Chapter Announcements: Smart Growth Conference in CNY on November 15

Smart growth is the idea that places should grow in ways that make them stronger, vibrant, and sustainable, while improving quality of life for all. We'd like to use this event to kick off collaborative efforts and creative ideas to positively shape the future of the community we call home.

Our tentative schedule focuses on the four panels below:

• Placemaking, Open Spaces & Public Amenities

• Housing & Development

• Transportation & Infrastructure

• Local and Regional Development Patterns

More information here:  syracuseurbanism.org/sgcny. We hope to see you there!

Deadline to Sponsor the Annual Conference August 23!

The deadline to sponsor this year’s annual conference in Ithaca on October 9-11 is Friday, August 23 at 3 p.m.

There are still opportunities to get your brand in front many of the NY Upstate Chapter of APA members!

View the Sponsorship Opportunities here.

Thank you to our current sponsors!

Call for proposals! NY Upstate Chapter Conference

The New York Upstate Chapter of the American Planning Association (APA), Southern Tier APA Section is proud to announce that the 2024 Annual Chapter Conference will be held in Ithaca, New York at the Ithaca Downtown Conference Center, from Wednesday, October 9 through Friday, October 11.  The Planning Committee is now seeking proposals for presentations from those willing to share their talents to make this year’s program memorable.

The conference theme “Planning for Protopia: Designing with Empathy in Upstate New York” will bring together urban planners, designers, and community stakeholders to envision and create a future for Upstate New York that is prosperous, equitable, and sustainable. This year's conference emphasizes the importance of designing with empathy – understanding and incorporating the lived experiences and needs of diverse residents into the planning process. This Conference is an opportunity for planners and allied professionals, planning students, and community advocates to learn and share successful strategies for revitalization in their communities and the Upstate region.

The 2024 Conference Planning Committee is developing a conference program to bring various planning, design and other allied professionals together to learn from each other, as well as acquire new skills. We are seeking presentations that present cutting edge skills and/or highlight current issues relevant to planners throughout Upstate New York. We are also developing ideas for mobile workshops and ways to encourage involvement of graduate students and citizen planners. Sessions are also sought on Law, Ethics, Equity, and Sustainability & Resilience that would fulfill the 1.0 hours (each) of AICP Certification Maintenance (CM).

If you have a presentation that you would like to share at the conference, please submit your session proposal by 4:30 pm on July 22, 2024 through this short online form .

If you have questions about sessions, submittal requirements or related topics, please contact Ray Burger at rburger@dryden.ny.us or 607-844-8888 ext 213. Questions about the conference can also be directed to the Southern Tier Section Director, Greg Hutnik at planner@danby.ny.gov.

Award Deadline Extended

The award deadline has been extended until June 28.

Information on the award criteria and the submission form are here: https://www.nyupstateplanning.org/about/chapter-awards.

2024 Chapter Conference - Save the Date

The Upstate New York Chapter of the American Planning Assocation is excited to announce the dates of the 2024 Chapter Conference this fall! Join the Southern Tier section as our host this October in their backyard.

October 9 through October 11, 2024
Southern Tier Region

Chapter Sponsorship Announcement

Did you know there are 550 members across Upstate New York, representing professional planners in a wide variety of organizations? The New York Upstate Chapter of the APA offers a cost-effective way for your organization to reach our professional membership and promote your services and products throughout the year. Will you be one of our sponsors this year?

Chapter sponsorship enables your organization to be recognized by our members in the Chapter website, social media, The Upstate Planner, our electronic newsletter sent to members three times annually, our weekly email updates, and our social media accounts. Our website receives more than 1,500 visits per month and our growing social media reach includes more than 500 followers on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram (new in 2023).

In order to communicate Chapter initiatives through our website, social media, newsletter and email updates, we need your support. Please take a moment to look over the attached form to see which level best suits your firm. You can donate online at https://www.paypal.com/us/fundraiser/charity/2439257 or complete the attached fillable form and send payment though the Chapter’s website www.nyupstateplanning.org/sponsorship-opportunities.  

If you have any questions, please contact Sean Maguire, our Chapter President, or Tanya Zwahlen, the Chapter Administrator at 585-315-1834 or tanya@highland-planning.com. 

Call for Nominations is now open

Call for Nominations!

Serving as an elected leader in APA offers a tremendous opportunity to sharpen your skills, expand your networks, and work directly to strengthen the impact of the organization. The portal for candidate self-nominations will be open through May 30th at https://apa.directnominations.net and includes all the groups and positions up for election this year. Learn more at https://www.planning.org/elections/

Chapter Administrator, expressions of interest sought

The New York Upstate Chapter of the American Planning Association is seeking expressions of interest from qualified firms or individuals able to provide the services of Chapter Administrator. The Chapter Administrator provides services as a consultant in accordance with a Scope of Services and is not an employee of the Chapter or the American Planning Association. The term of the agreement for the engagement is typically 12 months. The Chapter is accepting expressions of interest through May 24, 2024. A full request for proposals is expected to be released by May 31, 2024.

Prior scopes of service have included the following tasks:

• Coordinate of communications among Executive Board, Sections and the general membership as directed, primarily through electronic forms of communication and often occurs weekly.

• Assist with the Annual Conference and a spring chapter event, including soliciting and managing sponsorships, and promoting both events.

• Assist the Professional Development Officer to register and promote upcoming Certification Maintenance and other development opportunities.

• Manage chapter communications, including email updates (via MailChimp or similar), postings to the web site (CMS-based), and monitoring the Chapter email account (via Google Workspace).

• Solicit sponsorships for the website, annual conference, and any other opportunity by email and possibly phone follow-ups.

• Act as a liaison to partner organizations on behalf of the Chapter in order to facilitate more effective communication between the Chapter and our allied professional organizations, including AIA, ASLA, and the New York Planning Federation (NYPF).

• Perform additional tasks not included in the scope and assigned by the Executive Board as agreed upon and documented in a written task order on an hourly or other fee basis.

You may submit an expression of interest to the Chapter President via email at president@nyupstateplanning.org. Please provide the following:

• Name of the firm or individual expressing interest.

• A summary of key qualifications and experience working with membership-based organizations.

• Annotated resumes of key staff assigned to provide Chapter Administrator support.

• A fee proposal based on approximately 250 hours of work per year in consideration of the scope above.

• Contact information for additional questions or follow-up.