13. Some brief about RTPI

Introducing RTPI (the Royal Town Planning Institute)

As mentioned in the introduction at the very beginning of this blog, the development of town/city or country should base on an intelligent urban planning to accommodate the growth of the city with the buildings, transportation routes, mass transit system and public utilities or infrastructure that are neatly and tidily planned with strict environmental preservation for a sustainable development.

I believe that many readers have opportunities to visit many civilized countries and has seen their beautiful and well organized city plan. Many old buildings are well preserved. Different types of buildings used with different purposes are located separately by appropriated zoning. Such buildings as factories, petrol stations, government offices, museums, religious monasteries, hospitals, educational institutions or those inside commercial districts, entertainment zone, residential areas, agricultural areas, etc.are not mixed together and caused uncontrollable chaos. The design and construction of buildings are regulated with style and color control to create harmonious beauty of the town. There is strict control over the installation of billboards or signage in the city. The streets including the expressway in the city, and motor way between towns are wide enough from adequate space allocated with good traffic management to accommodate the volume of vehicles. River and canals can be used as waterway transportation, but at the same time, can be kept clean with effective water treatment and waste disposal. Mass transit either on-ground or underground or any rail transport services are also provided to accommodate the volume of traveling people and transporting goods without conflicting with road transport routes. The infrastructures of utilities system are well planned ahead, for instance, there are large drainage way where people can go inside. Power and communication cables are embedded in the underground system as well as water pipes and gas pipes. The footpath are designed and built to facilitate the use of pedestrian walkers concerning even with the use of the handicapped. The footpaths are paved with proper materials that fit perfectly with any manhole covers level and are maintained with care to provide the pedestrians with neat and clean walkway. The walkway peddling is limited and controlled in good order and strict hygiene. The area of bicycle path divided on the footpath can be really rode. There is allocation of the city area for a public park with clean toilets that is sufficiently proportionate to the population of the city. And much more city amaze like big tree shades and public sculptures that cannot be described all here. These are the result of visionary urban planning in compliance with strict urban planning laws, the meticulous construction from investment according to the plan and the maintenance of the city by all people to keep it clean and beautiful with their sense of ownership. It very well reflects the characteristics of the people in those cities.

This episode now introduces RTPI or the Royal Town Planning Institute, an organization who set up guidelines and standards of practices and accredits any academic institutions to support the teaching and learning of town planning to build the town planner profession. RTPI was founded in the United Kingdom in 1913. As of 2014, there are 21,700 members in the United Kingdom and 1,300 in 82 countries worldwide.

RTPI described in its paper named "The World Value of Planning, Planning for the World for the Public Good" that even though the development of the country by a prosperous investment that can drive economic growth but it can also create greater economic and social gap in unequal society. The key issue is not whether everyone has economic and social parity but it is the capacity to develop the economy and society that is balance and sustainable to the entire society, which is essential to have proper town planning along with the goal to protect environmental and the participation of people in all levels in the society.

RTPI also indicated some of the major challenges required planning as follows:-

• Rapid Urbanization

  (People who lives in the suburbs often find that they feel they once lived in a loose comfortable place when they first bought a new home there. But over some time, the area starts to be dense and the traffic gets heavier. This is a clear event that portrays the rapid expansion of the city. It could be quicker than this, if there are privileges from the public sector to encourage investment in a Special Economic Zones to evacuate people into the new promoted urban areas which known as demographic shifts)
 

• Poverty and inequality

 (As the city expands rapidly while poverty and inequality of income distribution persist ,slums which are the shelters of the poor who came to work in the city, come along with the rapid expansion of the city as well. This is because they also need electricity, water, transportation, to work in the distance that is not too far from home).

• Pollution

 (The city’s pollution today is causing many diseases from environmental problems that kill many people in the city in every year.)

• Climate change

RTPI also said in “The Worldwide Value of Planning” that the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) predicted that the higher global temperatures causing warmer ocean would cause more storms in the tropical and sub-tropical regions and hotter climates will reduce the number of crop and harvest time which increase the risk of hunger. In the city area, the temperature will be higher until it became intolerable to live with normal life. Oxfam (an international charitable organization who focuses on alleviation of global poverty) said “a hot world is a hungry world”.

The town planning process addresses the above complex and interrelated issues and takes them into consideration altogether as an overall picture. Town planners will play a role to drive on: - 
• Promoting healthy cities. 
• Protecting and enhancing green infrastructure 
• Providing for new transport systems 
• Ensuring good quality housing 
• Connecting renewable energy 
• Engaging communities in designing their environments 

RTPI has published many papers related to town planning professional practices including policy, research, code of conducts, ethics, etc. for a long time. RTPI has also provided training and support on professional networks, organizing seminars, meetings or organizing activities to exchange knowledge and jointly review laws and procedures for Town Planning to be recognized as international standards.

Some list of documents about Town Planning that RTPI has published includes: 

Policy papers 
• Capturing the wider benefits of investment in transport infrastructure 
• Delivering large scale housing 
• Fostering Growth: Understanding and Strengthening the Economic Benefits of Planning 
• Strategic Planning 

Practice 
• Dementia and Town Planning 

Better Planning 
• Better Planning: Housing affordability 
• Better Planning: Smart City-Regions 
• Better Planning: Climate change 

RTPI Library Series 
• Instruments of Planning 

• Planning for Growth: Urban and Regional Planning in China 
• Reconsidering Localism 
• The Craft of Collaborative Planning 
• Planning and Conflict: Critical Perspectives on Contentious Urban Developments 
• Conflict, Improvisation, Governance: Street Level Practices for Urban Democracy 
• Strategic Spatial Projects: Catalysts for Change 

Planning Theory and Practice

RTPI corporate publications 
• RTPI Code of Professional Conduct (2016)
• RTPI 2015-2020 Corporate Strategy (2015)
• Corporate Strategy: mid-term revision (2012)
• Corporate Strategy 2010-2014 (2010)
• Shaping the Future: Manifesto for Planning (2010)
• RTPI New Vision for Planning (2001) 

Etc.

In addition to the publication, RTPI offers training courses for practitioners. Trainees will need to pass the courses to be certified as qualified Town Planners on the various levels of RTPI membership as follows:- 

Student level – This level is for beginners who are interested in the field of Town Planning career. They can apply for membership on student level by applying for a full time, part-time or distance learning course with RTPI and finish the course. They can be Student members for no longer than 10 years. 

Affiliate level – This level is for beginners who are interested in the field of Town Planning career who may not have any knowledge of Town Planning, or may work closely with Town Planning support. Affiliate members will receive useful information from RTPI, get to know friends from RTPI network. They also receive discounts on books and RTPI short courses.

Licentiate level – This level is for persons who take full RTPI degree course and get RTPI accredited qualification to enter the path to becoming a Chartered Town Planner. 

Associate level – This level is for those who work in Town Planning field, (sometimes called as “Spatial Planning”). To apply for Associate members, they must have 2 to 7 years of work experience, depending on how their experience are closed to Town Planning, (as shown in below picture). Associate members will need to pass the RTPI training course for another 2 years to becoming Chartered membership. The Associate members have the right to add the suffix “AssocRTPI” at the end of their names in business cards or in letters, etc.

Legal Associate – This level is for Lawyers (solicitor, advocate or barrister, or Chartered Legal Executive) who have their career in Town Planning but specialized on Planning Law. The Legal Associate members have the right to add the suffix “LARTPI” at the end of their names in business cards or in letters, etc. 

Chartered members – This level is for the professional practitioners who are certified as the Chartered Town Planner. To apply for Chartered members, they must have 5 to 10 years of work experience, depending on how their experience are closed to Town Planning, (as shown in below picture).

The chartered members have the right to add the suffix “MRTPI” at the end of their names in business cards or in letters, etc.

The road to Chartered Town Planner certified by RTPI has three routes:

The first route is for full-time students who complete their RTPI accredited degree to get their Licentiate membership and trained for another 2 years. Then, after passing the assessment called L-APC (the Licentiate Assessment of Professional Competence), they can be upgraded to a Chartered Membership.

The second route is for short-term students who complete Spatial Planning degree (non- or part-accredited) or RTPI Town Planning Technical Support Apprenticeship or even a degree in areas other than planning. They must have work experience from 2 to 7 years, depending on the compatibility of their experience with Town Planning. As being an Associate member and having trained for another 2 years, then after passing the assessment called A-APC (Associate Assessment of Professional Competence), they can be upgraded to a Chartered Membership

The third route is for short-term students who complete Spatial Planning degree (non- or part-accredited) or RTPI Town Planning Technical Support Apprenticeship or even a degree in areas other than planning and would like to apply directly to Charter members without being an Associate member. They must have work experience from 5 to 10 years, depending on the compatibility of their experience with Town Planning and pass the assessment called EP-APC (the Experienced Practitioner Assessment of Professional Competence) to be able to become a Chartered Membership.

There is also a pathway to the Chartered Town Planner of the Membership for Academics.

If the applicants are PhD students or early career researchers or lecturers with at least 2 years of experience, they may also be eligible for RTPI membership at the Associate level. As being an Associate members and having been trained with RTPI for another 2 years, after passing the assessment called A-APC (the Associate Assessment of Professional Competence), they can be upgraded to a Chartered Membership.

If the applicants are senior researchers or lecturers or academic leaders and want to apply directly as a Charter member without being Associate members before, they must have experience of at least 5 years and pass the assessment called the EP-APC (the Experienced Practitioner Assessment of Professional Competence) to be able to become a Chartered Membership. 

Fellow Level – This level is for the Chartered Town Planners who were elected from the Trustees of the Institute that they have made a major contribution to the profession to further the science and art of planning for the benefit of the public. The consideration on major contribution will be given to:-

    Leadership - The applicant should have shown leadership by developing and delivering a vision, encouraging others and advancing the environment in the sector.

    Innovation - The applicant should have shown the ability to deliver new and creative solutions to existing and /or emerging issues and challenges in their area of spatial planning.

    Contribution to others in the profession and the community -  The member has been actively engaged in developing and supporting other members of the profession and/or the community

All members (except Student and Licentiate) must submit their professional development plan (PDP) for the next 2 years. Then they have to collect accumulated points called as "Continuing professional development (CPD)" gained from pursuing of work knowledge or attend training or seminars to achieve 50 hours CPD Activity on every 2 years and send the CPD record to RTPI for further renewal of their membership's certification.

The next episode will bring about what story to be shared, it has not been decided yet. But if the previous articles in this blog are interesting to you. Please follow…

References and Credits 
- http://www.rtpi.org.uk 

- The Worldwide Value of Planning