"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world.

Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has"

Margaret Mead, Anthropologist
(used with permission)



"If you don't like the news .... go out and make some of your own !!"

Wes "Scoop" Nisker, Newscaster



INTRODUCTION

Government is a slow and tedious process. While it often includes citizen and neighborhood involvement, non-governmental, private organizations have created movements and interesting groups which can create positive change in our cities and towns.

I am fascinated by the way groups are created and how they influence public decision making. This blog merely recognizes them and forwards the description of these groups from their own websites.

Monday, July 18, 2011

Philadelphia Citizens Planning Institute

Location: Philafelphia, PA

Website: www.citizenplanninginstitute.org

The focus of the Institute is to educate citizens about the role good planning and implementation play in helping to create communities of lasting value. Through education, we are building a constituency for good planning.

Thanks to a generous grant from the William Penn Foundation, a Pilot course was developed and delivered in November of 2010.

The series of three evening “Citizen Planner” classes provided ‘101’ level introduction on planning issues and principles, land use and zoning, and the development process.

Thirty participants were selected from over 80 applications- representing 24 neighborhoods and a wide diversity of civic organizations. On December 6, a reception at City Hall was held to honor the ‘graduates’ and instructors/contributors. The Mayor commended the ‘learners’ for their enthusiasm and commitment to Philadelphia and encouraged them to influence others with their passion for positive change through planning.

The Spring 2011 Course is made possible with funding from the City of Philadelphia’s Office of Housing and Community Development. The Pilot Core Course has been improved and three “Electives” have been added to provide an overview of topics the pilot participants identified as useful: commercial development, transit-oriented development and healthy communities. Learners who successfully complete the classes comprising the Core Course and two of the three electives, will earn a Certificate of Completion as a "Citizen Planner” of Philadelphia.

Additional electives for future course sessions could include urban design, historic preservation, marketing, and “greening“ strategies. As our resources and number of ‘graduates’ grow, the Institute is envisioned to act as a networking hub through which civic groups can share information and best practices.
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