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SECTION ACTIVITIES AND REPORT FOR JANUARY – OCTOBER 2012
CENTRAL SECTION 1
2013 State Conference, Visalia Convention Center, October 6-9, 2013: 1
Section Website 1
San Joaquin Valley Blueprint Planning Awards 2
Section Membership Activities 2
CENTRAL COAST SECTION 4
Training/Mixers/Awards 4
Open Space Newsletter 7
Professional Development & Elections 8
GREAT Streets 8
INLAND EMPIRE SECTION 9
Activities/Events 9
On-going/Planned Activities 9
Administration 10
LOS ANGELES SECTION 11
2012 National Planning Conference 11
Programs / Professional Development/ Sponsored Events 11
Awards 12
YPG Events 12
Student Events 12
Networking Events 12
2012 APA LA Membership Survey 13
NORTHERN SECTION 14
General Administration 14
Membership 15
Communications 16
Professional Development 18
Programs 19
Workshops and Events 21
Young Planners Group 30
Diversity Outreach 30
Legislative Director 31
University/Student Liaison 31
ORANGE SECTION 32
General Administration 32
Publicity and Communication 32
Planning Awards Program and Banquet 32
Annual Holiday Party 33
Professional Development/Social Networking Events 33
University Liaison 34
Young Planners Group 34
Upcoming Events 34
SACRAMENTO VALLEY SECTION 35
Programs 35
Membership 35
Young Planners Group (YPG) 36
Awards 37
Professional Development 37
Board Development and Retreat 38
Planning Commissioners Training 38
Sponsorships and Scholarship Fundraising 39
SAN DIEGO SECTION 40
Section Administration Actions 40
Section director-elect – Activities 41
Membership 43
AICP Professional Development 44
Programs & Workshops & Events 45
Young Planners Group 46
Diversity/Inclusionary 48
Newsletter 49
Legislation 49
Awards – 2012 Event a Success!!!! 49
CENTRAL SECTION
Ralph Kachadourian, Section Director
2013 State Conference, Visalia Convention Center, October 6-9, 2013:
• Stop by our display table during the Rancho Mirage conference to watch our exciting 2013 Conference Theme marketing DVD “Planning Under the Sun” a unique presentation for marketing our conference that was created by our talented Conference Co-Chair Fred Brusuelas, AICP.
• Both Fred and his Co-chair Benjamin Kimball are staying ahead of schedule on conference preparations and have been brainstorming ideas with their committees to generate participation, learning and enjoyment. Contacts are being made for conference sessions and the Co-Chairs are actively searching for a dynamic keynote speaker.
Section Website
• Our website, centralsection-apa- continues to be a useful tool for our membership as well as others and is being maintained well by our webmaster Bet Hannon, who continues to do an outstanding job. We encourage all of our Chapter Board members to visit our website, especially as we begin our marketing efforts for the 2013 State Conference.
2012 SECTION AWARDS
• The Section recognized the following planning awards for 2012:
Comprehensive Planning Award, Small Jurisdiction:
City of Newman Downtown Revitalization Plan
“A revitalization program that reflects collaborative efforts by the community and stakeholders in implementing a range of civic objectives and goals in a continuous and sustained manner that will enhance the economic vitality of the City”
Education Project Award:
Central California 2011 Planning Commissioner’s Workshop
County of Tulare Resource Management Agency Planning Branch
“for creating an outstanding and skillfully crafted educational program and forum supporting Planning Commissioner understanding of the changing regulatory and procedural landscape of planning and land use affecting the Central Valley”
Individual Journalist Award:
Mr. Alex Cantatore, Staff Reporter for the Turlock Journal
“for effectively informing the public of planning issues in the City of Turlock in a fair, accurate and consistent manner that enabled citizens to clearly understand planning and land use topics and their relationship to the city’s governance”
San Joaquin Valley Blueprint Planning Awards
• Again this year, the Section sponsors as well as participates in the San Joaquin Valley Blueprint Planning Awards as part of the annual Fall Policy Conference for the 8-County Regional Planning Agencies (COG’s/MPO’s) which was held at the Tachi Palace Hotel and Casino in Lemoore California. These Awards were created to recognize outstanding achievement in quality development projects that are sustainable and basically “on the ground, existing examples” built within the past 5 years that exemplify the Blueprint Principles. The Awards also recognize an individual who has demonstrated their participation, enthusiasm and tenacity in promoting the Blueprint Principles.
Section Membership Activities
• We continue our sponsorship of the monthly speaking events coordinated by the Valley Futures Forums in Modesto. We appreciate the efforts of Cindy van Empel, AICP, for her oversight and management of this Forum and the program and presentations by noted professionals in such fields as planning, transportation, engineering and architecture/urban design in providing a “dynamic conversation on development issues in the San Joaquin Valley.”
• On August 24-26, we held our 19th Sierra Retreat at Lake Sequoia, Camp YMCA, in the Sierra National Forest. The retreat provides planners, their families and fellow professionals an opportunity to relax and enjoy a beautiful mountain lake environment with fishing, boating, swimming and hiking while engaging in a professional development program with CM credits. Sequoia Lake is located 50 miles east of Fresno on Highway 180 at 5,000 feet just outside the entrance to Kings Canyon National Park. The lake covers 80 acres with a 2-mile trail circling the lake.
Professional development has been a centerpiece of the retreat since the beginning in 1991. This year’s program, Ethics in Planning, comprised of a panel discussion moderated by David Fey, AICP, who has a broad background in planning ethics and is as entertaining as he is knowledgeable. The topics included the AICP Code of Ethics, applying the Code in Practice, public vs. private planning, and putting the AICP Code to work. The emphasis of the program was on how everyday ethics guide and develop professionalism in the practice of planning. The program was eligible for 2.5 CM credits.
• We have been actively meeting and participating in various joint events and social functions with the members of the Central Chapter of the Association of Environmental Professionals (AEP). We are looking to continue and build on our relationship with the AEP as many of their members are also APA members.
• We are again preparing for our Christmas Tree Lane Walk and Holiday Gathering in December. This is always a fantastic and festive holiday event with plenty of food and drink and Christmas cheer for our members and guests held at the home of one of our Section members along the nationally famous 2+ mile Christmas Tree Lane on Van Ness Boulevard in the Old Fig Garden District of Fresno. During this event the entire boulevard is closed to vehicle traffic. Over 300 mature cedar trees that line the entire length of the boulevard are decorated with colorful lights and over 140 magnificent and stately homes and yards are richly decorated with Christmas and holiday displays.
CENTRAL COAST SECTION
Dave Ward, Section Director
Training/Mixers/Awards
Training
Our 2012 training sessions began in March with a presentation, EMERGING CLIMATE CHANGE POLICIES UNDER SB375. The discussion will be led by Mr. Bob Leiter, FAICP, who retired as Planning Director for SANDAG in 2009 and has since been providing assistance to SANDAG and other metropolitan areas as they develop their Sustainable Communities Strategy. Mr. Leiter shared his insights regarding lessons learned, as well as challenges and opportunities ahead for the Central Coast
Also in March, the Section completed our Professional Ethics session as an all-section training for all subsections, hosting this in Santa Barbara. With Ms. Carol D. Barrett, FAICP, we could not go wrong with this training and we had nearly 50 attendees.
In April 2012 Central Coast APA presented a panel on how local communities are adjusting to the elimination of Redevelopment Agencies. The discussion included the following topics: (1) Recent AB1X26 Clean-Up Bills; (2) Forming and Working with Oversight Boards; (3) Enforceable Obligations: The Process and Implementation; (4) Where Does Affordable Housing Go From Here; (5) Next Steps: The Next Generation of Community Revitalization Tools. Panelists included: Vyto Adomaitis, Brian Bosse, Errin Brigs, Sarah Knecht, and Jeffrey Lambert.
Our May training focused on transportation session: WHAT DOES THE CURRENT FEDERAL TRANSPORTATION BILL MEAN FOR TRANSPORTATION, DEVELOPMENT, AND PLANNING IN VENTURA COUNTY? The presenter was Darren Kettle, Ventura County Transportation Commission and provided great insight into the legislative intent to about 35 attendees.
During June, CCAPA helped sponsor a local housing forum, Housing the New Frontier with the Coastal Housing Coalition. With local jurisdictions having recently completed general plan updates and moving toward implementation, this session focused on ways to incentivize, design and finance the types of housing necessary to meet the needs of South Coast workers and their families. The session included housing providers, affordable housing advocates, land use planners, business leaders, non-profit executives, elected officials, architects, developers, real estate professionals, employees and other interested parties.
During the summer, we completed a second transportation related session with Public Transit in Ventura County--Who Needs It? This is a discussion of transportation options and ideas, included local inter-county VISTA Bus Service. The speaker, Cameron Yee, was a researcher of Central Coast Alliance United for a Sustainable Economy (CAUSE).
In the fall, SLO County subsection participated in “Healthy Communities Month” with a coalition of like minded groups under the HEAL SLO (Healthy Eating Active Living) banner. The focus of the month was to publicize the range of Health Related activities occurring in the County during the month of October. This is part of an ongoing effort to increase the role of Health in all land use decisions.
Upcoming training for this fall includes co-hosting with AEP on CEQA legislative update in November.
students
Student efforts for the year included a film/discussion event in spring and one planned for this fall, a career panel discussion, how to make the most out of an internship and coordination with the SLO subsection on the Healthy Communities Month.
They also conducted a planner/non-planner community event with James Rojas and Jose Lemus (a local planner/architect) talked about planning for diverse communities. James shared images of Latino urbanism in the greater LA area, showing how individuals and groups re-purpose space and illustrating that people are exceedingly creative with few resources. Jose talked about direct engagement of individuals during workshops in communities that have distinct cultural groups. Many times those distinct groups did not interact regularly in the community and the planners conducting workshops worked carefully and thoughtfully to foster a unified discussion of ideas about and desires for the community.
The students will close out the year by hosting a panel event to educate and showcase the importance of having and maintaining an APA membership. We are seeking a panel of about APA members, preferably one or two professional planners and a professor.
Mixers
In 2011, Central Coast launched its MiMBY effort, Movies in My Backyard, as an innovative way to engage professionals in urban issues and planning. In 2012, the heart of this program remains in the Ventura subsection continues where monthly film screenings occur, all related to planning, design, sustainability, and civic engagement. The events are free, and all are welcome. Some highlights from the 2012 MiMBY series included:
• MIMBY is kicking off 2012 with some inspirational TED Talks by some of the most creative, innovative, and well spoken professionals in planning, sociology, and design. We have compiled some great presentations by James Howard Kunstler on suburbia, Robin Chase, the founder of ZipCar, and Physicist Geoffrey West on the properties of cities. Do you have a favorite TED Talk?
• Streetfilms. Short, educational, entertaining videos on all things transportation - parking, biking, transit, public health, pedestrian safety. Streetfilms, founded in 2006, produces short films showing how smart transportation design and policy can result in better places to live, work, and play.
• The Ventura Film Society hosted The Garden, a documentary about a community garden in South Central LA. This month MiMBY moved to VFS to expand the discussion about urban agriculture, community building, revitalization, and local food to the larger community.
• Dude, Where’s My Car?, a thought-provoking film that explores the travesty of our auto-dependent culture in the United States. This mind-bending film includes analysis on parking management strategies, indoor crop cultivation, and the suburban landscape.
• Film screening: Ride the Divide. Two city planners and MiMBY members, Jason and Alexa Burke, ride out the economic downturn by traveling around the world. A Real World meets X-games docu-drama of bicycle-travel adventure.
Lastly, all three subsections will host their holiday events to close out the year.
Citizens Planning Academy
The Central Coast conducted its first ever Planning Academy in 2010 for Ventura County. For 2012, the Academy moved north to San Luis Obispo County and is hosted by CCAPA and includes public and private planners and related practitioners as key speakers. The Academy will provide an engaging opportunity for SLO County citizens to learn about community planning, public involvement, governmental organization, and other related land use and environmental issues. The sessions will be held on the following dates: October 4, 11, 18, and 25 and November 1, 8, 15.
The level of effort to make this type of intensive training series is significant. The Board hopes to move the planning academy to the Santa Barbara Subsection in 2013-14.
Young Planners Group
Section Launch of the CCAPA’s Young Planners Group! In April 2012, the Central Coast Section of the APA approved the development of a Young Planners Group to address the needs of the Central Coast’s emerging professionals and students through professional, social, and networking events and activities. Events completed or in-progress for remainder of 2012 include:
• Sub-section kick-off events (One in each county) – In June 2012 approximately 40 members and non-members attended one of the three YPG Kick-off events to meet other young planning professionals, share their ideas for future activities, and show their interest in participating in a mentorship program.
• Section-wide Field Trip to tour the Funk Zone in Santa Barbara – In October 2012 the YPG group will host a field trip to tour the Funk Zone of Santa Barbara giving participants the opportunity to taste the local foods and wines, learn about the area’s history, and participate in a mobile charrette by showing their artistic interpretations of the Funk Zone.
In 2013, the YPG anticipates the following efforts: 1) Mentorship Program, proposed to be developed and held January through June 2013, 2) AICP Prep Course, in coordination with Professional Development Officer), 3) Coordinated social/professional events with sub-section directors, and 4) Bi-monthly section happy hours, incorporate presentations and coordinate with other organizations where possible.
2012 Awards Event
In 2012 CENTRAL COAST PLANNING AWARDS were held at Sycamore Mineral Hot Springs Resort, San Luis Obispo Planning Awards to encourage quality and innovativeness in planning and to increase public awareness of the planning profession. The program honors visionary approaches and projects, distinguished APA members, and citizen contributions to planning and achievements of the APACA Central Coast Section in San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, and Ventura Counties. We had over 50 participants, were entertained by an amazing magician show, got updates on student programs and toasted our award winners.
Open Space Newsletter
The Open Space Central Coast Newsletter/Website serves a unique function in that it acts as a) our Section newsletter, b) a blog; and c) a news aggregator as we also blend in outside articles from traditional media sources that contain relevant information to central coast planners. Our editorial philosophy and mission statement is as follows: “What is missing is in todays local media is an explanation or promotion of the vision that planners are attempting to establish; the incentives and regulations; the foundation for our area’s growth, resource protection, housing and transportation choices. Our top objectives are generally: Legislative Influence, Membership Connection, Information Sharing across Jurisdictions, and Better/More Constructive Dialogue on Planning Issues/News.
The effort that was led by past Cal Chapter Presidents, i.e. Vince Bertoni, Jerry Ram, circa 2007, to leverage public relations as a strategy to defend against bad planning legislation (eminent domain reform) is why the Open Space has an “open format”. A Cal Chapter’s PR strategy during that time was to take a proactive role in the dialogue of planning legislation and take our message to the voters directly. The Open Space is a public website, and is geared for professional planners as well as for the ˜arm chair planner” such that we can provide a perspective to the constituents of planners the general public, appointed and elected officials.
Our continuing goals are a) to keep relevant, regular and meaningful content up on the site, b) to encourage more blogging/commenting on articles, c) provide more events in the calendar section (and possibly reformat the events section into a calendar, and d) consider advertising opportunities when the economy bounces back (low priority). Our most regular feedback on the site comes in the form of compliments on the layout/design. Normal distribution is via email blast to +1000 area planners, architects, and elected/appointed officials approximately every 6 weeks and after 6 or so new articles are posted. Jay Higgins, former Central Coast Director is our Editor.
Professional Development & Elections
AICP Exam
In July and December, the Central Coast APA hosts informational sessions for members considering applying for and taking the AICP exam to become certified planners. The sessions cover eligibility requirements, the application process, exam content, and provide application preparation and study tips. The Central Coast Section provides ongoing support to members preparing to take the AICP exam by providing or directing them to study materials, responding to questions regarding the AICP exam and application process and helping to organize study groups.
The focus for 2012 has been development of an AICP Training Manual for successful application preparation and submission and test taking strategies. Research was completed on “best practices” test taking from across other APA Sections across the country to develop our Central Coast approach to implement during the 2013 and beyond. With this year’s election, we will have a new PDO who will be well served by this manual to conduct our AICP preparation with new exam candidates.
Election Update
The Central Coast Section will be conducting elections for five Board positions in November. The positions include Director Elect, Professional Development Officer, Finance Officer, Inclusion Officer and Public Information Officer. We also intend to create new YPG board position that has been appointment role during the last year. The term of office for each position is two years, beginning January 2012. Election will be completed by December 1st, with our new members joining us at our upcoming January 2013 Board meeting. We will update our membership roster on our website and a new roster will be provided to the State.
GREAT Streets
Section Initiative – Great Streets nomination for Santa Barbara’s State Street. The Central Coast APA will be submitting an application for State Street in Santa Barbara as a Great Street under the criteria established by National APA. Characteristics of a Great Street include balancing the competing needs of the street — driving, transit, walking, cycling, servicing, parking, drop-offs, a street that is lined with a variety of interesting activities and uses that create a varied streetscape, one that has urban design or architectural features that are exemplary in design and most of all, one that has a memorable character. The Central Coast APA Board believes that State Street has what it takes to win national recognition so stay tuned. Currently the research has been compiled and the Section Board working with students will be completing the application process through the end of the year for a submission in early 2013.
INLAND EMPIRE SECTION
Leisa A. Lukes, RLA, Section Director
Activities/Events
0. February 8 – Integrating Health Policies into the General Plan (Riverside)
0. February 23 – Sustainable Communities Strategy Workshop (California Theater, San Bernadino)
0. March 5 – 4th Annual IES-APA/APWA Joint Luncheon: Dissolution of Redevelopment Agencies (Mission Hills , Rancho Mirage)
0. April 16 – Planned Whitewater Parkway Presentation (Coachella Valley)
0. May 5 – Joint IES-APA/CPR Event: Hike to Plan, Plan to Hike (Mt. Rubidoux Park, Riverside)
0. May 10 – Annual Awards Event (Historic Mitten Bldg., Redlands)
0. August 29 – Joint IES-APA/USGBC-IE Chapter Event: History of Air Quality in the Inland Empire (San Bernadino)
0. October 16 – Joint IES-APA/City of Riverside Event: Healthy City (Riverside)
0. October 19-21 - Historical Symposium: Looking Back on Local Stories of Social justice and Civil Liberties (Riverside Metropolitan Museum, Riverside)
On-going/Planned Activities
0. Host Section for the 2012 State Conference at Rancho Las Palmas in Rancho Mirage, with a full Conference Committee that has exceeded expectations in sponsorships
0. 15 Awards presented at the Annual Awards Event in May, with three of these winners being awarded at the 2012 State Conference
0. Bi-weekly Electronic Newsletter e-blasts
0. Webmaster prepares ongoing updates to Section website
0. Maintain a Facebook Page and a Linked-In Page
0. Membership Chair updated “10 Reasons Why You Should be an IES-APA Member” and designed a second one specific to Planning Commissioners and continues to present at Planning Commission meetings within the Section
0. Strengthening the relationship between IES-APA and Art VULUPS, and other professional organizations with joint events.
0. Launching the Inland Empire Young Planners Group
0. Seeking other ways to reach out to members/new members and increase sponsorship
Administration
0. Recently appointed Board positions of Planning Commissioner Representative; Awards Coordinator; new position of Young Planners Group Chair; and Student Liaison
0. Holding elections in November for elected Board positions of Director-Elect, Vice-Director of Policy, and Professional Development Officer
0. With the election of the 3 position in November, we will have a full 18-member Board and the launching of the Inland Empire Section’s Young Planners Group
0. Conduct regularly-scheduled monthly Board conference calls to improve Board activities and communication, with minutes posted to the website
0. Obtain quarterly budget reports for Board review
0. Holding annual Board Retreat in December to establish 2013 goals and budget
0. Through donations, raised significant contributions for CPF
0. Section Bylaws update continues
0. Director participates in monthly Executive Board conference calls and Section Director conference calls
0. Membership continues to hold steady
LOS ANGELES SECTION
Marissa Aho, AICP, Section Director
2012 National Planning Conference
0. April 14-17, 2012 the Los Angeles Section hosted the 2012 National Planning Conference for the first time since 1986! Nearly 5,000 attendees enjoyed days of sessions, mobile workshops, orientation tours, and networking events. They used the transit-oriented Planner’s Guide,
0. Thanks again to our sponsors and our Local Host Committee! Not only did we meet the Local Host Committee’s goals of “breaking even”, but we made a small profit that will be used to provide additional programing and services to the APA members in Los Angeles County.
Programs / Professional Development/ Sponsored Events
Wednesdays at the Mercado
0. The 2012 Wednesdays at the Mercado inaugural series highlighted the Planning Los Angeles book edited by David Slone and published by APA.
0. The panel in March featured Anastasia Loukaitou-Sideris and San Gennawey discussing Public and Open Space in Los Angeles including how to incorporate more open space in new development projects, the struggles with privatizing open space and the recent “Occupy LA” movement’s use of open space.
0. The panel in May featured Dr. Marlon Boarnet, Dr, Lisa Schweitzer and Amanda Berman discussing Infrastructure and Mobility in Los Angeles.
0. The panel in June featured Dr. David Sloane, Ken Bernstein and Elizabeth Currid-Halkett discussing Economic Development in Los Angeles.
Planning for Public Health
0. May 24, 2012 Kicked off another inaugural series focused on facilitating discussions addressing the ways in which planners and designers are working to solve the public health challenges afflicting our communities. The panel featured Bill Roschen, head of the City of Los Angeles’ Planning Commission, who discussed the development of a Public Health Element for LA’s General Plan Framework. Jean Armbruster, director of the County Public Health Department’s PLACE program, spoke about Project RENEW, and Susan Tae, Supervising Revional Planner with the LA County Department of Regional Planning spoke about the County’s Healthy Design Ordinance.
Joint Law/Ethics Training
0. September 22, 2012 – A joint Law/Ethics Course was held featuring an ethics session focused on public outreach by ethics guru, Carol Barrett, FAICP and a California Housing Element and CEQA Update by Diana Varat, Associate at Richards, Watson & Gershon (and APA LA Vice Director of Policy)
Awards
0. June 28, 2012 – A memorable, award-winning evening was held at the historic Kirk Douglas Theater in Culver City! It was a celebratory evening for the esteemed jury, the talented award winners and dedicated sponsors. The Expo line to Culver City had just opened a week early, so attendees were able to take transit to the theater.
YPG Events
0. March 16, 2012 – YPG 2012 Kick-Off meeting/happy hour
0. April 14, 2012 – YPG Mentorship Event with Jane Blumenfeld, former Acting Deputy Director for Los Angeles’ Department of City Planning.
0. May 30, 2012 – YPG Mentorship Event with Doug Failing, Executive Director of the Highway Program for Los Angeles County Metro.
0. August 17, 2012 – Student/Young Professional Mixer in Santa Monica.
0. September 6. 2012 – YPG Mentorship Event with Vince Bertoni, AICP, City of Pasadena Planning Director.
Student Events
0. August 17, 2012 – Student/Young Professional Mixer in Santa Monica.
0. October 27, 2012 – 7th Annual APA LA Student Symposium hosted by USC. Planning students from USC, CSU Northridge, UCLA, Cal Ploy Pomona and UC Irvine have been invited to participated in a half day of sessions. Topics covered what planners don’t learn in school, the transition from school to entry-level jobs, whether their work aligns with ideals gleaned from their education, their experiences in the current economy, public versus private sector planning and their views on the future of planning. This year, the student organizers sent out a survey to determine the topics their peers would like to learn more about TOD Planning, Infrastructure Planning, Emerging Technologies and Community Engagement/Participation.
Networking Events
0. February 23, 2012 – Downtown Los Angeles. Planners enjoyed a social evening at Salvage – known for their unique sustainable design and organic cocktails. This is the night we “scouted” the location for the CA APA Reception during the 2012 National Planning Conference. They didn’t mind us coming back.
0. October 4, 2012 – We traveled south of the 10 freeway to Post & Beam located in the Crenshaw District of Los Angeles. Post & Beam features a herb and vegetable garden on the back patio, used in the exceptionally good southern fare.
0. October 15, 2012 – During the Railvolution conference in Hollywood, the LA Section co-hosted a networking event with APA’s Transportation Planning Division. All APA LA members were also invited to the Transportation Planning Division’s business meeting.
0. December 13, 2012 – The close of another successful year brings another fantastic Holiday Party. This year we traveled to Old Town Pasadena.
2012 APA LA Membership Survey
0. August/September – The LA Section conducted our first comprehensive online membership survey since 2006. Our membership has continued to grow over the past few years and has almost returned to our 2006 levels. The survey was intended to provide the LA Section Board with critical information that will influence when and where the board plans programs and what local services are provided and prioritized.
NORTHERN SECTION
Hanson Hom, AICP, Section Director
General Administration
Board Goals for 2012
The Northern Section Board held a very productive retreat in January 2012. Goals were defined for the year, which were supported by an ambitious work program and adopted budget totaling $51,671. Goals for 2012 include the following, which I am pleased to report have been substantially met:
0. Develop a membership outreach program to expand membership and define additional services to meet the needs of members;
0. Develop a comprehensive sponsorship and advertising program to diversify the Section’s income base while offering more opportunities for firms to highlight their services;
0. Continue to offer no-cost and low-cost professional development activities for AICP CM credits, including partnering with other organizations to sponsor events; investigate the feasibility of convenient webinars and podcasts;
0. Continue to support the initiatives of each Regional Advisory Council Chair to offer geographically dispersed events throughout the Northern Section;
0. Continue the excellent reputation of the Northern News in providing timely planning information in an easy-to-read and professional format;
0. Launch a reformatted and more robust Northern Section website;
0. Continue the Section’s highly successful awards program for promoting Northern Section projects and plans for state and national recognition;
0. Offer career development and networking events for planning students and young professionals organized by the Young Planners Group and university liaisons;
0. Launch the second year of the Section’s successful mentorship program; and
0. Continue the initiative of the Section’s Sustainability Committee to provide useful resources and informative workshops on sustainability planning.
Incoming Section Director
My two-year term as Director of the Northern Section will come to an end on December 31, 2012. The next Director will be Jeff Baker, who is currently the Director-Elect and previously served six years as the Section’s Treasurer. Jeff Baker is currently the Assistant Community Development Director for the City of Dublin. The Section will be in very capable hands and I will continue to support the Board as the Past Director. I have immensely enjoyed the opportunity to serve as the Director for the past two years. I am particularly proud that the Board has grown to a very active group, which has allowed us to organize more events and collaborate with various organizations to offer diverse networking and professional events for APA members. The individual accomplishments of Board members are too many to highlight. But, I am particularly proud of the communications program of the Northern Section, which is represented by our premier Newsletter, informative bi-weekly eNews blast, and most recently, our completely redesigned website. The Section has also embraced social media with active LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter group sites.
Section Election
An election will be held in November to fill two Northern Section Board positions: Director-Elect and Administrative Director. Both are two-year terms that begin on January 1, 2013, with the Director-Elect assuming the Director position on January 1, 2015. The Director-Elect will serve as the Director when the Northern Section hosts the 2015 California Chapter conference in San Francisco.
Membership
Action Plan
A membership committee was formed at the Board retreat to generate ideas for a membership program to attract and retain members. The committee’s work culminated into a Marketing and Membership Action Plan for the Northern Section with an identification of short-term, medium-term and long-term actions.
Short-term Actions:
0. Section Membership Director coordinates local marketing events for the Section, assessing the needs of members, identifying factors that contribute to nonrenewal of membership or disinterest in section/chapter, brand NSCCAPA, and reporting results to the Chapter M&M Director.
0. Establish a monthly conference call with M&M Director and Section Membership Directors.
0. Issue a survey to past members to ascertain information on why membership was not renewed and to determine the satisfaction of the services of the Section.
0. Prepare an outline for the Membership and Marketing brochure and submit to Executive Board for review and approval.
0. Update new webpage constantly to make website more interactive and informative (Coordinate with V. P. of Information).
Medium-term Actions:
0. Distribute letters or e-blast to members to renew their membership and to members whose membership have lapsed.
0. Coordinate a Retention Plan with the chapter Marketing and Membership Director.
0. Identify associated disciplines of Planning (Econ. Dev., Housing, Community Development, Transportation, Architecture, Urban Design, Parks and Recreation, Public Administration) and market to their memberships.
Long-term Actions:
0. Develop materials for new display booth.
0. Provide a quarterly report to Board regarding Marketing and Membership Activities.
0. Develop long-format article for Northern News and ENews outlining the value of NSCCAPA membership to promote retention, including resources and activities.
0. Identify sponsorship and collaborative opportunities.
0. Identify state and national marketing opportunities.
Membership/Communications Directors
One of the priority goals of the Board is to develop a membership program to attract new members and retain existing members. At the same time, it was recognized that with our expanded communication efforts, a Board position was needed to better coordinate our various methods of communication to members (e.g. Northern News, website, eNews, LinkedIn, Facebook, etc.). The Northern Section By-laws were amended to shift some of the duties of the Membership Director to a redefined Communications Director position (position was eliminated several years earlier.) This would allow the Membership Director to focus more attention on developing a membership and marketing outreach program and to participate in a parallel effort at the California Chapter level. Both positions are critical Board members with important responsibilities. The ultimate objective is to improve our services and communications to Northern Section members and related professionals. We were successful in recruiting two energetic persons to fill these appointed positions.
Communications
New Website Launched
After over six months of planning, the Northern Section launched a completely redesigned website in May 2012. The website was truly a collaborative effort that involved all Board members. The effort was capably led by Ronny Kraft, AICP, Section Webmaster with the technical assistance of our web designer Devin Dombrowski. A major change was that the platform for the site was upgraded to a WordPress content management system. This will allow for more content and timely posting of information and announcements. Specific pages have been assigned to Board members to regularly update and training was provided by the webmaster. While we are proud of our initial effort, it is only the beginning and we expect the site to further evolve and improve. We are exploring strategies for attracting more traffic to the site. Visit to explore our new website.
Northern News
The much lauded Northern Section’s newsletter is published 10 times a year and is distributed electronically to a large email list and is posted on the Section’s website . The newsletter continues to grow in size and content with feature articles and reoccurring columns. This newsletter represents the efforts of many contributors and is overseen by our dedicated Newsletter Editor Naphtali Knox, FAICP and Co-Editor Erik Balsley, AICP. Recent past issues of the newsletter are also available on the Section’s website. Juan Borrelli, AICP, Section Historian, has also spent considerable time scanning and creating PDF files of older issues of Northern News dating back to the late 1960s; these issues are accessible on the Section Archives web page.
We have three ways of notifying members and readers that Northern News is online: Constant Contact email, LinkedIn groups, and our APA California Northern Facebook page. Since March, we have been sending “special” emails to announce the Northern News. These emails are separate from the standard eNews sent every two weeks. Both Constant Contact and LinkedIn direct potential readers to two platforms: The PDF, which is hosted on our Northern Section website, and the virtual magazine hosted by . The Facebook page directs readers to the virtual magazine on .
Social Media
Eric Balsley, AICP, our recently appointed Communication Director has assessed the current status of the Section’s social media platforms.
0. eNEWS. An initial project involved redesigning of the eNews which is sent out every two weeks. The goal was to make it more readable and have a cleaner, more professional look. The eNews focuses on highlighting upcoming events and timely announcements with links to the current issue of Northern News. We have received favorable feedback regarding the new look. The links have been primarily to the webpage.
0. Facebook. This has been my initial focus. Given the platform, the postings are trying to be a bit more informal. Articles that are being posted are not just California focused and whenever possible links that discuss planning in relation to current events are being posted to expand overall knowledge. As the page takes root its overall tone and character will need to adapt to maintain a steady viewer count.
0. LinkedIn. The tone is more professional and articles are being posted with a more specific nexus to Northern California. There are many posters on the page and overall this is our most successful social media platform. In general, the job postings are usually also posted on the webpage. In fact it is easier to lay out the jobs on the website and then post on LinkedIn. Darcy Kremin, AICP, has been actively maintaining the Section’s LinkedIn site with almost daily postings and reports that we have had an enormous jump in members in the past year. We currently have over 600 members. While we not sure what is prompting people to join, we post job ads, event information and planning news. Most recently, we revised our social media guidelines to authorize posting requests for proposals on the site. The site is becoming a recognized source for these types of information. The site is also linked directly to the Section’s website.
0. Twitter. This account has not been used extensively and is best used to post last minute reminders and breaking news.
0. Future Efforts
o Re-establishing a Twitter presence.
o Create a standardized job template for use on the website.
o Maintain a stable and consistently growing page count on Facebook. Immediate goal is to breach 200 weekly views.
o Oddly, we only have 105 likes on Facebook. We need to up that!
Professional Development
AICP Exam Preparation Workshops
Through the dedicated efforts of Dr. Don Bradley, AICP, Northern Section AICP Director, we continue to host our Spring and Fall series of AICP Exam Preparation workshops at San José State University. The passage rate for participants has consistently exceeded 90 percent and the majority of California planners that passed the latest exam in May 2012 were from the Northern Section. Many Northern Section planners have volunteered their time to review exam topics at these all-day Saturday workshops.
AICP CM Credits
The Northern Section is proud of its successful efforts to offer a variety of free or low-cost workshops for AICP CM credits. The workshops were located throughout the Northern Section with several targeted for young planners, such as the recent September symposium at San José State University. This event was organized by the Urban Planning Coalition (student organization of graduate planning students) and was financially sponsored by the Northern Section. The complete list of 2012 workshops and events is provided in the next section, with CM credits noted when applicable. While many of the events were organized by the Northern Section, the Section actively seeks to co-sponsor for AICP CM credits qualifying workshops and activities organized by other organizations, such as the San Francisco Planning +Urban Research Association (SPUR) and Association of Environmental Professionals (AEP). This strategy has offered APA members many local opportunities to earn their AICP CM credits.
Collaboration with SPUR
San Francisco Planning + Urban Research (SPUR) expanded its San Francisco base earlier this year by opening a South Bay office in San José. The Director and several Board members attended the “Launch Party” and followed up with the Executive Director to reach an agreement to regularly co-sponsor SPUR San Jose events for AICP CM credits. SPUR offers many lectures and workshops that promote smart regional and local planning. As with the San Francisco events, APA members benefits by being able to attend the San Jose events for free or at a significantly reduced cost.
2012 FAICP Inductees
The Northern Section is very pleased that three accomplished planners from our Section were inducted into the 2012 Class of Fellows (FAICP) at the National APA Conference in April. Congratulations to Linda C. Dalton, AICP, who was inducted under the Community Service and Leadership category, Ellen J. Greenberg, AICP, who was inducted under the Professional Service category, and Barry J. Miller, AICP, who was also inducted under the Professional Practice category.
2012 PEN Honorees
Four distinguished Northern Section planners will be inducted into the California Planner Emeritus Network (PEN) at the annual Chapter conference on October 22. Honorees recently announced are: Dr. Earl G. Bossard, AICP, Barbara Kautz, FAIP, Anne Cronin Moore, and posthumously Leon C. Pirofalo, AICP. Honorees represent planners that have contributed significantly to the advancement of the profession through their careers and professional activities. The Northern Section is very proud to have submitted these nominations to the PEN committee.
Programs
Planning Commissioner Workshops
The Northern Section organized a series of three successful Planning Commissioner training workshops this Spring. Priority for attendance was given to appointed planning commissioners and zoning board members (no AICP CM credits were sought for this reason). The topics for the workshops were diverse and were selected based on a survey of local planning directors in the Bay Area. Many planning professional volunteered their time to present at these half-day Saturday workshops and the feedback from participants was overwhelmingly positive. Much appreciation is extended to Janet Ruggiero, FAICP, who helped organize the workshops and recruit speakers and also presented at one or the workshops.
Brazil Trip
The Northern Section is unique in that it has an International Director position on its board to address international planning issues. One of its popular activities has been to organize a planning oriented tour to a foreign country every two years. Past trips have included Cuba, China and India. This year a group tour to the economically bustling country of Brazil was organized. Approximately 20 planners toured Brazil from August 17 to September 1. The group started off in Sao Paulo and maintained an informative blog to post pictures, record their observations and express their thoughts on planning practices in Brazil as they travelled from city to city. You can view their blog at:
Northern Section Awards Program
One of my highlights as Section Director is presiding over the Northern Section Awards Celebration. Over 120 planners gathered at the Parc 55 Wyndham Hotel in San Francisco on May 11 for the annual Awards Celebration. The event kicked off by recognizing the 2012 FAICP inductees from the Northern Section and 15 California Planning Foundation student scholarship winners. The highlight of the evening was announcing the 2012 APA Northern Section Planning Awards. Thirteen exceptional plans and projects from the Northern Section were honored with Planning Excellence Awards and Awards of Merit in various categories. These plans and projects are an impressive collection that represents the quality and diversity of planning initiatives in the Northern Section.
For the sixth year, Andrea Ouse, AICP, and Eileen Whitty, AICP, Co-Awards Program Co-Directors, did a phenomenal job of organizing the awards program and festive dinner. A distinguished Awards Jury was assembled to review the proposals and deliberate on the awards. The evening concluded by presenting a Recognition of Excellence Award to Hing Wong, AICP, for his over ten years of dedicated service to the Northern Section.
Sustainability Committee
0. Continued writing the monthly Plan-it Sustainably Column in the Northern News
0. Continuing to develop the committee’s web pages and migrating content from S2030’s temporary site .
0. Co-promoted a lecture by Peter Busby on Regenerative Design. See .
0. Established e-mail auto-subscribe/unsubscribe list on mail chimp
0. Published first E-Update. View in browser: .
Energy Working Group
In 2011, the Northern Section provided initial financial support to start up a Planners Working Group on Energy and the Built Environment coordinated by Josh Hohn. This program produced two successful workshops and the Northern Section approved additional financial support through the end of 2012, A third Panel Presentation/General Session was held in September and a webpage for the working group was produced. For more information, see .
Mentorship Program
The Northern Section Mentorship Program kicked off its second year in February with a well-attended Kickoff Party. Speakers included previous year’s participants. AICP CM credit was available for attending the evening event. This year’s program includes 16 mentors and 19 mentees. Each pair of mentor/mentees has been asked to meet at least once every two months during the year with the purpose of the meetings open ended. The Section Director is participating in this year’s program and has meet with his mentee monthly. The Mentorship Committee also plans to hold several networking events during the year and has created a Mentorship Programs webpage to support this year’s mentors and mentees.
Smart Parking for Smart Growth: Reforming Parking Policies for TOD
APA Northern is offering an informative and interactive workshop to facilitate a reform of parking policies and standards for transit-oriented development. The workshop will be held on November 9 at the MetroCenter in Oakland and is co-sponsored by the Metropolitan Transportation Commission. A forum will be provided for reaching common ground on local policies and state legislation that can promote “smart” parking practices at transit rich areas. David Snow, AICP, Chapter Vice President of Policy and Legislation will participate on the panel.
Workshop participants will engage in a dialogue to recommend revisions to Assembly Bill 904 (Skinner). This bill was introduced in the 2011-12 California legislative session to establish a state-wide cap on minimum parking standards for developments at transit rich areas. The proposed legislation generated heated debate among California planners and state and local officials. The bill was eventually tabled, but a revised bill is expected to be introduced in the next legislative session. Well-crafted legislation can effectively promote smart growth and TOD that will increase transit use and reduce auto dependence. In anticipation of the bill being reintroduced in the next legislative session, APA Northern is sponsoring this timely workshop to provide a platform for an informed and balanced discussion on this important planning topic. Workshop comments and recommendations will be forwarded to state legislators and the APA California Chapter Policy and Legislation Committee.
Workshops and Events
January 2012
Brown Bag Lunch Series: Rails and trails on the North Coast. EUREKA. Local interest in maximizing the use of The North Coast Rail Authority’s railroad right-of-way to develop a regional trail system backbone has been gaining momentum.
February 2012
Bay Area League Day: Housing and the Bay Area’s Future. OAKLAND. Keynote speaker David Rosen is a leading expert in affordable housing finance, policy, land use, lending, and investment strategic planning. Panels of experts will discuss 1) meeting regional housing needs in light of the sustainable communities strategy, 2) difficulties financing affordable housing, and 3) how to serve the hardest to house. CM| 5.0
Is the “Fair Argument” Fair? BERKELEY. Public agencies, developers, and CEQA practitioners express concerns that the “Fair Argument” in CEQA can result in expensive studies that may not be necessary or reasonable. A panel will discuss the basis of the “fair argument” in CEQA, its effects on CEQA practice and the legal standard, and how the “fair argument” could affect projects you may be working on in years to come.
APA North Bay Regional Advisory Council Mixer. LARKSPUR. Join and meet fellow
planners for the first of four 2012 mixers around the North Bay. This is a great opportunity for networking and catching up with your planning colleagues.
Planning Commissioner Workshop. SAN LEANDRO. This is the first of three APA California–Northern planning commissioner workshops that will be offered from February to May 2012. This workshop covers the role of officials and staff; Roberts Rules of Order; public hearing procedures; making an effective public record; and basics of general plans and zoning.
Sustainable Mobility & Cities: Marrying Technology and Policy. BERKELEY. This is the third of three UC Berkeley-sponsored events in the 2011-2012 Conference Series on Urban Sustainability.
Advanced CEQA Workshop. OAKLAND. The workshop topics include case law updates, streamlining and infill development, greenhouse gasses, cumulative impacts, and legislative updates. This information will be presented by Lynette Dias of Urban Planning Partners, Curtis Alling of Ascent Environmental, and Kate Hart of Abbott & Kindermann. CM
CEQA Update, EUREKA. Update includes discussion of legal cases from 2011 and streamline planning. Program broadcast to members in Mendocino and Del Norte Counties.
Pedaling the Peninsula: A Regional Bike Share, SAN FRNACISCO. A SPUR brown bag lunchtime workshop co-sponsored by APA Northern Section. CM| 1.0
Death of Redevelopment, SAN FRANCISCO. A SPUR brown bag lunchtime workshop co-sponsored by APA Northern Section. CM| 1.0
March 2012
APA Peninsula Regional Advisory Council, Happy Hour Mixer. REDWOOD CITY. Join and meet other peninsula planners for an evening of networking and catching up with your colleagues.
YPG Mixer, PALO ALTO. Connect with young planners from the Peninsula and South Bay.
Climate Change, Water, and Planning.SAN JOSÉ. Learn what researchers and practitioners are saying about climate change impacts on sea-level, water supply, and extreme weather events. A panel of experts will discuss plans and potential impacts at the local, regional, and state level, leaving time for comments and questions. Co-sponsored by the Sierra Club. CM| 2.0
APA North Bay RAC Brown Bag: Middle Green Valley Specific Plan. FAIRFIELD. The Specific Plan for
Middle Green Valley is built upon the fundamental concepts of conservation, sustainability and community, utilizing tools such as development rights transfers and conservation easements to enable rural settlement patterns that honor the area’s agricultural legacy. Challenges adopting the plan and innovated programs associated with it will be discussed. CM| 1.0
Launch Party: SPUR San Jose. SAN JOSE. SPUR is expanding to the South Bay. Join in celebrating the launch of its new office in the biggest city in Northern California.
Saving Transit in the Region. SAN FRANCISCO. In the past decade, the cost of transit service in the Bay Area grew faster than inflation — often with a decline in quality of service. Changing this reality is key to the region’s future sustainability. Come learn about proposals from the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC), and how they will affect local transit operators. CM| 1.0
April 2012
Successful Strategies for Online Engagement, HAYWARD. The Northern Section co-sponsored a 3-hour workshop with the Alliance for innovation and City of Hayward on successful strategies for online engagement.
Planning Commissioner Workshop. EL CERRITO. This is the second of three APA California–Northern planning commissioner workshops that will be offered from February to May 2012. This workshop covers land use legal principles and key cases; basic CEQA and environmental review; defensible findings and project conditions; and development project case study.
Sustainable Communities? L.A., Sacramento, and San Diego. SAN FRANCISCO. In recent months, Sacramento, Los Angeles and San Diego all produced draft Sustainable Communities Strategies in response to SB 375, a 2008 bill that requires a coordinated land use and transportation plan to reduce per capita carbon dioxide emissions in California’s major regions. What can we learn from these other regions about the implementation of SB 375 and the prospects for better regional planning statewide? Hear from three of the state’s leading advocates for effective strategies. CM| 1.0
UC Berkeley ITS Tech Transfer: Bicycle Transportation. ONLINE. UC Berkeley Technology Transfer Program course covers designing and implementing safe, compliant, multi-use, off-street, shared-use bicycle facilities. Case studies will be presented. Sample spatial design problems, use conflicts, and alternative solutions will be illustrated.CM| 7.5
May 2012
UC Berkeley ITS Tech Transfer: Pedestrian Facility Design. ONLINE. UC Berkeley Technology Transfer Program course shows how to plan, design, and operate a wide range of pedestrian-friendly facilities, including sidewalks, crosswalks, and other public spaces adjoining or intersecting the vehicular transportation system. CM| 7.5
East Bay Spring Social. OAKLAND. APA and AEP are jointly hosting this casual after-work social and will provide appetizers. Meet friends and colleagues to catch up, network, and imbibe impeccable cocktails and Belgian beer.
37th California Preservation Conference. OAKLAND. “Old Roots, New Growth —Cultivating Communities.” Sessions, study tours, and events.125 speakers. Special track devoted to planning topics such as preservation basics, economic development, new technologies for historic buildings, planning for change, industrial reuse, and preservation in the 21st Century. CM
California Planning Foundation, Sustainability Walking Tour: Cavallo Point/Historic Sausalito. SAUSALITO. Join local planners, architects, developers, students, and other planning professionals on a spectacular walking tour. From military post to a world class destination, Fort Baker has been transformed into a luxury resort focusing on local food, health, and sustainability. Tour members will learn how a public-private partnership preserved historic buildings and provided for their adaptive reuse. Participants will also visit historic Sausalito and take in the sights and sounds of its magnificent waterfront, houseboats, and interesting cultural heritage. CM
Oakland: Heart of the MegaRegion. OAKLAND. The summit offers a selection of themed mobile workshops for participants to explore Oakland, the city at the heart of the Northern California MegaRegion. Choose from: (1) Trade and Exports at the Port of Oakland by boat; (2) Commercial Development in the city of Oakland by bus; or (3) Urban Technology and Innovation panel discussion with several high-tech founders including Pandora Internet Radio’s Joe Kennedy. CM| 3.0
Planning Commissioner Workshop. SAN JOSE. This is the last of three APA California–Northern planning commissioner workshops offered from February to May 2012. This workshop covers housing laws, elements, and RHNA process; economic development; land use planning fiscal issues; design guidelines and review; and sustainable planning.
DCRP Professional Research Symposium. BERKELEY. The UC Berkeley Department of City and Regional Planning and Planning Students Association will be holding its third annual Professional Research Symposium. Planning and joint degree Masters students will present their Professional and Client Reports with commentary from professionals in the field and a short Q and A.
Brown Bag Lunch Series: Recycling Food Waste. EUREKA. Humboldt County recycles many things, and with ever stringent diversion targets, Humboldt Waste Management is looking for items not typically thought of as commercially recyclable. Sara Mosser of HWMA will explore how food waste can be converted into a resource.
Bay Area Planning Directors Association, Spring Meeting. OAKLAND. “Housing everyone in the 21st Century: Preserving what we have, getting what we need.” Baby boomers are retiring; the following generation is smaller; many are choosing urban living. What are the implications? How can we expand the housing supply and give people choices? Kate White (Initiative Officer, San Francisco Foundation–Great Communities Collaborative) will present ULI’s 2011 report, “The New California Dream – How demographic and economic trends may shape the housing market.” CM
Résumé Reviews (and Happy Hour!) BERKELEY. Bring a copy of your résumé and join our Section’s Young Planners Group for an informal evening with several local planning directors and private sector recruitment professionals, who will be available to provide résumé reviews and critiques.
2012 Planning Awards Celebration, APA California – Northern. SAN FRANCISCO. Annual dinner to present 2012 Northern Section Awards and CPF scholarships.
North Bay RAC, Walking Tour of Mare Island. MARE ISLAND. Join us for a discussion on the status of, and challenges of implementing, the Mare Island Specific Plan which outlines the vision for reuse of the former Mare Island Naval Shipyard closed in 1996. CM| 1.0
CalEEMod and GHG Mitigation Training. MONTEREY. The California Emission Estimator Model (CalEEMod) is the newest statewide computer emissions estimating model. Developed by the South Coast Air Quality Management District in collaboration with other California air districts, the model calculates criteria pollutant and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from a variety of land uses. The training will benefit likely model users, such as government agencies, land use planners, and environmental professionals required to quantify and review air emissions associated with the construction and operation of a land use or transportation project.
Implementing Bus Rapid Transit in the Region. SAN FRANCISCO. Cities around the world are implementing Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) projects — a less costly form of transit service that mimics the speed and easy access of light rail. San Francisco has finished planning for the Van Ness BRT line and continues planning for the Geary BRT line, while Santa Clara County begins construction soon on Santa Clara–Alum Rock, El Camino, and Stevens Creek BRT lines. CM| 1.0
UC Berkeley ITS Tech Transfer: Multi-modal Level-of Service Analysis. ONLINE. UC Berkeley Technology Transfer Program course shows how to apply the HCM2010 level of service concepts to all transportation modes. The course will address how to conduct performance and level-of-service analyses for different types of urban streets (with various levels of accommodation for all modes), determine the impacts of system improvements, and analyze operational impacts of possible changes in the allocation of street cross-section to various modes. CM| 6.0
Walking Tour of Mission District Parklets. SAN FRANCISCO. Bring your walking shoes and join us for a walking tour of the Mission District’s newest open spaces. It will showcase parklets built in this part of the City and give a broader overview of the parklet creation process. CM| 1.5
June 2012
Health Impact Assessments: An Innovative Approach for Planning Healthy Communities. OAKLAND. Learn about a new tool in the planner’s toolbox to assess policies, programs, and projects for their potential effects on a community’s health and the distribution of those effects. CM
UC Berkeley ITS Tech Transfer: Access Management. ONLINE. UC Berkeley Technology Transfer Program course covers access management strategies and techniques to locate, design, and manage safe, efficient means to move traffic to and from adjoining land uses, improve traffic flow and travel times with less delay, and protect the public investment in the road system to help reduce agency capital costs. CM| 7.5
Brown Bag Lunch Series: Tsunami on the North Coast. EUREKA. It has been just over a year since a tsunami roared out from Japan and sent a noticeable wave into Humboldt Bay and the Crescent City Harbor. What can Humboldt County be prepared for? How might sea level rise affect a tsunami generated by a local earthquake? These and other questions about this potential threat to our future will be addressed by Lori Dengler, Professor of Geology at Humboldt State University.
Planning and Designing for Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety. FORTUNA. All-day workshop sponsored by the Healthy Transportation Network, co-sponsored by APA California –Northern and the City of Fortuna. The workshop will describe and provide examples of complete streets, proven pedestrian safety programs, designing bicycle routes in rural and urban areas, and how to share the road effectively. Examples near the lecture area will be explored. CM
Planners-of-Color Social Mixer, OAKLAND. Panel discussion on a number of ideas including healthy cities strategies and social justice issues.
YPG Cambridge Systematics Tour and Mixer, OAKLAND. Tour of office of transportation planning firm, followed by a mixer at nearby restaurant.
July 2012
Brown Bag Lunch Series – Implementing Pedestrian Safety Programs. EUREKA. Pedestrian Safety is one aspect of Complete Streets that enhances our communities. Humboldt County has received a grant of funds for a pilot project that will target select intersections with crosswalks but where safety is still an issue. The program models safety measures installed in Seattle, Salt Lake City, Kirkland, and several small towns across the country.
UC Berkeley ITS Tech Transfer: Roundabouts. ONLINE. UC Berkeley Technology
Transfer Program course covers the principles and working concepts of modern roundabout design and operation. This course will address capacity analysis, crash rate experience, right of way impacts, geometric design principles, sight distance criteria, traffic operations, system considerations, and pedestrian and bicycle treatments. CM| 7.5
Regional Bicycle and Pedestrian Issues, OAKLAND. A panel will discuss how bicycling and walking can help accomplish regional transportation goals. The panelists will address current planning issues and practices that encourage more bicycling and walking throughout the region, including San Francisco’s upcoming Bike-Sharing Program, BART’s Bicycle Plan, bicycle advocates’ role in regional decisions, and SB 375 and MTC’s policy work (e.g., Complete Streets). Sponsored by WTS San Francisco Bay Area chapter. CM| 1.0
YPG Social Mixer, OAKLAND. Joint mixer with the Green Building Council’s Emerging Professional group.
August 2012
From the FEIR to Construction, the Implementation of Mitigation Measures, OAKLAND. The history of the Calaveras dam (dating back to 1925) and construction implementation issues for the recent dam replacement project will be covered. The talk will also address environmental and naturally occurring asbestos issues, with emphasis on planning to construction. CM| 1.5
Unraveling the Stormwater Compliance Puzzle in the Monterey Bay, WATSONVILLE. The Monterey Bay APWA in association with AEP and APA are pleased to announce their 4th Annual Training Conference. This year’s training will focus on the latest developments in Stormwater Management in the Monterey Bay region, including regulations, permitting, Low Impact Development (LID) techniques, and a look ahead at how these changes will affect the region. CM| 7.0
The Fundamentals of Urban Design, SAN JOSE. Ever look at San Jose from an urban design perspective? Walking tour of downtown San Jose to learn about the city’s successful, and not so successful, urban design choices, and a discussion of how urban design can create a stronger public realm and help bring new vibrancy to San Jose’s downtown.
Fresh Air: SF’s Climate Action Strategies, SAN FRANCISCO. The EPA recently studied how strategies in San Francisco’s Climate Action Plan could improve local and regional air quality by reducing other air pollutants that are typically released along with climate-changing carbon dioxide. What climate action policies could yield us fresher air, and what is San Francisco doing about it? CM| 1.0
Creating a Bike-Friendly Business District, SAN JOSE. Event sponsored by San Jose Silicon Valley Chamber of Commerce and SPUR to discuss strategies for improving bicycle access in downtown San José. CM| 1.0
September 2012
The State of Bicycle Planning in the South Bay, SAN JOSE. Pre-ride tour of new downtown bike projects with San José Bicyclist & Pedestrian Program Coordinator John Brazil starts at 5:30 by the City Hall Rotunda, 200 East Santa Clara Street. Hear from bike planning expert John Ciccarelli about how outside forces influence bicycle planning in the South Bay, followed by a discussion about local bicycle planning opportunities and barriers with representatives from the City of San José, Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition, and the VTA BART project. CM| 1.5
Redwood Coast Planners Brown Bag Lunch Series: Specific Plans, EUREKA. Specific Plans are new to Humboldt County. They can provide a valuable tool for developers, planners, and elected officials by providing more “specific” detail on a particular area. Mike Nelson and Randy Rouda of LACO Associates will discuss what will be involved in preparing the one of the first specific plans in Humboldt County, its purpose, and what it will address.
12,000 Megawatts of Local Renewable Energy in California, SAN FRANCISCO. Governor Brown has called for the development of 12,000 megawatts of local renewable energy in California by 2020. How much is that? Where will it all go, and what will it look like? Wade Crowfoot, Deputy Director, Governor’s Office of Planning and Research, will present an overview of the state’s efforts to dramatically increase the distributed generation of renewable energy. Larisa Dobriansky, Executive Director of the Global Energy Network for Community Sustainability and former Deputy Assistant Secretary for National Energy Policy at the U.S. Department of Energy, will discuss how California’s efforts relate to similar national and international initiatives. CM| 1.5
APA North Bay RAC Social Event: Downtown Joe’s Brewery and Restaurant, NAPA. Join and meet fellow planners for the third of four mixers around the North Bay in 2012. This is a great opportunity for networking and catching up with your planning colleagues.
Silicon Valley Watershed Summit, LOS ALTOS HILLS. The Silicon Valley Watershed Summit will plan the protection and enhancement of Santa Clara and San Mateo Counties’ waters and surrounding lands—i.e., their watersheds. The Summit will identify opportunities for on-going collaboration among agencies, organizations, businesses and individuals. CM| 4.0
Planning in the New Era: Defining Public Private Relationships, SAN JOSE. As the traditional relationship between planning and development have evolved due to the downturn in the economy and loss of funding mechanisms for redevelopment projects, the Urban Planning Coalition will hold a symposium to facilitate a dialogue on the direction of this partnership. Plenary discussion topics include new public and private relationships in future urban developments, transportation-oriented development, megaproject development, and public-private placemaking of public space. Sponsored by the APA California-Northern Section. CM| 3.0
SF RAC Social Event: San Francisco Planners Happy Hour, SAN FRANCISCO. Join us for good drinks, conversation and networking as we join up with the happy hour group T.O.B. (Transit Oriented Beer).
October 2012
Redwood Coast Brown Bag Lunch Lecture Series: Humboldt Bay and Sea Level Rise, EUREKA. Tracing the edge of Humboldt Bay by kayak and on foot, Aldaron Laird recently completed a GIS and photographic record of Humboldt Bay to serve as a baseline against which vulnerabilities to sea level rise were assessed. Aldaron made some surprising discoveries and spent a few harrowing hours on the water. Highlights of his journey and vulnerability assessment will be presented during this lecture presentation.
Planners of Color Social Mixer, BERKELEY. This is a call-out for Planners of Color! Meet, network and exchange ideas with other planners. Everybody welcome!
Jobs, Housing and Traffic Connection, SUNNYVALE. Urban Habitat will discuss its recent report “Moving Silicon Valley Forward.” As the Silicon Valley economy rebounds, 67% of the projected job growth and its largest workforce will be in sectors paying less than $50,000 annually; yet, regional plans for housing and transportation do not meet the needs of this workforce. What are the effects of this shortage of housing and lack of quality transit near job centers on commutes, congestion, social equity and the environment? How can these consequences be addressed? CM | 1.5
The Seeds of Our 21st Century Transportation Network, BERKELEY. One of the country’s leading transportation policymakers examines the history of infrastructure policy in the United States. The Honorable James Oberstar, member of Congress 1975-2011 will present a retrospective of sixty years of policymaking. Sponsored by the Matsui Center for Politics and Public Service and the Institute of Transportation Studies. CM | 1.0 pending
Local Employment Dynamics Workshop, OAKLAND. The Census Bureau will present details about America’s jobs, workers, and the local economies using the following online programs: Quarterly Workforce Indicators, Industry Focus, CED Hot Reports, and On the Map. CM | 3.0 pending
American FactFinder Workshop, OAKLAND. The Census Bureau will present an overview of obtaining Census data online. This workshop will help navigate various data sources and tools on the Census Bureau’s website. CM | 3.0 pending
November 2012
Newby Island Resource Recovery Park Tour, SAN JOSE. Tour the cutting edge Newby Island Resource Recovery Park in San Jose, believed to be the largest recycling facility in the world. The renovation of an existing 80,000 square-foot building and addition of a state of the art sorting system and equipment enable the facility to process as much as 420,000 tons of waste per year. The facility houses organics recycling, construction waste recycling and a “Green Energy” generation system and will help us achieve our goal of “zero waste” for homes and businesses. The tour will include the new recycling facility as well as the landfill operation. CM| 2.5 pending
Rethinking Parking, SUNNYVALE. Brian Canepa, Nelson\Nygaard Transportation Consulting, brings an analytical eye to parking practices that so often go unexamined. He will address how parking practices shape our cities and transportation choices; how much parking really costs; what are the tradeoffs between providing too much or too little parking; how to set parking requirements based on empirical data; what other cities are doing; and what strategies and policies can be considered to make parking requirements more flexible. CM | 1.5 pending
Smart Parking for Smart Growth: Reforming Parking Policies for TOD, OAKLAND. Over the past two years, the California legislature has considered two bills that promote “smart” parking policy for transit-rich areas. Join in a discussion with local planners and policy makers in assessing the latest bill AB 904 and laying the foundation for policy recommendations for the next legislative session. Workshop comments and recommendations will be forwarded to state legislators and the APA California Chapter Policy and Legislative Committee. CM | 2.0 pending
APA California-Northern Section Holiday Party, OAKLAND. A drawing for the California Planning Foundation will benefit students pursuing planning degrees. Donate an item or contribute to CPF for the Holiday Party. No donation is too big or too small.
Young Planners Group
We have focused on improving our outreach channels to effectively communicate with our 600+ members. We have switched to Constant Contact for managing emails and have a growing list of 622 members. We have also increased our social networking efforts by switching to a Facebook page instead of a group and using Hoot Suite to manage and schedule Facebook postings.
YPG has hosted several social mixers and office tours in the Northern Section for young planners. They also coordinated with the Student Representatives from U.C. Berkeley and San Jose State University (SJSU) on APA student memberships and joint activities. The YPG Co-Chairs participated in planning the recent Urban Planning Coalition symposium held at SJSU. They also assisted the Professional Development Director in organizing a resume review and mixer at U.C. Berkeley for graduating students.
Diversity Outreach
The Diversity Group made presentations to five high schools with a diverse student population to discuss with students a possible career in city and regional planning. Two schools were located in Oakland and two schools were located in Santa Rosa. Miroo Desai, AICP, the Section’s Diversity Planning Director also attended the Sustainable Urban Design Academy (SUDA) Advisory Board Orientation meeting in Oakland. One of the goals of SUDA is to seek partnerships and create urban design programs through urban agriculture, open space design, habitat restoration, food justice, green action teams, and urban forestry. Their mission is to “empower students through a highly rigorous, engaging and supportive learning environment to prepare graduates for college, careers and life as designers and leaders of movements towards a sustainable and just world.” The purpose of this meeting was to explore collaboration with community partners connected to this focus and to build partnerships that share a common vision of sustainability, experience-based education and healthy, sustainable communities. The Section would like to explore ways in which it can provide assistance.
Legislative Director
Alexandra Barnhill, AICP, who is a practicing land use attorney and Legislative Director for the Northern Section, has established a webpage to provide updates and links on California legislation and court cases of interest to planners. You can view this page at . Alexandra has also contributed articles to the Northern News on California legislative topics.
University/Student Liaison
Financial Sponsorships
APA Northern is pleased to provide financial assistance totaling $1,500 to two academic efforts by the San Jose State University Graduate Planning Program:
0. Planning in the New Era: Defining Public Private Relationships: Urban Planning Coalition (UPC) half-day symposium with multiple panel discussions held on September 29. This symposium is geared towards planning students and was a well-attended event with prominent speakers.
0. Graduate student study with CommUniversity on a comprehensive community assessment of the Spartan-Keyes neighborhood in central San Jose. The outcome will be a community-based report and presentation in early Spring 2013 and an article in Northern News.
Planning Accreditation Board (PAB) Review
0. APA Northern has been invited by the PAB to participate in the reaccreditation review process for the U.C. Berkeley City and Regional Planning Graduate Program. This is similar to the invitation received last year to participate in the reaccreditation of the San Jose State University City Urban and Regional Planning Graduate Program. The PAB is interested in the level of involvement of these graduate programs in APA activities. The PAB requested that we distribute a survey to Northern Section members and also invited several Board members to participate on an interview panel. The survey was distributed in March and the interview was delayed until October 2. Hing Wong, AICP, and Rodrigo Oduña, AICP, participated on the interview panel.
ORANGE SECTION
Jennifer Lilley, AICP, Section Director
General Administration
Elections
We have kicked off our nomination and election process we have four open elected positions, which included Section Director Elect, Admin & Finance, Professional Development and Public Information. Our nominating committee has been selected including four members that will work to seek out candidates for the various elected positions as well as screen all applications submitted. We have automated our election/voting process and will again use technology to improve access and participation in the voting process.
Planning Retreat
Plans are being made for our yearly goal setting and budget retreat. Our full board of elected and appointed positions as well as any general members that are interested in attending will meet in January 2013 from 8:00 am until 1:00 pm to set our calendar, reviewing goals, programs, events and activities, evaluating and set our 2013 budget and reviewing feedback and input from our membership. .
Bylaws
We updated our bylaws and approved the latest version in 2010. Earlier this year we began the review to ensure our bylaws address any policy or procedural changes, agreements with State and other needs. We had expected to have this completed earlier in the year but we have found some changes that needed some additional time so we are on track to have this wrapped up by the end of 2012.
Publicity and Communication
Website
We have selected a firm to complete our website update. In the meantime the various portfolios have been working on the content so that once the framework is in place we can add the detail and go live quickly. We expect to have the new website live by February 2013.
Planning Awards Program and Banquet
Awards
This year our award ceremony and celebration was held on May 16 from 6-8 pm at the Astor Classic Event Center in Anaheim. We gave out more than fifteen awards to a great variety of projects and individuals representing public, private and professional efforts in our Section. Again, this year volunteers were made available by the Section to help public agencies put together award packages given the lack of resources in many public agency offices. New this year we provided connection to hopeful and past winners to help them through the award process so they can prepare stronger applications.
Annual Holiday Party
We are planning our annual joint holiday mixer with AEP OC for the first week of December. The location is yet to be determined but we expect to have another year at a creative location with about 100 of our members and potential members. We will again offer the event for only 20.00 for members and 10.00 for students. At the event we plan to give away three student APA memberships (the year after it is free price) to include and encourage more student participation.
Professional Development/Social Networking Events
Planner’s Institute
Our joint event with the Planning Director’s Association of Orange County was just held in October again at the Nixon Library. The event was sold out. The cost for more than 7 CM Credits was 95.00 and included breakfast and lunch. The day began with a look at “what great things are happening in our communities” with 32 of the 34 cities in our Section present, they shared projects they are proud of that represent the best of their community. Sessions included planning after redevelopment, creative economic development with examples from Anaheim, Aliso Viejo and Costa Mesa, ULI’s RE-visioning Orange County was the keynote session talking about regional issues of housing, transportation and land use and a session on being esmart. Our audience included City Council members, Planning Commissioners, public and private sector practitioners as well as academic and students members. OCAPA sponsored 10 student registrations for this event.
Monthly Events
The Section hosts a monthly lunch program covering CM credited topics that are relevant to our members. We have teamed up throughout the last several months to cross promote or co-host events with AEP, PDAOC, LAAPA, and San Diego APA to offer our members the broadest range of free and low cost CM credits possible. Over the last six months OCAPA has offered 16 CM credits locally and for free or low (less than 20.00 each) cost.
Fundraising/Golf Tournament
The Section co-hosted our annual golf tournament this year on August 9 at Pelican Hill golf course. Joining with ICC and PDAOC, OCAPA raised more than 2,000.00 for student scholarships, specially our Bob Goldin Scholarship program. These scholarships will be awarded in the Spring.
University Liaison
Students
OCAPA attended the welcome event for the new students in the UCI Master program. We spoke to students about the benefits of APA, encouraged their membership, given that it is free, shared the opportunity for this year’s class to attend our State conference locally, and listened to the interests and questions of this class.
Young Planners Group
Our Young Planners Group has hosted two professional development/mixers. They also created a kick-ball team and joined a league where they have continued to represent OC Planning well. They are working to support National Planning Month this year with community events and awareness programs.
Upcoming Events
Legislative Update
The Orange County will host a legislative update for our members this November. We are working to secure our speaker and location and expect another record turnout.
National Conference 2014
We have finalized and received approval for the location (Disneyland Hotel) to host the 2014 conference. Our co-chairs will be presented for the review and approval of the Board and we have met with interested members to begin forming our LHC. We had over 40 people attend our kick-off event and several others that are interested in serving but could not make the meeting. We have finalized the contract with the location and are working on ideas for our opening event.
SACRAMENTO VALLEY SECTION
Tricia Stevens, Section Director
The Sacramento Valley Section works to: provide value to our members through professional development and support; recognize and encourage planning excellence; engage other planning and design organizations to create a common voice in promoting high quality planning in our region; mentor future leaders; educate regional decision makers and the community at large about the importance of planning in our everyday lives.
Programs
Our goal is to provide Section members 8 – 12 programs annually available to the general membership. In addition, we provide other specialty programs through the Young Planners Group and Professional Development activities. In the fall, we created a Programs Committee to better coordinate the activities of the various functions. Following is a summary of the overall programs:
0. June—November:
The highlight of our Programs is the six month Speaker Series, in collaboration with our planning and design partners which include AIA, ULI, USGBC, AEP, OPR, SACOG and the Sacramento Tree Foundation. This year theme is RE3: ReThink, ReDesign, ReEnergize - Creating a Thriving Community. Our 2012 Speaker Series focuses on both old and new tools and ideas and how to use them to successfully meet current needs for fostering healthy, economically viable, equitable and livable communities. In year five of the Sacramento Valley APACA Section’s award winning professional development series, we and our partners explore how we can recommit ourselves to our professions and our communities and help create a better world. These programs are held monthly from June through November and each session provides two AICP CM Credits.
0. May: We offered a tour or the newly refurbished Sacramento International Airport with its award winning public art.
0. January: We conducted an Ethics program in conjunction with the Northern Section.
0. February: We collaborated with a local Law firm to provide a legal update on planning and CEQA issues.
0. August: We held our Annual Scholarship Fundraiser honoring Janet Ruggiero, our 2012 Legacy Award Winner.
Membership
0. Sent personal letters to congratulate members who pass the AICP exam.
0. Sent personal letters to welcome new members.
0. With each letter to new AICP and new members, we offered a free pass to Speaker Series to assist with obtaining local CM credit and experience our programs
0. Continued efforts to send personal letters and emails to renewing members, and those who have recently left.
0. Conducted annual member survey via Survey Monkey to solicit ideas and input to improve local section activities and membership.
0. Regular email announcements of section events and community events of interest to our members
0. Provide prompt responses to membership questions sent through the Sac APA website.
Young Planners Group (YPG)
PLAN Sac Valley Mentoring Program
The PLAN (Planning + Leadership + Advancement + Networking) Sac Valley mentoring program completed its first year. The 9-month program matched 9 planners starting their career with 9 experienced planners for one-on-one and group activities designed for personal and professional growth and advancement. The PLAN program offered one group activity per month focusing on topics like planning in the public sector vs. the private sector, the future of the planning profession, mentee tips for their profession toolkit, and “hot” planning topics. The program also included volunteer activities to give back to the community. The PLAN mentoring program received the APA CA Chapter 2012 Section Activity Award of Excellence.
YPG Subcommittee
The YPG was very active and provided the following programs:
January: Establish Yourself as an Expert in Your Field
February: Experience City Council in attending a Sacramento City Council hearing.
March: SVS Periodic Table of Planning Elements T-Shirt Sale and Mixer
April: Spring Social
August: PLAN Sac Valley Networking and Marketing Mixer
October: “You Don’t Know Sac” Scavenger Hunt and Pub Crawl
The Chair of the SVS YPG, Tracey Ferguson, participated in APA National YPG Webinars, which were great conversations about best practices for creating and managing YPGs at the chapter or section level, in addition to talking about the essentials for building mentoring programs and strategies for reaching out to student members. The SVS YPG also reinstated the APA CA YPG quarterly call for all CA YPG section chairs and leadership to provide insight and support to one another in the sharing of ideas and lessons learned on programs, activities, etc. regarding what YPGs are doing throughout the state.
Awards
The Awards Ceremony for 2011 was held in January 2012. In addition to the Section awards reported in the 2011 Section report, we also honored Local Vision and Legacy Award winners.
0. Local Vision Awards were given to the following recipients for their contribution to sound planning and leadership in the region: Brooks Truit, Stonebridge Properties, Sacramento Tree Foundation, Sacramento Farm Bureau, and Ubuntu.
0. The 2011 Legacy Award honored Janet Ruggiero, FAICP, for her significant contributions to the planning profession at the local, state and national level. Janet has received Distinguished Service Awards at both the State and National level. Her contributions include being a member of the California Planning Roundtable, the Board of Directors for the California Cities Board of Directors, extensive work on state legislation, organizing the Planning Commissioners training for the Sacramento Region, and the list goes on and on.
The following awards are being given for 2012, with the Awards Ceremony to be held in January 2013. 2012 Awards for Local Vision and Legacy will be selected prior to this event.
Section Award Winners:
0. Yuba County General Plan – Comprehensive Planning
0. City of Sacramento Climate Action Plan – Innovation in Green Community Planning
0. Sacramento River Crossing Alternatives Study – Focused Issue Planning Award
Merit Award Winners:
0. Sacramento County Fair Oak Boulevard Specific Plan – Hard-Won Victories
0. Sacramento County General Plan – Comprehensive Planning
0. City of Chico General Plan – Comprehensive Planning
Professional Development
0. AICP Exam Preparation: In February and September, the Section hosted informational sessions for members considering applying for and taking the AICP exam to become certified planners. We had a total of 10 attendees for the two sessions. The Section provides ongoing support to members preparing to take the AICP exam by providing or directing them to study materials, responding to questions regarding the AICP exam and application process and helping to organize study groups.
0. Certification Maintenance: Provided opportunities for 29.25 CM credits to keep planners up to date on the latest trends, technologies, and best practices.
0. Recognition of National Planning Month: On October 2nd, the City Council recognized National Planning Month – featuring remarks from a council member, City of Sacramento Planning Director (David Kwong), City Planning & Design Commission Chair (Phil Harvey), and APA Sac Valley Section Director (Tricia Stevens).
Board Development and Retreat
In February, we conducted our Annual Board Retreat in Sutter Creek. The Board set goals for 2012, including:
0. Retention and increase of Section membership by reaching out to lapsed members and enhancing our exposure
0. Increasing our website resources
0. Recruit new Board members, especially to those in outlying areas
0. Stepping up our sponsorship program
0. Planning all our Programs for the year. Consider holding an Annual Members Meeting. Consider using Webcasting as a programs tool.
In August, new Board Officers were elected:
0. Section Director: Tricia Stevens
0. Programs Director: Jeannie Lee
0. Secretary: Tracey Ferguson
Our many thanks to Julia Lave-Johnston, outgoing Section Director for her outstanding contributions and leadership over the last four years.
0. The Board meets monthly on the last Friday of each month.
0. The Board created T-shirts with the “Periodic Tables for Planners” and offered the T-shirts for sale at all Section activities.
Planning Commissioners Training
The Section partnered with the Sacramento Area Council of Governments (SACOG) to offer Planning Commissioner Training sessions, including the March 31, 2012, CEQA training in Chico.
Sponsorships and Scholarship Fundraising
The Section offered a Sponsorship menu that included the following levels of support:
0. Visionary - $1,000 or more – advertising on all SVAPA event promotions, program passes to the Speakers Series, Awards Event tickets
0. Partner - $500 or more – logo on website, tickets, and recognition
0. Friend - $250 or more – logo and limited tickets to events
Sponsorships for 2012 included Atkins, Dudek, ESA, and Wood Rogers.
The Section raised $2,000+ at our Annual Fundraiser for Student Scholarship in honor of Janet Ruggiero, our 2011 Legacy Award recipient.
SAN DIEGO SECTION
Daniel K. Wery, AICP, Section Director
Section Administration Actions
0. My term as Section Director is nearly done. Having served the Board since 2006, I can say that the current board is one of the most professional, productive, creative and conscientious during my tenure. I am extremely proud our growth and activities over the last two years and look forward to even more in the coming terms.
0. Long time SDAPA Board member Greg Konar and Section Director-Elect will be taking over the helm of SDAPA starting January 2013. Greg served as Webmaster of the San Diego Section for over 10 years, and has also initiated and coordinated many APA events. Greg's commitment, creativity and continuity have and will continue to serve our Section and region well.
0. The more things change, the more things stay the same. Almost every position on the SDAPA Board changed during 2012 or will change by 2013. Fortunately, most of the board members with valuable experience and continuity on the Board have decided to swap positions and responsibilities. Several immediate past board members will serve as committee members. SDAPA gains fresh blood and energy in the positions, but maintains important and valuable continuity, experience and knowledge of the Board and our activities.
0. 2012 SDAPA Awards Chair Betsy McCullough did a fantastic job this year. We are extremely fortunate to have had Betsy on the board. Betsy is going to assume the position of Vice President of Professional Development for the Chapter and will resign as SDAPA Awards Director. Fortunately she built a strong foundation (committee, records, manual, etc.) that will serve our annual signature event well for years to come. We welcome Theresa Millette as our new Awards Director. Theresa was a key player on the 2012 Awards committee and will be tapping into the 2012 Committee, which will include Betsy McCullough.
0. SDAPA welcomes our newest board members:
0. Theresa Millette as Awards Director
0. Tara Lake as Co-Director of Membership
0. Natalia Clark as Director of our Young Planners Group
0. Connery Cepeda returns to SDAPA to lead our Inclusionary Membership efforts
0. Olivia Tinney has taken over as Secretary
0. Nicholas Oliver as our Student Representative for UCSD
0. Audra Antczak has accepted the position of SDSU Student Representative
0. We owe Mario Osorio a tremendous thank you as he takes a break from the SDAPA Board. In just a few years Mario started and grew the SDAPA Young Planners Group and Mentorship Program which has contributed mightily to the involvement, energy and more than a few SDAPA board members. The YPG is extremely active and is a testament to the potential of excellent volunteer leadership.
0. SDAPA rolled out a brand new website in 2012. Our Website Design Committee did a great job of evaluating the best and worst features of the old site, articulating the needs and design parameters, selecting a consultant, and getting our new website on-line on budget and on schedule.
0. Started a Section Best Practices Manual with key responsibilities, tasks, resources and instructional guidelines for each Board position. Once completed, the BPM will be shared with other Sections and the Chapter.
0. Drafted SDAPA Policy Guidelines to document and reflect Board practice and decisions that will help inform and guide the practice of future Boards. The Policy Guidelines cover topics including:
0. Reserves, Investments
0. Advocacy Positions and Statements
0. Annual Section Activity & Fiscal Report
0. Waived Registration for SDAPA Board Members, Volunteers, Speakers
0. Event Registration Cancellation Policy
0. Use of SDAPA Auction/Raffle Revenues
0. Proportionate Sponsor Benefits
0. SDAPA Provided AICP CM Credits Provision Goals
0. SDAPA Product/Event Acknowledgements and Credits
0. Scholarships and Annual Auction Packages
0. Celebrate SDAPA Members, Awards, Certifications, Scholarship Winners
0. Inter-Organization/Agency Collaboration
0. SDAPA Representation on Local Advisory Committees
0. SDAPA Website Advertizing & Announcements for Outside Groups
Section director-elect – Activities
Section Director-Elect, Greg Konar chaired two subcommittees: 1) the Website Redesign Committee, and 2) the Complete Streets Task.
Website Redesign Committee:
The website redesign committee consisting of Greg Konar, Nancy Graham, Alex Hempton, Eric Lardy, Asha Brier, Kim Bush, and Rene Yarmy guided the successful launch of our new website on April 5, 2012. Programming and design support was provided by Ty Smith of Digital Deluxe. The design met all of the committee’s goals and objectives and provided an even richer set of features than originally anticipated.
Innovative components of the new site include:
0. Converting the newsletter from a quarterly PDF to an online journal with blog features. A photo slider with lead-ins to current journal articles was added to the home page to entice readers.
0. Better integration of our events calendar with upcoming news and announcements. Users can now post their own events to appear on the news announcement page, calendar, and event registration page simultaneously (subject to webmaster approval). Similarly, job ads can now be posted by the user.
0. Inclusion of banner ads to replace the business card ads in the newsletter. These rotate randomly each time a page is refreshed.
0. Improved integration with SDAPA’s social media sites, including Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and DesignCollab--an event calendar for design professionals in the San Diego Region.
0. Greater design flexibility overall for creating new pages, updating pull down menus, and integrating special features such as event registrations and our online Pay Pal services.
Responses to the new website have been overwhelmingly positive. We are continually looking for new ways to use our website and social media pages to improve Board efficiencies and enhance member services. In the final quarter of 2012, we will be reconvening the web redesign team to discuss a number of adjustments that will allow us to squeeze even productivity out of the new site. Goals include:
• Improving awareness and readership of the online journal articles
• Better integration with the CAL-APA website
• Simplifying the delivery of our news and announcements to our membership
• Increasing awareness of banner ad opportunities
• Instituting at-the-door online credit card payment for SDAPA event registrants
Complete Streets Task Force:
The San Diego Compete Streets Task Force (CSTF) was initiated jointly by SDAPA and WalkSanDiego to promote the implementation of Complete Streets by sharing best practices, encouraging dialogue, and recognizing innovative projects in the San Diego region. Task Force members include SDAPA members: Greg Konar (chair), Brooke Petersen, Asha Brier, and Dan Wery. Other members are from WalkSanDiego and local transportation consultants firms.
CSTF accomplishments for 2012 include:
0. Conducted several complete street training sessions throughout the San Diego Region
0. Presented the second annual Complete Streets Award at the SDAPA Awards Program on June 4, 2012
0. Completed a white paper titled: “From Policy to Pavement: Implementing Complete Streets in the San Diego Region” (June, 2012)
0. Organized “Complete Streets San Diego” a joint workshop sponsored by SDAPA, WSD, AEP San Diego, and ITE San Diego. The two major workshop themes were: 1) Complete Streets and CEQA-Opportunities for Implementation and, 2) Aligning Street Performance Metrics with Community Values. The sold-out workshop was attended by over 130 planning, transportation, and environmental professionals. The workshop was one of the most successful “big-tent” events ever initiated by SDAPA.
0. Developed a session presentation and panel discussion based on “From Policy to Pavement” for the 2012 APA California conference in Rancho Mirage
For the remainder of 2012 and into 2013 the CSTF will continue its efforts to promote complete streets through policy advocacy and education. Specific goals include:
• Create a speaker’s bureau for Complete Streets presentations
• Conduct a (leaders-to-leaders) focused workshop for local political leaders and aides—to be presented by leaders involved with successful complete streets projects and programs in their own jurisdictions
• Provide support and guidance to SANDAG in creating its Complete Streets Policy of the San Diego Region
Membership
0. SDAPA Membership has held steady throughout 2012.
0. Sent out direct mail postcard to 500 members to remind them of events, confirm and register for e-blasts, and test accuracy of our mailing lists. Only received about 10 returned to sender.
0. Planned Events for balance of 2012:
0. Student outreach – visiting local colleges (SDSU & UCSD) to invite members to join SDAPA.
0. Planners Night Out Mixer @ URBN in North Park – October 16, 2012
0. Planners Night Out Mixer @ North County – November (Venue TBD)
0. Member Appreciation Holiday Party @ Bali Hai - December 5, 2012
AICP Professional Development
After many years leading the AICP Exam Training programs, Stan Donn has passed the reigns to form SDAPA Newsletter Editor Asha Bleier. Asha has been assisting Stan and his committee for more than a year, and recently earned her own AICP this year.
SDAPA AICP Training Report - 2012
0. SDAPA has been offering AICP exam trainings since 2007. We offer a major training between February and April for those taking the May exam, and a Roundtable gathering in September for those interested in taking the exam in November. The Roundtable is intended to provide a recap of the May training and key information to help people focus their study efforts. Both events have people who have recently passed the exam share their insights, which greatly help participants with knowing what they may expect to see on the exam.
0. The average number of participants has been 20-25 people for the May exam training. Approximately 11 people attended this year’s training with most of the participants from San Diego and a couple coming down from Orange County/LA. In the past, up to 50% of the attendees were from the OC/LA area. At this time, the Orange County and LA APA sections do not offer exam prep trainings. Only Sacramento, Northern CA and San Diego sections offer trainings.
0. The following are some statistics and feedback from the past four years of trainings. SD has consistently scored higher than the average 67% National. Also, those who attend the class and take the exam in May generally have a higher pass rate than those who take it in November.
0. May 2009 Exam - SD had 76% pass rate
0. November 2009 Exam – SD had 65% pass rate
0. May 2010 Exam – SD had 100% pass rate
0. May 2011 Exam - 88% pass rate from SDAPA’s training
0. May 2012 Exam – 80% pass rate from SDAPA’s training
0. Those who participated in the training sessions had higher pass rate than those who did not. In fact, one participant attended the May 2012 training because they did not pass the exam in November 2011. Following the training, the participant passed the exam in May 2012! We have a number of success stories such as these. The following lists some of the feedback we’ve received recently.
0. SDAPA AICP Training Feedback:
0. “Thank you, very helpful!!”
0. “Thank you very much for your time to help me prepare for this test.”
0. “Somehow we need access to more video resources. Next year you may consider recording sessions and working with other chapters to get access to more materials.”
0. “SDAPA can purchase some of the exam prep material such as APA Prep Package 2.0 or the Green Book or Everyday Ethics, etc. and let its members borrow or buy for a cheaper price. Lots of other APA chapters do that & they have a bigger turnout at the exam sessions that they organize. Just a suggestion! ϑ”
0. “Offer 2x/yr. Thanks for the great course!”
0. “More coffee, print slides 2-4 per page (no lines)”
0. “I appreciate the networking opportunities. More practice questions with opportunity to discuss at end of some sessions would be appreciated.”
0. “Thank you!”
0. “Thoroughly enjoyed sessions. Maybe provide more question samples from previous tests if possible.
0. “I don’t know about others but this training could be done during normal working hours. Participation might increase.”
0. “Incorporating a practice test with a follow-up discussion regarding answers/question structure could be helpful.”
0. “Time will tell but maybe more emphasis on exam itself. Best in first and last sessions.”
0. “All very good sessions. The best session was the last. Lots of info and very relevant to the exam.”
0. “Guidance on study materials was very helpful.”
0. “SDAPA is offering a great service to its members.”
Programs & Workshops & Events
0. SDAPA conducted 2 Luncheons, 4 Workshops and 1 Tour (2012 Awards).
0. A total of 24.5 AICP CM credits were offered for an average of only $10 per credit (including food).
0. In addition, SDAPA partnered with our collaborating organizations (ULI, C3, Walk San Diego, AEP and ITE) to provide another 15.25 CM credits.
0. Several of SDAPA’s past tours were resurrected for the 2012 New Partners for Smart Growth Conference in San Diego. Two of the tours each provided 3.5 CM credits.
0. The 47 locally provided CM credits included 7.5 Law and 1.5 Ethics credits, exceeding our goal to provide enough programming credits annually meet the bi-annual AICP requirements:
0. CEQA: Is It a Barrier to Sustainable Planning? (CM 1.75)
0. Housing Development Law and Policy Seminar (CM 7.00; 1.50 Law)
0. Best Practices Workshop - Housing Elements (CM 3.00; 1.50 Law)
0. Complete Streets and CEQA: Opportunities for Implementation (CM 5.00; 1.50 Law)
0. SDAPA 2012 Awards Ceremony: Education Portion (CM 1.50)
0. Using CEQA to Enable Smart Growth (CM 1.50; 1.50 Law)
0. Housing Element Workshop (CM 3.50)
0. Designing for Pedestrian Safety Workshop (CM 6.00)
0. California and Federal Sustainability (CM 1.50)
0. Advancing Public Dialogue: Strategies for Implementing Effective Public Engagement Programs (CM 7.00 ; 1.50 Law and 1.50 Ethics)
Young Planners Group
0. The San Diego Young Planner’s Group has had an incredibly active 2012. Through our monthly “Third Thursday Meet Ups,” YPG has engaged students and emerging professionals in active networking and professional growth programs.
0. Seeking to foster an exchange of professional expertise and innovative planning practice, YPG launched SDAPA’s first Mentorship Program in January 2012. Over 74 members participated in the program that matched YPG members and students (protégés) with experienced planners (Mentors) creating 19 mentorship teams who engaged in a variety of mentoring programs including job shadows, resume workshops, and mock interviews throughout the year.
0. YPG members have also participated in four community service events and launched our first Bi-National Planning Charrette Project led by the International Planning Sub-committee.
0. Third Thursday Meet Ups:
0. January 3: Hosted by Community Service Sub-Committee, YPG community service events planning meeting for 2012.
0. February 16: Hosted by the International Planning Sub-Committee, YPG international planning program planning meeting for 2012.
0. March 15: Hosted by Mentorship and Education Sub-Committee, YPG mentorship ad educational event program planning meeting for 2012.
0. April 19: YPG members were introduced to iCommute programs and Bike to Work month events and programs by SANDAG Marketing Analyst, Goldin Ortiz in the preparation for YPG’s support of a Pit Stop on Bike to Word Day 2012.
0. May 17 – YPG International Planning Sub-Committee hosted: “International Planning Opportunities: A Roundtable Discussion on Adventures Across Borders” and mixer. Providing YPG members an opportunity to gain an understanding of potential international career paths.
0. August 16: In preparation for the Fall Bi-National Planning Charrette Projects: Pedestrian Bridges in San Ysidro led by the International Planning Sub-committee, YPG hosted Casa Familiar’s Design and Development Officer, David Flores. Casa Familiar serves as YPG’s community partner for the project.
0. September 20: With the start of the new academic year, YPG welcomed new student members at a mixer promoting APA programs and opportunities for engagement. Participants were also asked to give their feedback on programs to-date and share recommendations for future events and activities.
0. Community Service Events:
0. May 12 – YPG members volunteered at Tune-Up Time, a Bike to Work Month event rallying San Diego residents to prepare for Bike to Work day by receiving free bike maintenance checks and participating in bicycle safety and education courses, including bike rodeos for the kids.
0. May 18: YPG hosts a SDAPA Bike to Work Pit Stop on the corner of Genesee Ave and Linda Vista Road from 5am – 9am. More than 12 YPG members helped provide water, snacks, and bicycle safety equipment to Bike to Work Day participants.
0. June 4: YPG members volunteered at the Annual SDAPA Awards Ceremony.
0. July 21: YPG joined the Surfrider Foundation for a clean up event at Moonlight Beach in Encinitas, CA. Members spent the morning cleaning up debris and beautifying the beach with volunteers from around the County.
0. Mentorship and Educational Programs:
0. January 23: YPG kicked off the SDAPA Mentorship Program with an orientation and mixer. The event allowed Mentorship Teams to meet their fellow team members as well as the Mentorship Coordinators.
0. May 23: YPG hosted a Mentorship Milestone Mixer to check in with Mentorship Groups, assess progress, and obtain feedback for the next mentorship program cycle.
0. International Planning:
0. November 3, 2012: YPG Bi-National Charrette Project team members tour the San Ysidro Pedestrian Bridges in preparation for the design charrette.
0. December 2012: YPG hosts the YPG Bi-National Charrette Project. The project will aim to identify improvement opportunities for 4 existing community pedestrian connections/overpasses, including the following 1) widening of the bridges; 2) integration of lighting, artwork and landscaping at landings; and 3) focused opportunities for community connectivity and pedestrian accessibility.
Diversity/Inclusionary
Built Environmental Education Program (BEEP) The primary effort of our Diversity efforts, SDAPA and several Board members have been instrumental in resurrecting the long defunct Built Environment Education Program (aka BEEP). This educational program seeks to develop interest in the built-environment advocacy and professions long before career decisions are made in high school and college. BEEP is a big tent effort of the design professions to educate and advocate for school-age youth as meaningful participants, leaders, and decision-makers of the built environment. Through its curriculum and program structure, including in-classroom lessons and projects, after-school clubs, summer camps, and weekend workshops BEEP seeks to educate and engage school-age youth on all aspects of the built environment, and to inspire interest in and further study of the built environment.
0. In-classroom efforts in Academic Year 2011-2012 reached over 150 students from 6th to 8th grade at the Language Academy and Correia Middle School. Based on a curriculum developed and executed by BEEP volunteers in all design professions, including planning, architecture, landscape architecture, and interior design, professionals led units either once a week or every day covering planning and building a city, changes through time, recyclable model making, building my dream house, and architecture as geometry.
0. Summer 2012 Community-based Workshops: YPG members and architectural students, under the supervision of Jane Clough, coordinated two summer workshops in low-income and minority communities. They developed a Saturday workshop based on the lesson plans and executed two workshops each with approximately 25 middle school students; one in City Heights at the City Heights Community Development Corporation and one in Southeast San Diego at the Elementary Institute of Science.
0. The BEEP program engages over 25 volunteers from the design professions who lead the various lesson units.
0. Jane Clough's primary efforts on Diversity continued to be the San Diego Section's Built Environment Education Program (BEEP).
0. The Membership Inclusion/Diversity Chair was transferred from Jane Clough to Connery Cepeda in July 2012.
0. Prior to rejoining the San Diego Section, Mr. Cepeda participated in the Northern Section's Ambassador Program by speaking to high school students at Oakland International High School in March, as well as organizing a social mixer in June with targeted outreach to planners of color to encourage professional networking and involvement in APA.
0. Mr. Cepeda's efforts with the San Diego Section have been primarily on representing the Section in the monthly APACA Membership Inclusion Directors conference calls.
0. Future efforts include close coordination with the other Section Board Members to engage with planners and communities of color for upcoming activities, including BEEP, Planners' Night Out and educational programs.
Newsletter
0. The SDAPA Newsletter & Planning Journal has been incorporated as an integral element of the website as a more interactive/online feature.
0. Adopted San Diego Planning Journal Publications Guidelines
0. SDAPA is working to clarify and promote all the benefits of contributing to SDAPA's Newsletter, such as recognition and earning of AICP credits.
Legislation
0. SDAPA is working to provide a direct link to the Chapters legislative tracking and lobbying efforts and summaries from our new website.
Awards – 2012 Event a Success!!!!
0. More than 110 people gathered on Monday evening, June 4, to enjoy an evening celebrating the best of San Diego’s planning efforts for the past year.
• To start the evening, about 30 people took a walking tour of Old Town, attended to by knowledgeable professionals discussing transportation, historical resources, and the new LEED-certified Caltrans headquarters. (1.5 CM credits)
• The food and atmosphere at the Cosmopolitan Hotel & Restaurant were fabulous, and the Cygnet Theatre provided a fun venue for the awards presentations. Guest Speaker Board of Supervisors Chair Ron Roberts was pleased to address the gathering.
• Ten awards were presented, and the Section presented its second consecutive Complete Streets Award:
o San Diego Regional Bike Plan (SANDAG)
o Parks / Bicycle Facilities & Alternative Transportation Plans
o Bayshore Bikeway Harbor Drive Segment
o Affordable Housing Parking Study
o Little Saigon Design Guidelines
o North Ocean Beach Gateway Park
o Madison & Cherokee Traffic Calming
• The following SDAPA Award Winning projects are also receiving 2012 California Chapter Awards:
o San Marcos Rock Springs Road and Richland Road Sage Routes to School Improvements
(Planning Project Award)
o ICLEI – Sea Level Rise Adaptation Strategy for San Diego Bay
(Innovation in Green Community Planning Award)
o Transnet Environmental Mitigation Program
(Best Practices)
o San Marcos General Plan Update - Award Of Merit
(Comprehensive Planning Award – Small Jurisdiction)
• Our local firms, agencies, and businesses strongly supported SDAPA Awards this year by contributing a record $6,000 in general sponsorships to the event.
• Local businesses and members donated a variety of attractive goods and services for our Silent Auction and Raffle. A huge success, we raised $1,500 that will be dedicated to student scholarships for the Section.
• Overall, the 2012 SDAPA Awards earned a small profit that will support future member services, programs and initiatives.
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