The Nominating Committee of the APA-PA Southeast Section Council is pleased to propose the following slate of candidates to serve a two-year term from 2013-2015. However, there is still room for any other member who wants to be considered for a position on the Council.
Save the Date: April 30: Greater Philadelphia Pedestrian and Bicycle Summit 2013
In the past five years, Philadelphia and neighboring communities have become increasingly supportive of residents, workers and visitors who chose travel by foot or bike. Multi-million dollar investments have been made across the region to both tie to together and expand our trail networks. Philadelphia neighborhoods have been actively building pedestrian enhancements, such as Parklets in North Philly and Pedestrian Plazas in University City. Philadelphia’s Mayor’s Office of Transportation and Utilities, in conjunction with the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission, invites you to celebrate, learn more about recent investments and emerging best practices at the Greater Philadelphia Pedestrian & Bicycle Summit.
A detailed agenda will be released in the coming weeks. If you are not able to attend the entire summit feel free to join us for sessions that most relevant to you. Morning sessions will focus on the region’s trail network and policies for protecting pedestrians. Afternoon sessions will focus on the expanding bicycle network, evolving best practices and standards and community investments in active transportation.
If you have any questions or concerns or if you would like to be placed on the summit’s email distribution list, please contact Ariel Ben-Amos at ariel.ben-amos@phila.gov or 215-686-9001.
Category: Upcoming Events /
Now Hiring: This Week’s Job Postings
Spring has sprung, and so have jobs!
1) Program Coordinator, Cultivating Communities Campaign – Health Promotion Council – Colmar, PA
2) Data Coordinator – Health Promotion Council – Philadelphia
3) Planner II – City of Wilmington, DE – Wilmington, DE
4) Parks & Recreation Community Organizer – Office of the Deputy Mayor Environmental & Community Resources/Parks & Recreation Commissioner – Philadelphia
5) GIS Specialist – Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission – Philadelphia
6) Director of Market Analysis and Research – Michael Salove Company – Philadelphia
7) Analyst, Policy and Resource Innovation – Philadelphia Industrial Development Corporation – Philadelphia
8) Deputy Director – Philadelphia LISC – Philadelphia
9) Executive Director – Norris Square Neighborhood Project, Inc. – Philadelphia
10) PA Watershed Restoration Manager – Chesapeake Bay Foundation – Harrisburg, PA
11) Performance Management Analyst – Health Commissioner’s Office – Philadelphia
12) Water Resources Design Professional – AKRF – Mt. Laurel, NJ
13) Project Manager, Data Services – Azavea – Philadelphia
Full descriptions after the jump!
April 5: Planning Movie Night and Environmental Planning Career Roundtable at PennDesign
PennDesign Student Council partnered with the APAPA-SE Mentoring Program on a planning movie night on April 5, 2013 at 8pm in the Meyerson Hall Lower Gallery. Promised Land, with Matt Damon and John Krasinski, about fracking in a rural Pennsylvania town.
This is an ideal event for mentors to get together with students and refreshments will be served. For the students, there will also be an Environmental Career Roundtable at 6:30pm in Meyerson B7 to coordinate with the movie subject. Representatives from the Delaware Regional Planning Commission, US Environmental Protection Agency, and Temple University Office of Sustainability will discuss environmental planning in the real world with planning students.
We hope to see you there! Please contact Lauren Trice at planningmentorpa@gmail.com with any questions.
March 8: Strategies for Older Suburbs Roundtable Series
Given the nation’s economic climate and looming fiscal constraints, many of us are looking for creative solutions to our communities’ problems. This Roundtable series, designed exclusively by and for Greater Philadelphia’s community and economic development professionals, invites you to share your challenges, bring your good ideas, and brainstorm answers to your colleagues’ tough questions.
The Roundtable is an in-person forum that harnesses the experience of our region’s community and economic development practitioners to improve Greater Philadelphia’s great places! While a guest speaker will kick-off each meeting, participants will shape the discussion.
Join us for our next Roundtable discussion on various strategies on how to engage local businesses and build a more unified downtown. Topics of discussion will include outreach strategies, incentives for businesses, and overall strategies for downtown businesses. David Rucki of DMR Consulting Solutions will lead the roundtable discussion.
Engaging Local Businesses to Build a Unified Downtown
David Rucki, DMR Consulting Solutions
Friday, March 8, 2013
Breakfast at 8:30 am; Program from 9:00 am – 11:00 am
Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission
8th Floor | ACP Building
190 N. Independence Mall West | Philadelphia, PA 19106
Please RSVP to Karen P. Cilurso, Senior Regional Planner, [ Kpcilurso@dvrpc.org]
Audubon/Outward Bound Education Center Proposal in Philadelphia – Comments Sought
The Philadelphia Parks and Recreation Commission (PaRC) is inviting public input on a proposal by the National Audubon Society, an international non-profit conservation organization, and Outward Bound Philadelphia, an affiliate of the national Outward Bound organization, to build an educational center for conservation and leadership development on the banks of the East Park Reservoir next to the Strawberry Mansion neighborhood. The Audubon/Outward Bound partnership is proposing to develop the 37 acres surrounding a man-made lake that was once part of Philadelphia’s water supply system. The elevated site, which runs along 33rd street in the Strawberry Mansion neighborhood, is closed to the public and largely hidden from view by chain link fencing and dense vegetation. Outward Bound Philadelphia is plans to use the new facility as its headquarters, while Audubon expects to establish a hub for research and science-based conservation projects and programs in the Philadelphia region. The facility will be known as the East Park Leadership and Conservation Center. Many entities have voiced their support for the proposal.
In compliance with the Open Lands Protection Ordinance, PaRC is conducting a review of the proposal with opportunity for the public to comment. View the Alternatives Analysis on the Parks and Recreation Department Web page; the link to the full PDF is posted in Announcements. To read and post online comments, Click Here. Those wishing to submit written comments may send them to PaRC via email at: parksandreccommiss@phila.gov . A public hearing on the Audubon/Outward Bound proposal is scheduled for the February 27, 2013 meeting of the Commission to be held at 6:00 p.m. at Mander Recreation Center, 2140 N. 33rd Street.
Category: General / Tags: Philadelphia
2013-2014 Academic Year Scholarships from APA-PA
Each year the Pennsylvania Chapter of the American Planning Association offers scholarships to support individuals in an effort to enhance planning at the local, regional, state, and national levels. The Chapter, and more specifically the Boards of the Pitkin Fund and the Leslie and Greta Spaulding Education Fund Trust, have released their annual application for scholarships. The deadline to apply for the 2013-2014 academic year scholarships is April 30, 2013. Recipients will be announced by June 30, 2013. In order to apply, candidates must meet the following eligibility requirements:
- The Applicant shall be a resident of Pennsylvania, or a student of a Pennsylvania institution, enrolled in a PAB accredited or planning related undergraduate or graduate program in Planning curriculum that has a demonstrated track record of preparing students to become Planners; and
- The Student shall be entering his or her junior or senior year in the fall semester or be enrolled in a graduate program; and
- The Student shall provide evidence of financial need by providing copy of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid or its renewal form; and
- The Student shall have demonstrated competent academic skills including a minimum 3.0 GPA as evidenced by transcripts and receive the recommendation of the program chairperson; and
- The Student shall demonstrate an intention to pursue a career in planning as described in an attached essay.
Full details on the scholarships and the application can be found on the PA Chapter’s student scholarships page.
March 14: Improving Connectivity
Registration is now open for the Improving Connectivity and System Function Through Local Planning seminar on March 14th at the Arcadia University King of Prussia Campus. The seminar is hosted by GVF in partnership with Parsons Brinckerhoff and the PA Chapter of the American Planning Association. Two CM credits are available for attending! Costs is only $15. Registration is from 8 to 8:30AM and program is from 8:30 to 10:30AM.
PennDOT’s new handbook on “Improving Connectivity and System Function through Local Planning” provides guidance to municipalities on how to enhance vehicular, bicycle, and pedestrian connectivity. This training offers an overview of the handbook and includes strategies to effectively regulate and manage a connected transportation network within a community including a review of connectivity index calculations and model ordinance language.
See attached flyer for more information. You can register here http://tinyurl.com/connectivity-seminar
Council Elections Are Just Around the Corner!
Last month we asked you to vote on a bylaw change clarifying our voting procedures. Voting is now closed and that bylaw change passed. With that behind us, it’s time to elect our 2013-2015 Section Council!
This spring the Southeast Section of APA-PA will hold its biennial election for the 2013-2015 term. The Council is responsible for a variety of functions including carrying out training programs, mentoring planning students, holding social events including the annual fall event, and disseminating planning information to our members via the internet throughout the year. Council members participate on various committees, including Program, Education & Scholarship, Student Mentoring, and the Professional Development Institute that sponsors AICP-credit quality events.
15 Free CMs AND Getting Social Media and App Savvy
TechniCity is an extensive, free Massive Online Open Course being taught this spring by Jennifer Evans-Cowley (The Ohio State University) and Tom Sanchez (Virginia Tech). This course begins by examining how our cities are changing, and then jumps into how technology is used to engage with the public to support decision-making. Participants will examine tools for analyzing the city, and explore the infrastructure that makes the real time city possible. The four week course has been approved for 15 hours of CM credit and starts on May 4th. More information is available here, and for a better idea of the course and Dr. Evans-Cowley’s work with social media and apps, follow Dr. Evans-Cowley on Twitter @EvansCowley or her blog.
