On the environment side, everything from International
Dawn Chorus Day (February, 2) to National Moth Night (July 9) is listed. There
is a separate category for UN (United Nations) events such as World Habitat Day
(The first Monday in October). However, until now, a Day which should be dear
to the heart of the Institute has not been included: World Town Planning Day on
8 November. I hope to correct this omission, and offer this brief guide to
bring readers of Planning up to speed.
A day that celebrates planning might not be on everyone's
calendar yet, but big strides are being taken to boost awareness and change the
public's perception of planning.
Since 2009, RTPI (Royal Town Planning Institute) has
organised on-line planning conferences every year to mark World Town Planning
Day (WTPD).
Its partners are the American, Australian, Canadian,
South African & New Zealand planning organisations, the Commonwealth
Association of Planners & the
International Federation for Housing and Planning.
New partners join each year: in 2012, the Ibero-American
Federation of Planners is involved for the first time. These on-line meetings
have covered Resilience in a Changing Climate (2009), Healthy People, Healthy
Places, Health Planet (2010), and Going Public in 2011 which focused on
planning for the public realm. 2012 Event: Registration now open
WTPD Online Conference 2012..!
The 2012 on-line conference is Smart Communities
Connect. It gives experts round the
world the chance to show how they use apps & smart solutions in their
everyday planning work. Registration is open now and you can download the
programme or visit the conference website.
The conference will
be opened by Izabela Mironowicz, the Secretary General of the AESOP
(Association of European Schools of Planning) speaking on
"The Challenge to Planners".
London planners - following a tradition of RTPI Regions
and Nations celebrating World Town Planning Day - are again linking up with
expatriate Australian and New Zealand planners to host an event on 8th November
linked to the theme of the online conference Smart Communities Connect.
RTPI in Scotland put together international perspectives
on climate change in 2009 and RTPI
London Region celebrated 60 years of WTPD with a reception.
For World Town Planning Day 2008 RTPI President Mr. Janet
O'Neill wrote about 2 important conferences in China, and reflected on the
growing international recognition that planning is at the heart of creating
better places to live.
Founded in Argentina..!
World Town Planning Day was founded in Argentina by
Professor Mr. Carlos MarÃa della Paolera in 1949, the year he also founded the
Instituto Superior de Urbanismo at the Universidad de Buenos Aires.
His aim was to "advance public & professional
interest in planning both locally & abroad" and create "a special
day to recognise and promote the role of planning in creating livable
communities."
That said, WTPD fell into decline after Professor Della
Paolera died, except in Turkey, which observed it alone for 20 years. It was
revived in 1995 by the ISoCaRP (International Society of City and Regional
Planners), and has been promoted steadily ever since, notably by Charles
Lambert Hon MRTPI. By its 50th Anniversary in 1999, it was marked in about 30
countries all over the world.
WTPD has the potential to be taken up by RTPI branches
which can 'badge' events in early November as WTPD observance. However,
awareness is still low something the
Institute would like to change, perhaps by selecting a theme nationally and
encouraging a programme of regional events to deliver on that theme.
In both Canada and the USA the focus for WTPD will be
community involvement in the planning process. In the USA, the APA (American
Planning Association) and the AICP (American Institute of Certified Planners)
have produced resource packs to encourage local communities to issue
proclamations & organise events to publicise the work of planners and
promote awareness of the role played by planning locally.
In Florida, for example, County planners are involving
local elementary school children in a process called 'Box City', a programme
delivered by the Centre for Understanding the Built Environment.
In Europe ECTP President Mr. Jan Vogelij, the President
of the Spanish planners' association AETU and other European planner colleagues
will be speaking a special round table marking WTPD this year at the
Territorios 21 Conference on 8 and 9 November in Logroño in Rioja, Spain).WTPD
logo
The East Midlands branch of the RTPI will be celebrating
World Town Planning Day by holding their annual Awards for Planning Achievement
in Market Harborough on the morning of Friday November 5th. Mike Hayes,
President of the RTPI will be on hand to present the awards celebrating the
achievements of regional planners.
It is important to recognise the good work that goes on
in planning and just as important to let the outside world know the good things
planners do & the positive role planners play in local communities across
Britain.
As concern grows at the low take-up of places on planning
courses, we urgently need to counter negative public perceptions of planners as
"preventers" arising from refusal of planning permission or
irritation about delays in the appeals process.
WTPD - an opportunity to recognise, celebrate and educate
- can go some way towards this.
Both APA / AICP and ISoCaRP keep tabs on observance of
the day around the world.
Contact:
The Royal Town Planning Institute
41 Botolph Lane, London, EC3R 8DL
Email: contact@rtpi.org.uk
Tel: 020 7929 9494
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