Main content
American Planning Association, Eastern Pennsylvania Chapter Records
Notifications
Held at: Temple University Libraries: Special Collections Research Center [Contact Us]
This is a finding aid. It is a description of archival material held at the Temple University Libraries: Special Collections Research Center. Unless otherwise noted, the materials described below are physically available in their reading room, and not digitally available through the web.
Overview and metadata sections
The American Planning Association resulted from the 1978 merger between the American Institute of Planners (AIP), founded in 1917, and the American Society of Planning Officials (ASPO), established in 1934. Prior to the merger, the Eastern Pennsylvania Chapter was the Philadelphia regional chapter of the American Institute of Planners.
The American Institute of Planners' Philadelphia Chapter represented city and regional planners, and was active in creating connections between related planning organizations in the Philadelphia area. The organization was involved in legal advocacy for responsible municipal planning on both the chapter and national levels. Examples of other activities include creating opportunities for student involvement in the local chapter, and participation in the planning of Philadelphia's bicentennial celebration. A significant function of AIP was the development of standards for the certification of planners. Along with the merger of AIP and ASPO to form APA, the American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP) emerged as the organization's educational institute. The AICP continues to certify planners who meet specific educational and professional criteria, and who pass certification examinations.
Shortly after the formation of the APA, the Eastern Pennsylvania Chapter reorganized to become the Pennsylvania Planning Association, Southeast Section. The Pennsylvania Planning Association is now a statewide chapter comprised of six local sections. Its members are involved in planning issues at both the state and local levels. The PPA has a current total membership of 2, 900 throughout the state. The six sections are organized along geographic lines, including the Central, Lehigh Valley, Northeast, Northwest, Pittsburgh Regional, and Southeast Sections.
In 2003 the APA had 46 regional chapters and 17 divisions devoted to national and local planning interests. The national headquarters of the American Planning Association is located in Washington, DC, and houses AICP and the policy and public information departments. The research, publications, conference, education, membership, and marketing departments and council programs (chapter, division and student services) are housed in Chicago.
The APA publishes a monthly magazine titled Zoning News, and a monthly newsletter named The Journal of the American Planning Association in addition to a quarterly journal titled Land Use Law & Zoning Digest, and a quarterly newsletter named The Commissioner for Planning Officials. They publish other professional materials including 700 book titles produced by their Planners Press. The organization holds a National Planning Conference annually that brings together planning commissioners, planners, and students for five days of networking and workshops.
The American Planning Association, Eastern Pennsylvania Chapter Records, 1969-1980, contains administrative records, case files, clippings, correspondence, financial records, minutes and agendas, and publications. The collections documents the activities of the group that in 1969 was the Philadelphia Regional Chapter of the American Institute of Planners (AIP), but became a chapter of the American Planning Association (APA) following the 1978 merger of the AIP with the American Society of Planning Officials (ASPO). This collection includes preserved versions of the organization's website, available through Archive-It.
The collection is arranged into 6 series as follows:
- Series 1: American Institute of Planners-Philadelphia, 1968-1978, undated
- Subseries 1.1: Administration, 1968-1978, undated (Portions restricted)
- Subseries 1.2: Committees, 1970-1978
- Subseries 1.3: Correspondence, 1970-1978
- Subseries 1.4: Financial, 1972-1978
- Subseries 1.5: Legal Issues, 1975-1976
- Subseries 1.6: Other Organizations, 1972-1976
- Subseries 1.7: Programs, 1974-1976
- Subseries 1.8: Publications, 1969-1976, undated
- Series 2: American Institute of Planners-National, 1973-1978, undated
- Subseries 2.1: Administration, 1972-1978
- Subseries 2.2: Correspondence, 1975-1976
- Subseries 2.3: Departments, 1974-1975
- Subseries 2.4: Financial, 1976-1977
- Subseries 2.5: Membership, 1973-1977
- Subseries 2.6: Policies, Undated
- Subseries 2.7: Publications, 1975-1976
- Series 3: American Planning Association-Local, 1978-1980
- Subseries 3.1: Administration, 1978-1980
- Subseries 3.2: Correspondence, 1978-1980
- Subseries 3.3: Financial, 1978-1980
- Subseries 3.4: Legal Issues, 1979-1980
- Subseries 3.5: Other Organizations, 1979
- Subseries 3.6: Programs and Activities, 1979-1980
- Subseries 3.7: Publications, 1979
- Series 4: American Planning Association-National, 1978-1980, undated
- Series 5: American Planning Association-American Institute of Certified Planners, 1978-1980, undated
- Series 6: Website versions in Archive-It, 2000-2015
Additions to this collection are expected. Websites are captured using Archive-It periodically, and the latest additions may not yet be included in this finding aid. For information on material–physical and digital, including captured websites–that may have been added since the last finding aid update, please contact the Special Collections Research Center.
Donated by Larry Waetzman in 1981.
Finding aid revised according to contemporary archival standards in June 2015.
Organization
- American Institute of Certified Planners
- American Institute of Planners
- American Planning Association
- American Society of Planning Officials
Subject
Place
- Publisher
- Temple University Libraries: Special Collections Research Center
- Finding Aid Author
- Machine-readable finding aid created by: Rajkumar Natarajan, Sky Global Services India (P) Ltd.
- Finding Aid Date
- September 2023
- Access Restrictions
-
There are some restricted materials in Subseries 1.1, as noted in the inventory. Please contact the Special Collections Research Center for more information.
- Use Restrictions
-
The American Planning Association, Eastern Pennsylvania Chapter Records are the physical property of the Special Collections Research Center, Temple University Libraries. Intellectual property rights, including copyright, belong to the authors or their legal heirs and assigns. Researchers are responsible for determining the identity of rights holders and obtaining their permission for publication and for other purposes where stated.
Collection Inventory
Series 1: American Institute of Planners-Philadelphia, contains materials from the Philadelphia chapter of the AIP, the organization that combined with ASPO in 1978 to form the Eastern Pennsylvania Chapter of the APA. All the materials in this series were created between 1969 and 1978. This series consists of eight sub series.
The Administration sub series includes agendas for Executive Committee meetings, the bylaws of the organization, election information, inter-chapter relations, merger information, minutes of the executive committee meetings, membership information and personnel records (portions restricted), sections of the organization (which is information pertaining to regional areas – most of the information here pertains to the Susquehanna section), and information on the student affairs of the organization. Of particular interest in this sub series is the information about the AIP-ASPO merger, which contains impassioned correspondence both for and against the merger, along with documents about its success. The bylaws are also particularly useful, as they describe the purpose and area served by the organization as well as many of the administrative details.
There are some restricted materials in Subseries 1.1, as noted in the inventory. Please contact the Special Collections Research Center for more information.
The Committees sub series includes information by and about the various committees of the AIP-Philadelphia. These include: the Act 247 Committee, the Chapter Involvement in Local and Regional Issues Committee, the Education Committee, the Membership Committee, the Legislation and Policy Committee, the Planner-in-Charge Committee and the Women's Rights Committee. Also included in this sub series are committee bylaws and the committee list for 1976. Of particular interest is the Women's Rights committee folder, which includes a survey on the number of women planners vs. men planners, and correspondence regarding equal rights for women planners.
The Correspondence sub series, which is quite substantial, includes: general incoming and outgoing correspondence, and correspondence from individuals in the offices of the Chapter President and the Chapter Secretary.
The Financial sub series includes auditor's reports, budgets, budget and expense reports, and treasurer's reports.
The Legal Issues sub series includes information about two cases: the Buckingham Township case and the Byler case. Both include briefs filed by the AIP amicus curiae. The Buckingham Township Case was filed in protest of the court's refusal to apply an ordinance, which the chapter felt undermined the municipal land-planning process in Buckingham Township.
The Other Organizations sub series includes information about organizations the AIP interacted with: the American Institute of Architects, the Center for Planning, Design, and Construction (which the AIP Philadelphia helped to found), and the Pennsylvania Planning Organization.
The Programs sub series contains information about conferences and program activities.
The Publications sub series contains newsletters, newspaper clippings, and public relations information by and about the AIP Philadelphia.
Series 2: American Institute of Planners-National contains materials issuing from the national association of the AIP. The materials include committee reports on a membership questionnaire regarding licensing and registration requirements and the proposed merger of the AIP and ASPO; minutes of the Chapter Presidents' Council Meetings (1972-1977); newsletters issued by the Chapter Presidents' Council; council by-laws; regional reports; memoranda on dues restructuring; proposals for a department of planning and law with the API; correspondence among members of various technical departments, including Environmental Planning and Transportation Planning; budget proposals and reports; and financial statements. The series also contains a membership packet and samples of several AIP brochures and publications.
Series 3: American Planning Association-Local concerns the Eastern Pennsylvania Chapter of the American Planning Association (APA), reflecting the activities of the chapter under the new national organization that was formed from the 1978 merger of the AIP and ASPO. The materials include announcements of awards programs; budget reports and other correspondence on budgetary matters; chapter by-laws; minutes of the executive committee; statements from candidates for the board of directors; financial statements; and a small amount of general correspondence. The legislative reports include the APA's formal testimony on Solid Waste Management, given at hearings of the Pennsylvania Senate Committee on Environmental Resources.
Series 4: American Planning Association-National. The bulk of the papers in this series have to do with the Chapter Presidents' Council (1978-1980). The items include memoranda, minutes, conference reports, and correspondence. The series also includes statements of candidacy for the national Board of Directors; agendas and reports of the Board of Directors; memoranda on proposed legislative actions to be taken by the APA and membership brochures and forms. Of particular interest are numerous issues of the "Leadership Letter, " a newsletter containing reports on administrative and legislative matters of interest to APA members, and the "agenda and notes" from the March 1979 APA meeting, the appendices to which report in great detail on the administrative structure of the newly formed association.
Series 5: American Planning Association--American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP), though limited in quantity, includes agendas, budgets, committee nominations and appointments, form letters detailing the requirements for membership in the AICP, a sub-group of the APA, correspondence regarding the written examination, and letters of congratulations to those who have passed the examination. The series also includes members' reactions to a draft statement on goals and objectives of the AICP; a reading list compiled by the AICP to assist members in professional development; and a draft report/discussion paper on "Dimensions of Comprehensiveness in Urban Planning Practice, " prepared by Lawrence D. Mann of the AICP.
Series 6: Website versions in Archive-It, contains preserved versions of the American Planning Association, Eastern Pennsylvania Chapter's website. To access these sites, see the Temple University Special Collections Urban Archives Archive-It web page: https://www.archive-it.org/collections/4487