The Planning & Law Division of the American Planning Association announces its Twenty-fifth Annual Smith-Babcock-Williams Student Writing Competition. The Competition, which honors the memory of three leading figures in American city planning law — R. Marlin Smith, Richard Babcock, and Norman Williams — is open to law students and planning students, writing on a question of significance in planning, planning law, land use law, local government law or environmental law.

The winning entry will be awarded a prize of $2,500 and will be submitted for publication in The Urban Lawyer, the law journal of the American Bar Association's Section of State & Local Government Law. In addition to the first prize, the Competition will offer a second place prize of $1,000 and up to two Honorable Mentions of $250. The deadline for submission of entries is June 9, 2008 and the winners will be announced by September 15, 2008. Please refer to the official rules for further details. More info at www.planning.org/planningandlaw/writingcompetition.htm.

Better community planning and more compact development help people live within walking or bicycling distance of some of the destinations they need to get to every day—work, shops, schools, and parks, as well as transit stops. If they choose to use a car, trips are short. Rather than building single-use subdivisions or office parks, communities can plan mixed-use developments that put housing within reach of these other destinations. The street network can be designed to interconnect, rather than end in culs-de-sac and funnel traffic onto overused arterial roads. Individual streets can be designed to be “complete,” with safe and convenient places to walk, bicycle, and wait for the bus.

Finally, by building more homes as condominiums, townhouses, or detached houses on smaller lots, and by building offices, stores and other destinations “up” rather than “out,” communities can shorten distances between destinations. This makes neighborhood stores more economically viable, allows more frequent and convenient transit service, and helps shorten car trips. This type of development has seen a resurgence in recent years, and goes by many names, including “walkable communities,” “new urbanist neighborhoods,” and “transit-oriented developments” (TODs). “Infill” and “brownfield” developments put unused lots in urban areas to new uses, taking advantage of existing nearby destinations and infrastructure. Some “lifestyle centers” are now replacing single-use shopping malls with open-air shopping on connected streets with housing and office space as part of the new development. And many communities have rediscovered and revitalized their traditional town centers and downtowns, often adding more housing to the mix. These varied development types are collectively referred to in this publication as “compact development” or “smart growth.”

A Climate-Sparing Strategy with Multiple Payoffs

Addressing climate change through smart growth is an attractive strategy because, in addition to being in line with market demand, compact development provides many other benefits and will cost the economy little or nothing. Research has documented that compact development helps preserve farmland and open space, protect water quality, and improve health by providing more opportunities for physical activity. Studies also have confirmed that compact development saves taxpayers money, particularly by reducing the costs of infrastructure such as roads and water and sewer lines. For example, the Envision Utah scenario planning process resulted in the selection of a compact growth plan that will save the region about $4.5 billion in infrastructure spending over a continuation of sprawling development. Finally, unlike hydrogen-fueled vehicles and cellulosic ethanol, which get a lot of attention in the climate-change debate, the “technology” of compact, walkable communities exists today, as it has in one form or another for thousands of years. We can begin using this technology in the service of a cooler planet right now.

Policy Recommendations

In most metropolitan areas, compact development faces an uneven playing field. Local land development codes encourage auto-oriented development. Public spending supports development at the metropolitan fringe more than in already developed areas. Transportation policies remain focused on accommodating the automobile rather than alternatives. The key to substantial greenhouse gas (GHG) reductions is to get all policies, funding, incentives, practices, rules, codes, and regulations pointing in the same direction to create the right conditions for smart growth. Innovative policies often are in direct conflict with the conventional paradigm that produces sprawl and automobile dependence.

I’d like to take this opportunity to clarify some questions about the program.

Prior to adoption by the AICP Commission in April 2007, numerous discussions were held and research conducted to best formulate a program that would meet our members’ needs and those of providers. These surveys, discussions and two rounds of member and provider feedback lasted from late 2005 through April of 2007.

As part of the extensive staff research work in support of the AICP Commission’s deliberations during that time, we contacted several organizations with professional certification programs, including those representing architects, attorneys, landscape architects and CPA's. This helped us gain an understanding of how different programs were organized and operated. It also provided insight into the growth and development periods different programs have gone through. We continue to actively engage organizations in conversations about their continuing education programs.

  For example, the American Institute of Architects (AIA) is now in its 14th year of its program.  We have been told that their program evolved over approximately the first five years, before reaching a somewhat stable program as now administered.  While we do not expect a five year evolutionary period for CM, it is reasonable to expect that the program will continue to evolve for at least three years, or to a point that we are halfway through our second two-year reporting cycle. 

  In the area of fees, for example, here is a comparison with the AIA‘s requirements. The AICP “entry fee” for providers is $95 and includes two credit hours. The AIA entry fee is $650 for non-profit providers and $3,300 if the provider is a for-profit entity. In this comparison, AICP is less expensive than AIA up to 66 hours of courses for for-profit providers and up to 13 hours for non-profit providers. It should also be stressed that AIA is a Trade Association, not a research and educationally chartered organization as is APA.  Our structure and development of CM is in accordance with our non profit educational status.

As we expect the program to evolve, this will likely include the evolution of the fee structure as well. While the current fee structure works for many providers and the fees are considerably less than those of some other programs, we realized that the fee structure does not meet all needs.  This is the reality of trying to accommodate providers who are as diverse as our members. 

  We have found the fee structure to be a challenge for many providers who offer training for little or no registration fee, such as small non profits, in-house training, and some federal agencies.  Multi-day workshops designed for very few attendees also do not match up well.  There are other events that historically bring in few planners, such as scholarly societies (ACSP and the associations of geographers, sociologists, etc), that would have little incentive to offer CM credits with the current fee structure.  We would like our members attending these events to be able to claim credits for appropriate sessions. Nonetheless, providers can register and test the success of the program without committing resources at a level they feel uncomfortable with. The Commission is committed to keeping the entry barrier very low; thus, the $95 initial registration fee is far lower than those of many organizations.

Exploring Alternatives For these reasons, we are actively exploring alternative fee models that will offer providers a chance to choose the fee system that works best for them.  This may include flat annual and daily fees, capped per credit fees, and a variety of premium fee packages that will offer advertising and marketing incentives.  This is a work in progress but through continued dialogue we are confident that we can find a way that providers of all types can participate in this program.  It should be stressed that the CM program is adding value to providers both by providing a standard for quality and by listing providers so that our 17,000 members can locate the many choices on our website. As noted, those number more than 3,500 and they are growing weekly.

Universities as Partners As part of our work, we have also continued to work with the Association of Collegiate Schools of Planning (ACSP) and have implemented many ideas and suggestions from those conversations.  Conversations are continuing and more changes will be forthcoming.  A year ago, Sue Schwartz, Immediate Past-president of AICP, and Paul Farmer, Executive Director and CEO, met with the deans and department chairs of nearly 75 planning schools at the ACSP Administrators' Conference.  Sue and Paul addressed the entire gathering and also worked with the ACSP Task Force on CM.  Changes were made in the draft CM program requirements as a result of those discussions.

  At the ACSP meeting in Milwaukee this past fall, Paul Farmer met with the ACSP Board and others in attendance at the board meeting (about 50 people) and discussed the program, ongoing educator concerns and possible changes.  Paul also met with the ACSP Task Force, with about 15 people in attendance.  Many educators were surprised to learn about the differences among the schools in terms of state laws and university administrative regulations and it was agreed that APA would work with a small number of schools identified by ACSP that would serve as models and represent the range of differences identified in our discussions in Milwaukee.  Those conversations are continuing and we expect that alternate fee proposals will address many of these diverse needs.

Engaging Providers is a Top Priority Since the AICP Commission approved the Certification Maintenance program last April, a team of marketing, outreach, and AICP staff has contacted and met with more than 700 training providers from around the country to encourage them to register as CM providers.  These include providers who participated in our voluntary Continuing Professional Development (CPD) program as well as providers suggested to us by our members.  Often these efforts have been fruitful, once staff has the opportunity to walk through the program details and explain the registration process.  This often reduces misconceptions about the program and allows staff to help the provider brainstorm how CM can work within their training model.  We have found that our conversations with staff of potential providers often dispel fears and clarify our program.  Providers sometimes think that CM has been around for years and we have just started charging providers.  Others may think that all of their courses would be eligible and quickly calculate a number that is much higher than a more accurate figure.  When we explain the details, we’ve had providers conclude that one or two additional AICP registrants would cover the fee.  They have often concluded that marginal revenues from additional attendees exceed the marginal costs.

A Few Examples For a modest conference of 86 attendees, 24 CM credits offered and a $175 registration fee, only seven more registrants would be needed to cover the $1,195 CM fee. For a conference of 291 attendees, 42 CM credits offered and a $260 registration fee, only eight more registrants in addition to the 291 would be needed to cover the $2,095 CM fee.

  A two-day, 12-hour workshop that charges $425 per registrant will need two additional registrants to cover the CM costs.  Even with a cap on attendance, it’s not an unlikely possibility.  Our own 14-hour PTS workshops saw a 76 percent increase in attendance last fall, from 78 to 137 total participants for the four courses.  For Planetizen, or any similar training provider, to register one of its four-hour online courses ($99 per course) for CM credit, it will need to bring in just two additional registrants per quarter.  Its CM fee would be only two percent of revenue for 100 attendees. With more than 17,000 AICP members looking for training, it’s hard to understand how such providers will be priced out of the market. 

Bottom line: many providers see this as an opportunity rather than a burden.  Consider, for example, Lorman Education Services (a nationwide provider) has registered more than 90 seminars and workshops for CM credit, many of which fulfill the mandatory law requirement.  The National Charrette Institute has registered more than 20 activities, including a 10-hour advanced Planner Certificate, available in communities across the United States.  RedVector.com, a leading provider of computer based training, has registered numerous online courses that will be available for AICP members for the entire 2008 period.  ESRI has communicated its enthusiasm for CM and has begun registering courses, with many more to come.

Every provider, including APA, has to register and meet the review standards set by the Commission.  This is a valued service to our members and we will continue to strengthen our offerings.  But APA alone cannot fulfill the needs of all 17,000 AICP members – this is neither realistic nor advantageous for the planning profession.  We encourage collaboration, partnerships, and creative solutions to fill this educational need.  This is the recipe for success of this program and will only make our profession stronger.  Planners value a credential that is on par with those of similar professions.

Can we promise increased attendance?  No, we can’t.  No organization administering a certification maintenance program can.  But what we can promise is that 17,000 + professional planners are actively looking for relevant, high quality training; many of which did not do so in the past.  Consider that less than 2,000 AICP members participated in the voluntary CPD program – that’s an 750 percent increase in demand.  And the number is growing – more than 1,000 planners registered for the May 2008 exam.  This is the highest registration AICP has ever experienced.  Young planners are hungry for the knowledge and training that will help them tackle new challenges, and this program was created to facilitate this. 

  Establishing Standards and Criteria The recent opinion piece in Planetizen states that the CM program is being operated under unfair approval procedures. This is simply untrue.  All providers, including APA and its chapters and divisions, must follow the same registration and fee procedures, and CM credit is not awarded automatically for any event.  Decisions are based on a clear set of standards and criteria set forth by the AICP Commission – criteria by which every activity is judged.  We encourage providers to take a hard look at this set of criteria and decide what training events are and are not appropriate for this program, and how the educational objectives meet the needs of planners with at least two years of experience.  It is the AICP members themselves, and not APA/AICP, who will be the ultimate judges of whether or not a provider offers value to the profession.  Through our online rating system, members will have the opportunity to share comments and ideas (and critiques) about training events.  We hope providers will benefit from this as well. 

Challenges Ahead The ideas outlined above are just a starting point.  We as an organization must work even harder to engage those providers who are currently not signed up to ensure that members will be able to find opportunities that best serve their own professional development needs.   These will be met by the growing list of providers of increasing diversity of offerings – diverse in topics, geography and delivery mechanisms. We are committed to making this program work well for members and the communities they serve.

The 2008 Southern New England Regional Planning Conference will be held on September 4th and 5th at the Rhode Island Convention Center in Providence. This year’s theme is “Planners in Action”. The 2008 Conference Planning Committee is being chaired by Krista Moravec. Session proposals are due by March 28th. The session proposal form and accompanying Certification Maintenance form can be found on the Chapter’s web site: www.rhodeislandapa.org. We want to host an enjoyable and educational conference in Providence, so please help in whatever way you can, whether that be through planning a session, sponsorship, promoting the conference, and finally, by attending.

A Brown Bag Lunch will be held on Friday, March 28th from Noon to 1:30 PM at the Cranston Central Library, 140 Sockanosset Road. The guest speaker will be Stuart Nunnery, Director of the Rhode Island Center for Agriculture Promotion and Education (RICAPE). RICAPE is an independent non-profit 501(c) (3) organization that provides training, resources and other services to farmers, gardeners, agricultural professionals, educators and business and community leaders dedicated to sustaining and promoting agriculture and agriculture-related education (www.rifarmways.org). Vice President Susan Mara is planning an April lunch session on Transit Oriented Development, tentatively scheduled for Thursday, April 24th. Details will follow.

The Chapter’s Annual Awards Ceremony was held January 29th in the Bake House of the Squantum Club, East Providence. Congratulations to the 2007 award winners!

Current Topic: Smart Growth and New Urbanism – The Metacom Avenue Corridor Management Plan, Town of Bristol

Outstanding Comprehensive Planning Project – City of Providence for Providence Tomorrow: The Comprehensive Plan

Outstanding Plan Implementation – Town of Charlestown for their $1,000,000 affordable housing bond

Student Project – Graduate – Tiffany C. Smythe for her white paper on the

 Demand for and Feasibility of a Statewide GIS–Based Parcel Data System;

 Undergraduate: Route 1 Corridor Design Guidelines, South County

Journalism – Randal Edgar of the Providence Journal for the affordable housing series in the statewide and South County editions

Distinguished Leadership Award – Eugenia Marks, Rhode Island Audubon Society.

I would like to extend my thanks to the 2007 Awards Committee and its Chair, Diane Williamson for their work and for hosting an enjoyable ceremony. 

This year marked the departure of Board members Patrick Hanner, Chapter Vice President and Krista Moravec, Chapter Secretary. Both were excellent Board members and both are continuing to volunteer for RIAPA, Patrick as the Chapter Webmaster and Krista as the 2008 Conference Chair. The Board welcomes two new members, Melanie Jewett, Chapter Secretary, and Susan Mara, Chapter Vice President. 

Congratulations are in order for the three members of RIAPA who passed the AICP exam in November 2007:

The November 2007 national pass rate was 65 percent, with 444 people passing the exam. In RI, 100% of those taking the exam passed.   Again, congratulations and well done to all and to RIAPA Professional Development Officer Pam Sherrill.

In closing and on a personal note, I would like to thank my colleagues and the Board for their support during my recent illness and for the get well wishes you sent along. It was greatly appreciated. 

www.rhodeislandapa.org

The Mass. Chapter of the APA Board of Directors held its annual Retreat on February 1st at Wentworth Institute of Technology. The Board reviewed its 2007-08 Workplan as well as developed its Chapter Development Plan for FY08-09. The Board is looking to take advantage of APA's webconferencing. In partnership with MARPA, the Chapter sponsored a webconference at the Merrimack Valley Planning Council on March 5, 2008. The topic was Design Guidelines for Small Towns and Rural Communities and was attended by 12 members. The intent of Chapter is to use these distant learning opportunities to assist members receive certification maintenance.

The Southern New England Planning Conference will be held in Providence on September 4th and 5th. The Conference Planning Committee is now established and looking for volunteers. Anyone interested should contact Felipe Schwarz or Mary McCrann. The Chapter will be seeking a grant from the APA Chapter President's Council to develop an online conference registration program. There is also a request out for conference sessions if anyone is interested in submitting a proposal for conducting a session at the Conference.

Land Use reform remains a top priority for the chapter. The chapter continues to participate in the Zoning Reform Working Group as well as the Task Force for Zoning Reform. The Community Planning Act (CPA II) is the product of the ZRWG. The Task Force is currently meeting on every other week to craft legislation that would offer zoning tools to communities that participate in a planning process that commits to meet certain benchmarks. It is the intention of the Task Force to file legislation before this current legislative session ends.

In February, Undersecretary Greg Bialecki met with the Planning organizations that issued the 2006 Planning White Paper. While the Patrick Administration made advances in some areas, Undersecretary Bialecki made the commitment to continue working on achieving progress on the items that were raised in the white paper. The Massachusetts planning community is fortunate to someone like Greg and his staff listen to the needs of the planning community. I would be remiss if I did not publicly congratulate Wayne Feiden and Ronald Fleming for being selected as Fellows of AICP last month. Both members will be honored at the 2008 Fellows of AICP Induction Ceremony on April 27, 2008 at the 2008 APA National Conference. The Chapter was honored to work with the members on their successful applications.

Finally, the backlog in registering training programs in the CM system appears to finally be clearing up. Most of MAPD's luncheons are now online for members to claim credit. Marc Rousseau, the Chapter's PDO, and Steve Costello, MAPD President, have done a great job ensuring that members get the credits they earned through MAPD luncheons.

Looking forward to seeing those members that will be attending the 2008 National APA Conference!      Steve Sadwick, AICP President

This weekend the Citizen Planner Training Collaborative hosted its annual Advanced Tools and Techniques Spring Conference. The conference, now in its 7th year, featured 18 unique sessions and a keynote address from State Senator Pamela Resor. Attendance continues to grow, despite persistent snow events, with an estimated turnout in excess of 250.

The Fall Workshop Series this past year also saw strong turnout with more than 300 attendees to the 30+ sessions. The Fall Workshop Series also included CPTC’s first ever eWorkshop, which allowed citizen planners to participate throughout the state from their home, offices, or other locations.

With the continued success of CPTC’s core programming the Collaborative is focused on making a broad range of updates to core materials and modules and conducting a systemic program evaluation. In addition, the Collaborative is exploring how to better meet citizen planner needs through flexible and on-demand training, the possible creation of advanced certificate programs, and conducting more eWorkshops.

The CPTC Board is working closely with the Advisory Board to gather broad, and in-depth, input on the range of subjects and advancements. The Board welcomes further questions, ideas, and suggestions from all professional and citizen planners.

The Interdisciplinary Consortium of Urban Planning & Public Health (ICUPPH)* and the MIT Department of Urban Studies & Planning (DUSP) Student Forum

present:

LEED-ND: Integrating best practices in design, planning, & public health?

DATE: Thursday, February 21st

TIME: 6:00-8:00 pm

LOCATION: Bartos Theater, Wiesner Building, MIT

The Media Lab/Building E15, 20 Ames St., near Kendall/MIT

http://www.mit.edu/%7Ecousot/MintaMartinLecture/directions.html

Wine and cheese will be served starting at 6:00 pm, program begins at 6:30.

RSVP to marcaya@mit.edu appreciated.

http://www.gsd.harvard.edu/events/lectures/index.html

Related highlights are as follows:

The current exhibit at the GSD’s Gund Gallery is titled ‘Dirty Work: Transforming Landscape in the Non-Formal City of the Americas’ and runs from January 28 – March 16, 2008.

On February 13, 2008 at 6:30 pm, George Hargreaves and Julia Czerniak will speak on “Large Parks” regarding their recently published book with the same title, followed by a panel discussion moderated by John Beardsley.  http://www.papress.com/bookpage.tpl?isbn=1568986246

http://www.mhoa.com/training-past.htm