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American Planning Association, California Chapter
Collection
URB.APACC
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Contributing Institution:
Special Collections & Archives
Title: American Planning Association, California Chapter Collection
Creator:
American Planning Association, California Chapter
Identifier/Call Number: URB.APACC
Physical Description:
142.33 linear feet
Physical Description:
96.2 Gigabytes
Date (inclusive): 1931-2022
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.
Language of Material:
English.
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.
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.
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
This collection is open for research use.
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.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
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
For information about citing items in this collection consult the appropriate style manual,
or see the
Citing Archival Materials
guide.
Holli Teltoe, 2019-2020
Mallory Furnier, 2021-2022
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Photographs
Documents
Ephemera
Audiovisual materials
Maps