Dec. 13: SketchUp Training

November 30, 2012 / Abigail Poses / Comments Off

Join APAPASE on Thursday December 13th from 5:30-7:30 at DVRPC (190 N. Indepdence Mall West, 8th Floor) for a training on how to use SketchUp, the 3D modelling program. The session will be taught by Adam Tecza of Group Melvin Design.

The training will provide real world examples of how the program can be useful for planning professionals and will include a follow-along demonstration of SketchUp tools needed to produce visually interesting yet informative graphics. The training will cover the basic drawing tools; how to create basic building/structural massing; how to add architectural details; and, how to integrate Google SketchUp with Google Earth, among others.

Registration is limited to 18 people and is $20/person. Light refreshments will be provided.

To register, click on the link: http://sketchupapapase.eventbrite.com

All participants MUST:

Bring their own laptop with SketchUp already downloaded onto it (go to http://sketchup.google.com/download/ for the free download)
Bring an external mouse

Category: Upcoming Events / Tags: events, resources, urban design

Deadline This Week!: APAPA Announces $2K Professional Development Scholarship

November 28, 2012 / Susan Elks / Comments Off

APAPA is proud to announce that through the generosity of Jerry S. Walls, FAICP, a new professional development award is available. Applications are being accepted through November 30. The Jerry S. Walls, FAICP Planning Professional Development Award encourages the pursuit of professional development, and one scholarship in the amount of $2,000.00 will be awarded this year to a Pennsylvania applicant who:

– demonstrates commitment in the field of community planning,
– involvement in public sector planning, and
– a desire to enhance their expertise and/or develop new skills.

A variety of training or coursework is eligible under the guidelines, so if you’ve been putting off classes to brush-up on your GIS skills or wondering how to pay for an APA Planners Training Service workshop – this is your opportunity! Details on the application process are available for download after the jump. Requirements include a resume and a narrative explaining what the funding would be used for and how you fit the guidelines. Recommendations and supporting documents are optional.

Download: 526_JerryWallsPlanningAward092812

Category: General / Tags: resources

Jan. 14-17: Northeast Organic Farming Association (NOFA) Organic Land Care Program Comes to Philadelphia

November 20, 2012 / APAPA-SE / Comments Off

The NOFA Organic Land Care Program will hold its first accreditation course in the Philadelphia region, co-sponsored by the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society.

A new market opportunity is growing for land care professionals. The growing awareness of the hazards of pesticides and subsequent legislation prohibiting pesticide use makes a thorough knowledge of organic garden and landscape care a must for industry insiders. Landscaping professionals, landscape architects, master horticulturists, business owners, environmental educators and others are invited to participate in this 4-day, 30-hour course which teaches the principles of organic land care design and maintenance.

The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society

100 N. 20th Street – 5th Floor

Philadelphia, PA 19103

January 14-17, 2013

Registration is not yet open, but please e-mail kristiane@ctnofa.org for more information. The course fee is $550; group discount and payment plan options are available. Each day runs from 8:00am – 5:00pm, includes catered lunch, and two 15-minute breaks. An optional accreditation exam will be given at the conclusion of the course. Those who pass the exam can become NOFA Accredited Organic Land Care Professionals. Additional information can be found at http://www.organiclandcare.net/

Category: Upcoming Events / Tags: environment and sustainability, events, resources

Read the 2012 Student Scholarship Award-Winning Papers

November 19, 2012 / APAPA-SE / Comments Off

This first place team from the University of Pennsylvania received an award for its proposal for Cobbs Creek.

The APA-PA Southeast Section council proudly announces the 2012 Student Scholarship awards. Over the past seven years, the Section has awarded nearly $10,000 to graduate students studying planning at our local universities. Each year, the quantity and quality of these papers has risen. Of the dozen or so papers submitted this year, three submissions received the award …and the competition was stiff. Please read the works of young planners and experience their levels of expertise and professionalism.

Category: Education / Tags: students

Dec. 11: Strategies for Older Suburbs

November 18, 2012 / APAPA-SE / Comments Off

Strategies for Older Suburbs Roundtable

Topic: Diversify Your Revenue Sources

Guest Speaker: Donna Harris, Heritage Consulting Inc.

When: Tuesday, December 11, 2012

Time: Breakfast at 9:00 am; Program from 9:30 am – 11:00 am

Where: Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission

190 N. Independence Mall West, 8th Floor

Philadelphia, PA

www.dvrpc.org/directions

RSVP: Karen P. Cilurso, Senior Regional Planner, Kpcilurso@dvrpc.org

Category: Upcoming Events / Tags: events, resources

Now Hiring: This Week’s Job Postings

November 8, 2012 / APAPA-SE / Comments Off

Mega jobs posting this week! Check out multiple jobs from top-shelf orgs like the William Penn Foundation and Next American City.

1) Research Analyst – U3 Ventures – Philadelphia

2) Creative Director – Next American City – Philadelphia

3) International Editor – Next American City – Philadelphia

4) Audience Engagement Editor – Next American City – Philadelphia

5) Community Development Program Assistant – Ironbound Community Corporation (ICC) – Newark, NJ

6) Manager of Public Spaces & Streetscapes – Center City District – Philadelphia

7) Statistical Analyst – PA Health Care Cost Containment Council – Harrisburg, PA

8) Position Coordinator – Businesses United for Conservation (Sustainable Business Network) – Philadelphia

9) Director, Protecting Watersheds – William Penn Foundation – Philadelphia

10) Director, Research and Analytics – William Penn Foundation – Philadelphia

11) Director, Closing the Achievement Gap – William Penn Foundation – Philadelphia

12) Director, Creative Communities – William Penn Foundation – Philadelphia

13) Transportation Planner/Engineer – Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission – Philadelphia

14) Executive Director – Preservation Alliance for Greater Philadelphia – Philadelphia, PA

15) Community Organizer/EPIC Coordinator – United Communities SE Philadelphia – Philadelphia

16) Camden Internship – New Jersey Conservation Foundation – Camden, NJ

Full descriptions after the jump!

Category: General / Tags: jobs, resources

Design Competition: Infill Philadelphia

November 4, 2012 / APAPA-SE / Comments Off

The Philadelphia Water Department, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and Community Design Collaborative invites design professionals to enter Infill Philadelphia: Soak it Up!—an interdisciplinary design competition promoting the creative, innovative use of green stormwater infrastructure in Philadelphia and other cities.

The design competition challenges interdisciplinary teams to develop new models for green stormwater infrastructure, focusing on one of three sites in Philadelphia:

· Warehouse Watershed: A warehouse and a city-owned vacant lot that offer possibilities for public-private partnerships and the revitalization of a high-vacancy, mixed-use residential/industrial district.
· Retail Retrofit: A retail strip center that has the potential to play a more central role in the surrounding neighborhood through improved walkability, pop-up space for community events, and access to river recreation.
· Greening the Grid: An historic neighborhood with an engaged community and a dense network of streets, alleys, roofs, and open space that offers possibilities for an array of small-scale interventions.

The design competition is part of a larger design initiative exploring how green stormwater infrastructure can revitalize urban neighborhoods.

Green stormwater infrastructure is crucial to the implementation of Green City, Clean Waters, the City’s innovative, sustainable 25-year plan to protect and enhance local waterways primarily through the use of green stormwater infrastructure.

The competition is open to professional designers. Competition teams must include at least one licensed architect, one licensed landscape architect, and one licensed civil engineer. One of the required team members must practice in the Philadelphia region.

While the competition sites have a Philly focus, the insights gained through the design competition will apply to other cities seeking to retrofit green stormwater infrastructure into an existing urban fabric. Design professionals from around the country are encouraged to participate!

Nine finalists will be selected to present at an awards event at the Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University on March 7, 2013. A jury will select one winning design for each of the three sites. The three winning competition teams will receive a cash prize of $10,000.