Chapter Updates
Update from New York City Chapter, November 6, 2007
The New York City Chapter has a MySpace page in addition to their Google Groups page:
http://groups.google.com/group/pn-nyc
http://www.myspace.com/pn_nyc
Update from Toronto PN Chapter, June 30, 2006
If you are interested in joining the PN Toronto listserv, include your e-mail address or send a message to Amy Siciliano at asicilian(at)graffiti(dot)net.
Update from Montreal PN Chapter, May 5, 2006
On April 11th 2006, after five months of orgainzing, Planners Network Montreal in collaboration with Allego Concordia and several student organizations hosted a sustainable transportation fair and bike fair entitled "Spring into Gear!" at Concordia University in Montreal. The full-day event with emphasis on the bicycle featured several informative workshops, a photo exhibition, information kiosks by several non-profit associations including Velo-Quebec and Eqiterre, and a free BBQ vegetarian lunch.
The bikefair concluded with PN Montreal conducting a public panel discussion about bicycle politics, animated by Craig Townsend - Assistant Professor in the Dept. of Geography, Planning and Environment at Concordia, and moderated by Melissa Garcia-Lamarca - Sustainability Coordinator, Environmental Health and Safety, at Concordia. With about 80 to 90 people in attendance, the panel featuring Robert "Bicycle Bob" Silverman, Projet Montreal party leader Richard Bergeron, Montreal city councillor Michel Labreque, and Marc Jolicoeur of Velo-Quebec, provided various point of views on the challenges to using the bicycle as a sustainable transportation alternative to the "car culture" of gas-powered travel and on the benefits of learning how to turn our own wheels. The discussion provided great insight into the future of bicycling in Montreal, and in particular, the progression of planning utility cycling lanes, safety, security and the encouragement of potential riders - recreation and commuter - as well as the need to actively consult with citizens.
Update from Toronto PN Chapter, February 8, 2006
On December 8th, 2005 Planners Network Toronto hosted a screening the French film La Haine (1995) followed by a critical discussion of the recent uprising in France led by Stefan Kipfer (York University) and Kanishka Goonewardena (University of Toronto). The event opened a space for an alternative, critical reading of the crisis in France that has resurfaced through the recent uprisings: it examined parallels and divergences between the situation in France, Los Angles, and Toronto, and it helped bring to light the central role of planning in both creating and sustaining such situations.
The event was held in Metro Hall's council chambers and drew a crowd of approximately 35-40 people. Regular PN Torontonians came out, as did members of Planning Action, and students and faculty from Trent, University of Toronto, and York. PN material was distributed and sold and membership in PN was promoted. Many members expressed a desire to hold a similar event in the near future, and plans were made to meet early in the new year.
Update from Rutgers University PN Chapter, November 7, 2005
After many years, Rutgers University in New Brunswick now has a PN chapter! We have held two meetings and we have about 15-20 confirmed members. I received about 20 additional positive responses to an informational e-mail I sent out two weeks ago. The chapter seems long overdue, especially since so much is happening right under our noses.
As you may or may not know, the City of New Brunswick (with help from the University and a designated private developer) is building and displacing and gentrifying and taking over the city as we speak. No less than 4 megastructures have been built in the last year, totalingover 1500 residential units....95% of which are WAY above market rate (studios costing $1800, etc). A new University Center is also in the planning phase, and it will include a 25-story residential tower as well as numerous college-related retail establishments. Little is being said about the displacement of an entire city block of long-time tenants (commercial and residential), including the only independent seller of university books in the town who has since sued the City - charging it with eminent domain abuse.
The Bloustein School of Planning & Public Policy at Rutgers is ideally situated (it's LITERALLY located in the center of this downtown redevelopment area!) to become involved in efforts to open the planning process to the community and those most affected by this "revitalization." This past weekend, several of our new members attended a community planning workshop here in New Brunswick, helping to facilitate small resident groups working on a visioning process. Ken Reardon from Cornell helped lead this meeting which attracted approximately 100 residents.
The chapter is open to the public, as many New Jersey planners have sent e-mails wanting to be kept abreast of future events and meetings. For more information, contact Jeremy Nemeth, PhD Candidate, Bloustein School of Planning & Public Policy, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ 08901. E-mail: jnemeth(at)eden(dot)rutgers(dot)edu.
Update from University of Michigan PN Chapter, May 12, 2004
The University of Michigan Chapter of the Planners Network began meeting in November 2003. Our group mostly consists of master of urban planning students from the university. Much of the time since our original inception has been devoted to developing a group identity. This has been a difficult process at times because it quickly became evident that our members possessed many different conceptions of planning and the role of planners. But the diversity in thought about planning has also been a great resource in developing potential activities and projects for the future. Our group decided to pursue some of the ideas expressed by our members to help form an identity. The first activity we participated in was to cosponsor a debate about a greenbelt initiative on the ballot for an upcoming Ann Arbor city election. We also showed the movie "The Sunshine State" and held a discussion about the planning-related issues it raises. More recently, we organized a discussion about gentrification. Many students, several professors, and an Ann Arbor city planner brought unique perspectives to the discussion, and it provided an opportunity to interact outside of the classroom. This event has been our most successful in attracting people outside of our group to an activity. We intend to hold another discussion before the semester is over focusing on a Michigan state anti-affirmative action bill and its potential consequences for planning in cities. We again hope to involve students, professors, and legal and planning professionals from the community in a discussion. Also, our group has been involved with the urban planning program's open house for admitted students. Finally, we began a group web log at http://www.theotherleading.com/pn to facilitate group discussion and keep each other informed. We encourage other PN members to check it out and contribute.
Update from Concordia University PN Chapter (Montreal), April 4, 2004
The Montreal Chapter of Planners Network began organizing at Concordia in the fall of 2003. Since then the group has hosted free film screenings on contemporary urban issues (such as '645 Wellington' a moving Montr￩al-based documentary on the life of building and its inhabitants on the edge of the gentrification frontier), as well as two public events. The first, entitled "The Politics of Planning" brought PN'er Sam Boskey to deliver a critical analysis of his experience as a member of the City of Montreal's Urban Development Committee. Building on the networks and exposure gained from this event, we decided that with Montreal's new master plan on the drafting table (including a proposal for a new, signature 'quartier Concordia'), we would provide a public forum to debate the hotly contested issue of pedestrianisation in the city. Entitled "Pedestrianising Montreal: C'est une bonne idee?", the forum took place in March, and was hosted by CBC radio. A panel discussion focused both on issues of history, politics and equity, and those of the utopian visionaries intent on 'reclaiming the streets' from the automobile. John Zacharias, Chair of Geography, Planning, and Environment at Concordia spoke on the history of pedestrian environment, with reference to its discrimination practices. Richard Bergeron, head of the Montreal Metro Transportation Agency, spoke out as an active proponent of car free cities (also author of: Le livre NOIR de l'automobile); Sylvie Tremblay, Traffic and Circulation department at the City weighed the pros and cons from the perspective of mobility; Pierre Gauthier, Urban Planning at Concordia, discussed the importance of understanding the fabric of the urban environment before implementing pedestrian networks; Owen Rose, leader of community-based "Avenue Verte" shared their popular vision for a car free Avenue Mont Royal; and Wade Eide, local architect, presented selected case studies he did for the City on pedestrianisation. The panel presented to a full house of curious and concerned citizens and thus the question and answer period that followed was both lengthy and lively. We were more than pleased to learn that local newspapers provided press coverage and the CBC intends to air portions of the programme in the near future.
Update from Halifax PN Chapter, April 4, 2004
On Monday March 8th, the Planners Network sponsored a community event in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Three planning students, Capp Larsen, Jaspal Marwah and Lilith Finkler, organized the event which featured four speakers addressing various aspects of progressive planning. Denise Allen, Dave Ron and Kasia Tota were all local personalities active in various aspects of planning. Barbara Rahder was a featured guest and PN representative who flew in from Toronto for the event. Denise Allen spoke about Africville, a Black community destroyed by Urban renewal in the 1960's. Dave Ron described a sewage treatment plant planned for an area of Halifax inhabited by poor people and persons of colour. Kasia Tota presented a slide show focused on homelessness in the Halifax Regional Municipality (HRM). Barbara Rahder discussed the situation of women in planning and encouraged people to join the PN. Panellists commented on environmental racism evident in the decision to place undesirable facilities such as sewage treatment plants in primarily Black neighbourhoods. Discussion subsequently focused on organizing methods necessary to confront municipal decision makers.
After the question and answer period was over, people continued to chat informally. One hour after the event, many audience members were still engaged in conversation. At the end of the evening, a follow-up sheet was circulated. Over 50 people signed up, expressing interest in either further events or some sort of political action. Given the other meetings taking place on campus the same evening and the short lead time to publicize the gathering, the inaugural meeting of the Planners Network in Halifax was overwhelming successful.
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