in the fall, likely in Philadelphia. We hope you will consider joining us to enjoy the comradery, meet fellow planners (both new and seasoned), hear about a diverse skill base in planning from fellow attendees, and have some good food and drink. Watch our section’s social media pages for a Save the Date announcement later this year.