APA-PA Southeast Section Blog

WHAT:                 Keith Russell of the Audubon Pennsylvania will speak about the dangers facing migrating birds, as part of the Bird’s Eye View exhibit at Tyler School of Art. The winner of the juried Bird’s Eye View exhibit will be announced following the talk. The event is free and open to the public.

WHEN:                 Thursday, February 9th at 11:00 a.m.

WHERE:               Tyler School of Art, Room B-04, 2011 North 13th Street in Philadelphia

DETAILS:              Bird’s Eye View, an initiative of the Graphic & Interactive Design program at Tyler School of Art, aims to raise awareness of this problem at Temple and across the city of Philadelphia and to explore visual options for effective window film patterns. This exhibition includes the work of design students at the sophomore, junior and senior levels. The brief for this project was to design a pattern that would be conceptually and visually compelling for human viewers while being an effective deterrent to birds that might otherwise fly directly into the windows where they are installed.

Local AICP members might be interested in our Ed Bacon Awards Ceremony and Reception, being held at the Center for Architecture Wednesday, February 01, 6-9pm. This year we will be honoring Janette Sadik-Khan, Commissioner of the New York City Department of Transportation, with our Edmund N. Bacon prize. Ms. Sadik-Khan is responsible for the closure of Times Square to vehicular traffic and for the installation of over 250 miles of bike lanes in Manhattan, among other accomplishments. She will be present to receive the award and speak to attendees about transportation issues facing major cities. And of course, we will also be honoring the student winners of the 2011 Ed Bacon Student Design Competition, INSTERSECT: When Transportation Corridors and Cities Collide.

Ed Bacon Awards Ceremony & Reception Honoring Janette Sadik-Khan

Wednesday, February 01

6 – 9 pm

at the Philadelphia Center for Architecture

Registration Required: http://www.cvent.com/events/ed-bacon-awards-ceremony-2011/event-summary-b0c4bee25d574b50ba9b817c2a3d140e.aspx

$75 General Public

$50 AIA/CFA Members

$25 Students (w/ valid ID)

As a complement to the Certification Maintenance (CM) focused Chapters, Divisions, and Universities Planning Webcast Series, several webinars have been developed that are focused on preparation for the AICP exam.   Experienced instructors from the Illinois, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and North Carolina chapters will present these free sessions during February and March 2012.  The sessions will start Feb 10th and continue through March 30th on Fridays from 9:00 to 11:00 am EST.  Content will include:  exam overview, spatial analysis, functional areas, public participation and social justice, plan making and implementation, research and quantitative methods, planning law, AICP Code of Ethics, and planning law and history.  We hope to record these sessions and make them available after the presentations, but this is not guaranteed at this time.  Registration is through the links provided below.  Additional information on the sessions will be posted to the PA Chapter website soon (www.planningpa.org).

Register for a session now by clicking a date below:

• Exam Overview and Spatial Analysis:  Fri, Feb 10, 2012 9:00 AM - 11:00 AM EST
• Functional Areas:  Fri, Feb 17, 2012 9:00 AM - 11:00 AM EST

Additional topics will be presented on the following dates:

• Fri, Feb 24, 2012 9:00 AM - 11:00 AM EST
• Fri, Mar 2, 2012 9:00 AM - 11:00 AM EST
• Fri, Mar 9, 2012 9:00 AM - 11:00 AM EST
• Fri, Mar 16, 2012 9:00 AM - 11:00 AM EDT
• Fri, Mar 23, 2012 9:00 AM - 11:00 AM EDT
• Fri, Mar 30, 2012 9:00 AM - 11:00 AM EDT

The PA Chapter is holding its annual in-person AICP Exam prep session on February 25th, 9 am – 4 pm, in Harrisburg.  This session is free for PA Chapter members and $15 for non-members.  This session is targeted at those who are taking the test in May or November of 2012, and will provide testing tips as well as an overview of material within each content area of the exam.  Information will be provided on history, law, theory, plan implementation, functional areas, public participation, social justice, spatial areas and ethics.  Resources will be identified to assist attendees with their studies and questions are encouraged.  Details and registration information can be found here:  http://www.planningpa.org/AICP_Prep_Session_General_Info.pdf

Join APA PA Southeast Section’s Emerging Professionals Committee for our first happy hour! We will be mingling and enjoying drinks on Tuesday, February 7, 2012 from 5:30-8:30 PM at Field House, 1150 Filbert Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107.  You'll get to meet people who are new to the planning profession (even if you're not!), provide ideas about what types of events you would like the Emerging Professionals Committee to sponsor in the future, and learn how you can get involved.

There is no cost for registration.  Food and drink are on your own, however, there will be drink specials.  And, if you RSVP through Eventbrite by 5 PM on Friday, February 3, 2012, your first drink is on us!

Drink Specials include:

• $3 domestics
• $4 wine
• $4 imports
• $5 well drinks

There will also be a $5 appetizer special.

With the construction of the Yorktown neighborhood in North Philadelphia over 50 years ago began a neighborhood legacy of community bound together by power of place. The Yorktown community has long demonstrated its dedication to providing stewardship of the neighborhood, and should be looked upon as a model for the success of its grassroots, community-led initiatives. The American Planning Association agrees: Yorktown’s recently completed community-driven master plan, Yorktown 2015: A Blueprint for Sustainability and Survival, has been awarded a 2012 National Planning Award for a Grassroots Initiative.

“Yorktown 2015 capitalized on the energy and creativity of Yorktown’s residents by engaging them and using their input to create an action plan,” said Marie L. York, FAICP, APA Board Director and 2012 Awards Jury Co-Chair. “Despite the small size of the community, participation was overwhelming, with more than 260 Yorktown residents participating in surveys, meetings, and groups to help shape this plan.”

Have you ever wondered what the Delaware Valley Smart Growth Alliance does?  Well, the alliance is a collaborative effort between government, private sector and non-profit organizations in the Greater Philadelphia region, formed to support and promote good smart growth projects at the earliest stages of the development process. The Alliance reviews project proposals that are either in pre-submittal or early stages of planning, zoning or similar government regulatory review via a jury including public planners, environmental organizations, and private sector developers. It uses smart growth criteria related to location; density, design and diversity of uses; transportation, mobility and accessibility; environmental conservation; and contributions to community assets. By recognizing and supporting development proposals that exemplify smart growth principles, the Alliance seeks to inform public officials, citizen groups, developers and others of the advantages these projects bring to their community and to the region.

Summer internship postings are starting to crop up some more. See below!

1) Senior Content Development Manager - Philadelphia Convention and Visitors Bureau - Philadelphia

2) Financial and Policy Unit Specialist - Office of City Controller - Philadelphia

3) Executive Policy Assistant - Philadelphia Parks and Recreation - Philadelphia

4) Sustainable 19125 Outreach and Research Specialist - New Kensington Community Development Corporation - Philadelphia

5) RTCA Fellows - National Park Service - Philadelphia

6) Environmental Organizer - Clean Water Action of Pennsylvania - Philadelphia

7) OPERATIONS ASSISTANT - Pennsylvania Horticultural Society - Philadelphia

8) PLANT ONE MILLION PROGRAM MANAGER - Pennsylvania Horticultural Society - Philadelphia

9) Full time internship - RPM Development Group - Montclair, NJ

Full descriptions after the jump!

Join us on January 19 for the Academy’s first-of-the-year Urban Sustainability Forum on the many current efforts to make Philadelphia more pedestrian-friendly. Speakers will discuss ways our city can jump from fifth to first place among the country's most walkable cities, offering various health, economic, and environmental benefits to its residents. Bring your questions for our experts so that you can learn more about how to bring Philadelphians out of their cars and into a healthy, exercise-friendly, and sustainable city.

Walkability: Philadelphia Strides Into the Future

Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University

19th St and the Benjamin Franklin Parkway

Thursday, January 19, 2012

Reception: 6:00 p.m.

Program: 6:30 p.m.

Register: http://phillywalks.eventbrite.com/

With the start of 2012, the Southeast Section Council is pleased to announce that former vice-chair Martha Cross will be stepping into the role of section chair. Cross has been involved in the Section Council for years, and was elected vice chair last summer. She succeeds outgoing chair Graciela Cavicchia, who led the section for the past two and a half years.

"Graciela has been a mentor to me for many years and I am honored to follow in her footsteps as the new Section Chair," said Cross. "She was the person who encouraged me to get involved with the Southeast Section Council. As I became more involved, I watched Brian (O’Leary) and Graciela lead the Section to great new heights. Their leadership is what drew me to increase my own participation in the Section and their legacy inspires me to continue the momentum. Graciela’s formation of the Professional Development Institute (PDI) has increased the value of membership and the importance and professionalism of the local Southeast Section. With the assistance of our amazing Council members, I plan to continue and expand that program for members as well as create a new Emerging Professionals Committee that will bridge the gap between students and seasoned planning professionals."

Martha Cross can be reached by email at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .