International Exchange Program

By Matthew Flynn, AICP

The Exchange Program is temporarily on hiatus.

APA's International Division has sponsored the APA International Exchange Program for nearly 10 years. About 100 American planners have participated in the program, which was originally the idea of David Laverny-Rafter, AICP, professor of urban planning at Minnesota State University-Mankato.

"I initiated the program because I saw a need among planners for authentic professional development and rejuvenation," says Laverny-Rafter. "In the universities, where I have been teaching planning for 20 years, we have sabbaticals, which are paid opportunities to explore new ideas, develop a specialization, and generally try to find new meaning in our work. After experiencing a sabbatical year in Ireland," he says, "I concluded that the American planning profession needed overseas exchange opportunities that would expose planners to new perspectives and encourage them to rethink their assumptions about planning practice."

During his sabbatical, Laverny-Rafter developed contacts with the Irish Planning Institute and the Royal Town Planning Institute in the United Kingdom. The structure of the two-week exchange program emerged from discussions with these organizations and the staff at the American Planning Association. Laverny-Rafter agreed to serve as the coordinator for the program.

"Over the years," he says, "I have been amazed at the response to this simple idea and the impact the exchange experience has had on American and European planners."

I was a participant in the program in 1998 and took over the responsibilities of coordinator in 2000.

Potential participants fill out an application form, which includes personal information which is used to match up planners according to sex, age, family status, and professional background. The coordinator tries to match people engaged in similar professional activities (i.e., consultants with consultants, transit planners with transit planners). However, some of the most successful exchanges have been between individuals with radically different job responsibilities.

I was matched with Clive Keble, assistant director of planning and development for the Broxtowe Borough Council, Nottinghamshire. At the end, we both agreed that the experience was extremely rewarding, both professionally and personally.

Our days on both sides of the Atlantic were filled with a whirlwind of activities: staff meetings, development review meetings, consultations with clients, site visits, presentations, and plan commission and council meetings. Evenings and weekends were consumed with ball games, dinner parties, and visits to other cities.

Keble describes his experience as full of surprises: the local freedom to set policy, American frustration about the problems of sprawl, and the quality and sophistication of the mass transit system in Champaign-Urbana.

While the planning process and planning principles are basically the same in the U.S. and Great Britain, in Britain planning guidance is largely handed down from Parliament and left up to local governments to interpret and enforce. Many British developers I spoke to felt that, with so much local control, it is difficult to determine in advance if projects will be approved or not.

Before my exchange visit, I was able to convince the city of Champaign to provide two weeks of paid administrative leave and to pay for my airfare. I explained to the city manager that participating in the exchange would provide good training value, not only to me but my coworkers.

The most valuable part of this exchange was the chance to experience daily life in England far from the tourist centers. I met almost no Americans during my two-week stay.

Judith Eversley, who coordinates the program on behalf of the Royal Town Planning Institute, feels that European planners have also benefited greatly from their experiences. "The feedback I get from our members suggests that at a practical level, the scheme works outstandingly well," she says.

To date, almost all foreign exchange participants have come from Great Britain and Ireland. The International Division fully supports the Exchange Program concept and is committed to its continued success and possible expansion to other countries.

Here are some tips for a successful exchange:

• Preplan your itinerary. This allows you and your exchange partner to focus on areas of interest. Discuss host arrangements in advance to avoid unpleasant surprises.
• Allow for down time. Day after day of field visits, meetings, and presentations in unfamiliar surroundings can be exhausting. Try to arrive several days in advance of the first work day and leave at least a few evenings free for relaxation.
• Prepare for the office protocol. The European office environment is generally more formal than in the States. If your office at home has gone casual, you may have to dust off those old suits (and hope they still fit!). Make sure to let your partner know what to expect in your office.
• Share your experiences. Ask your partner to make a presentation to a wide audience in the U.S. and offer to do the same in Europe. My exchange partner, Cleve Keble says he was impressed that his presentation was broadcast live on cable television, opposite Oprah.
• Provide a variety of experiences. Don't limit the exchange to professional activities. Get away from the workplace, meet non-planners, have some fun.

Matt Flynn is with the City of Davenport Design Center in Iowa.

Contact Matt Flynn at mflynn@ci.davenport.ia.us.