Citizens Planning Institute Program Manager, City of Philadelphia

Posted by City of Philadelphia on August 27, 2019

The Department of Planning and Development (DPD) coordinates Philadelphia’s planning, zoning, development, and housing functions to promote the economic health of all neighborhoods and the City. DPD includes the Divisions of Housing and Community Development; Planning and Zoning; and Development Services.

The Philadelphia City Planning Commission (PCPC) is a division within the Department of Planning and Development, tasked with guiding the development and growth of the City. The PCPC and staff are responsible for:

• The preparation and implementation of the city’s comprehensive plan, Phila2035
• Recommending a six-year Capital Program and annual Capital Budget for the City
• Proposed zoning ordinances, maps and amendments
• Approval of plans for streets and regulations governing the subdivision of land
• Recommendations to the Mayor and City Council concerning acquisition or disposition of real estate

The Commission also addresses issues of community and economic development, public health and environmental sustainability, and multi-modal transportation policy. Particular emphasis is placed on humanizing the scale of the city through urban design.

About the Citizens Planning Institute:

The Citizens Planning Institute (CPI) is the outreach, education, and civic engagement arm of the Philadelphia City Planning Commission to more actively involve citizens in the planning and development process. Initiated in 2010, the program has achieved significant accomplishments, among them the successful training of 540 ‘Citizen Planners’ from over 125 Philadelphia neighborhoods. Its main programming is a seven-week course offered every spring and fall that engages the diversity of Philadelphia residents on issues relating to city planning, zoning, and development to help them shape and preserve their neighborhoods. All classes focus on actionable information Citizen Planners can use in their communities. Successful graduates completing the 15 required hours of classes receive a Certificate of Completion as a Citizen Planner. CPI has become a nationally recognized model for citizen planning education, earning a 2013 National American Planning Association (APA) “Excellence Award for Best Practice” and a 2014 Pennsylvania Chapter APA “Planning Leadership for Professional Planner” award for its Director.

Participants join a rich alumni network of Citizen Planners. Citizen Planners are invited back to take special topic classes each semester. They also serve as instructors, participate on an Advisory Board, and organize neighborhood tours and learning exchanges with the Alumni Committee. The CPI staff (of two) connects them with City resources and other Citizen Planners working on similar issues or in the same neighborhood. The benefit of learning from fellow engaged citizens reverberates beyond the classroom through the Citizens Toolkit, a collection of stories and step-by-step tools of how Citizen Planners accomplished projects and what they learned.

Job Description
The Program Manager position is responsible for managing the day to day operations of the Citizens Planning Institute. The position will assist the Director of CPI in developing policies to enhance the CPI program to advance strategic initiatives identified in its five-year expansion program. The position reports to the Director of the Citizens Planning Institute.

Managing the delivery of the semi-annual course series, including, but not limited to:

• Leading outreach and recruitment efforts;
• Administering the program application process;
• Ensuring course materials meet CPI standards;
• Production and assembly of program materials; and
• Coordinating logistics for weekly classes (speaker correspondence, materials, meals, and room set-up).
• Managing the communications and promotion of CPI, including activities such as:
• Developing and managing website content, social media, and a quarterly newsletter;
• Developing content for “Citizen Planners in Action” stories, a key feature of the CPI website, in collaboration with past participants; and
• Maintaining and updating content of the Citizens Toolkit and strengthening distribution of printed copies.
• Managing Advisory Board meeting logistics and preparation
• Managing the Alumni Committee and related activities with the goals of:
• Building stronger networks between s graduates with similar interests and within the same planning districts; and
• Strengthening continued engagement by graduates in order to contribute to the long-term success of the program. Examples include invitations to present at CPI classes, publicizing events organized by graduates and assisting with neighborhood tours.
• Assisting with development of new CPI programs and metrics

Learn more and apply: https://www.smartrecruiters.com/CityofPhiladelphia/743999693046269-citizens-planning-institute-program-manager