On November 11 at 6.30PM in the Reinsch-Pierce Family Auditorium, the Student Planning Association will present the Georgia Tech celebration of World Town Planning Day – an annual event held world-wide dedicated to the study and discussion of planning issues on a global scale.

This year, we are extremely excited for the opportunity to present a world-renowned expert in international planning to our membership and the Atlanta planning community: Dr. Elliott D. Sclar of Columbia University.

Dr. Sclar is the director of the Center for Sustainable Urban Development (CSUD) at Columbia University’s Earth Institute, has participated in the UN Taskforce for Improving the Lives of Slum Dwellers, and is an internationally recognized expert on privatization. The topic for the event will be “The Policy Network as a Strategic Planning Tool: A New Approach to Urban Planning in the Global South,” and we will be offering Credit Maintenance points for the AICP accreditation.

For more information about the event, please visit the College of Architecture Event Calendar or contact SPA Vice President Troels Adrian at troels.adrian@gatech.edu.

For those of us working to advance equitable and sustainable solutions to our nation’s housing, transportation, and community development challenges, these are exciting times at the federal level.

Please join us for a telebriefing by staff members of the Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee on Thursday, November 12 from 2 to 3 pm Eastern to discuss an important federal policy opportunity – the pending Livable Communities Act.

Co-hosted by the American Planning Association, LISC, the National Housing Conference, National Housing Trust, PolicyLink, Reconnecting America, and Smart Growth America, this telebriefing will:

• Outline ways you can get engaged in advocating for the Livable Communities Act
• Detail the goals and purpose of the Act
• Examine how the Act fits in with the Obama Administration's overall Sustainable Communities agenda

To join, please call (877) 746-4263 and enter the Participant Access Code: 0270577#.

By Dan Reuter

I spoke to a reporter recently who was writing a story about a pedestrian project funded through ARC’s Livable Centers Initiative (LCI) program. The LCI project is located on Decatur Street, one block from the Georgia State MARTA rail station, one to three blocks from the Sloppy Floyd “Twin Towers” or State Capitol and essentially bisects the center of the Georgia State University (GSU) campus. Without the benefit of a pedestrian count, on an average week day, maybe a thousand or more students walk down Decatur Street along with other commuters.

The project had removed one lane of traffic, widened sidewalks and generally improved safety. In 2007, a student died on Decatur Street following a pedestrian accident so the GSU campus was arguably ripe for traffic calming and pedestrian improvements. The reporter stated that many commuters were furious that approximately $1 million was spent on the project from LCI, Georgia State and Transportation Enhancement (TE) funds to accommodate pedestrians and remove a lane of traffic when so many persons are driving on congested roads. National roadway advocate Wendall Cox had even labeled the project “ridiculous” - without ever seeing it.

Read complete article here.

The AICP CM credits are now available on APA's website for you to log your credit hours. If you have any questions please email Jessica Gibson.

We are now putting together the Programs Committee for the Spring 2010 Conference. This committee will be responsible for selecting the sessions and making sure the conference presents the information that our planners need and want the most. If you are interested please email Jessica Gibson.

We are looking for a location for the 2010 Fall Conference. This conference will be held in South Georgia. If you would like to assist in the search for a fall conference venue please take a look at these requirements (download PDF) or email Jessica Gibson.

November 6
Roads and Bridges Live

November 6
YPG Meeting

November 11
World Town Planning Day Presentation

November 12 -13
Paying for Growth

November 12
Good Urbanism 101

November 18
Training for Planning Officials

November 19 -20
Growing Green Communities

December 10
Understanding Access Management