American Planning Association, California Chapter Collection, 1931-2022

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Summary

Creators:
American Planning Association, California Chapter
Abstract:
The American Planning Association California Chapter Collection documents the administrative activities of the national organization's California Chapter, as well as the history of planning in California in the 20th and early 21st centuries. APA California is a network of practicing planners, citizens, and elected officials committed to urban, suburban, regional and rural planning in the State of California. APACA offers information, services and support to advance planning in California. Administrative files, planning publications and reports, and newsletters documents the planning movement in California, California planning's ties to design and the environment, and planning related legislation.
Extent:
142.33 linear feet and 96.2 Gigabytes
Language:
English.
Preferred citation:

For information about citing items in this collection consult the appropriate style manual, or see the Citing Archival Materialsguide.

Background

Scope and content:

The American Planning Association California Chapter Collection documents the administrative activities of the national organization's California Chapter, as well as the history of planning in California in the 20th and early 21st centuries. APA California is a network of practicing planners, citizens and elected officials committed to urban, suburban, regional and rural planning in the State of California. APACA offers information, services and support to advance planning in California. The collection documents the planning movement in California, California planning's ties to design and the environment, and state legislation related to the profession. The collection is arranged into four series: Administrative Files (1941-2022), California Planning Publications (1931-2011), Affiliated Organizations and Reports (1938-2011), and Newsletters (1946-2020).

Series I, Administrative Files, include board and other meeting minutes, agendas, annual reports, awards, bylaws, conference papers, and other types of materials related to the functions of administrative offices for the California Chapter and its sections: Central Coast Section, Central Section, Los Angeles Section, Northern Section, Sacramento Valley Section, and San Diego Section. This series also includes materials from predecessor organizations and the national organization, as well as affiliates including California Planning Foundation, California Planning Roundtable, and Planner Emeritus Network. Topics include anniversary planning, Betty Croly's work as Historian, legislative guides and reports, long range and strategic planning, materials related to media and APACA's website, and special interest topics such as the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). Folders are arranged alphabetically.

Series II, California Planning Publications, include planning documents that record planning decisions and discussions primarily from the mid- to late 20th century. Topics include, but are not limited to, innovations and issues related to zoning, land use, environment, transportation, housing, redevelopment, seismic safety, open space, and parks. Materials are arranged alphabetically by section, city, creating agency, and then title.

Series III, Affiliated Organizations and Reports, include papers related to local planning department operations and reports, reports on specific planning topics not created by APACA, and other documents created by external organizations, including some planning publications. Represented organizations and individuals include the Association of Bay Area Governments, the Governor's Office of Planning and Research, Los Angeles City and County agencies, Norman Murdoch's work, the Southern California Association of Governments, the University of California, and state and federal reports. Materials are arranged alphabetically by the creating agency, organization, or individual, and then by title.

Series IV, Newsletters, is primarily comprised of newsletters created by APA California and its sections, including a long run of CalPlanner.CalPlanner provides members with the latest information on a broad range of planning topics and issues as well as offering news, updates and announcements on planning activities from around the state. There are also a small number of newsletters generated by other planning agencies and organizations. Newsletters are arranged alphabetically by title.

Biographical / historical:

The national American Planning Association formed through a merger between the American Institute of Planners (AIP) and the American Society of Planning Officials (ASPO) in 1978. Both organizations experienced rapid growth in membership in the post-World War II period. The AIP orignated in 1917 as the American City Planning Institute and was renamed AIP in the 1930s. The ASPO was established in 1934 to conduct research and to promote planning.

The APA is the nation's foremost voluntary organization for planning professionals. Based in Chicago and Washington, D.C., the APA is a non-profit, public interest, and research organization comprised of practicing planners, city officials, and citizens involved with urban and rural planning issues.

The APA and its professional institute, the American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP), are organized to advance the art and science of land use and to foster the activity of planning – physical, economic, and social – at the local, regional, state, and national levels. The objective of the Association is to encourage planning that will contribute to the public well being by developing communities and environments that meet the needs of people and society more effectively.

In 1947, the California Planners Institute merged with the American Institute of Planners. This went into effect on January 1, 1948. California was the third state chapter established, forming the California Chapter of the American Institute of Planners (CCAIP). The addition of the California Chapter gave APA a truly national reach. CCAIP was later renamed the California Chapter of the American Planning Association (CCAPA) in 1978, and today is known as the American Planning Association, California Chapter (APACA).

In 1948 the Chapter was comprised of three sections: Central Section, Northern Section, and Southern Section. The Southern Section later became the Los Angeles Section, and three other Southern California sections were formed: San Diego Section, Orange Section, and Inland Empire Section. The Sacramento Valley Section spun off from Northern Section in 1970, and the Central Coast Section separated from the Central Section in 1978.

APA California's mission is to provide vision and leadership that fosters better planning for California, build public and political support for sound planning, and provide its members with the tools, services and support that advance the art and science of planning.

The California Chapter has several affiliate organizations, including the California Planning Foundation, the California Planning Roundtable, and the Planner Emeritus Network. The California Planning Foundation was established in 1970 for scholarship, training and guidance to the general public. The California Planning Roundtable was founded in 1980 as a "think tank" for creative solutions to California's problems. The California Chapter is the only State chapter with an organization of this kind. The Planner Emeritus Network was established in 1995 and represents a body of long-tenured APA members who are available to provide assistance to the Board and other APA California groups.

Acquisition information:
American Planning Association, California Chapter, Norman Lind, Melville C. Branch Jr., William Fraley, Simon Eisner, Betty Croly, Duncan and Jones Associates, Norman Murdoch, and Janet Ruggiero, 1998-2022
Processing information:

Holli Teltoe, 2019-2020

Mallory Furnier, 2021-2022

Arrangement:

Series I: Administrative Files, 1941-2022

Series II: California Planning Publications, 1931-2011

Series III: Affiliated Organizations and Reports, 1938-2011

Series IV: Newsletters, 1946-2020

Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Access and use

Restrictions:

This collection is open for research use.

Terms of access:

Copyright for unpublished materials authored or otherwise produced by the creator(s) of this collection has not been transferred to California State University, Northridge. Copyright status for other materials is unknown. Transmission or reproduction of materials protected by U.S. Copyright Law (Title 17, U.S.C.) beyond that allowed by fair use requires the written permission of the copyright owners. Works not in the public domain cannot be commercially exploited without permission of the copyright owners. Responsibility for any use rests exclusively with the user.

Preferred citation:

For information about citing items in this collection consult the appropriate style manual, or see the Citing Archival Materialsguide.

Location of this collection:
18111 Nordhoff Street
Northridge, CA 91330, US
Contact:
(818) 677-4594
Website