UPDS Advisory Board Convened

On July 29 and 30 APA held the first meeting of the UPDS Advisory Board. This group of accomplished practitioners and academics provided the APA team with valuable feedback and comment on the structure and development of the book.

Here are our nine board members:

Karen B. Alschuler, AICP
Principal and Director of Planning and Urban Design
SMWM
San Francisco

Jonathan Barnett, FAIA, FAICP
Professor of Practice
The University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia

W. Paul Farmer, AICP
Executive Director
American Planning Association
Chicago

Jerold S. Kayden
Associate Professor of Urban Planning
Harvard University, Graduate School of Design
Cambridge, Massachusetts

M. David Lee, FAIA
Stull & Lee, Inc.
Boston

Diana C. Mendes, AICP
Director of Project Development - Vice President
DMJM + Harris
Fairfax, Virginia

John S. Rahaim
Executive Director
Seattle Design Commission and CityDesign
Seattle

Brenda Scheer, AIA, AICP
Dean, University of Utah College of Architecture + Planning
Salt Lake City

Frederick R. Steiner
Dean, University of Texas - Austin
School of Architecture
Austin, Texas

Initial Thoughts on "Success" for this Book

As a pre-meeting assignment, APA asked each board member to answer the following question:

"What will make this book a success?"

Each board member had their own unique perspective on the answers to this question, which resulted in a wealth of insights and thoughts to guide the APA team, among them:

• It should be considered an indispensable resource by a broad array of practitioners and officials
• The structure should be well organized, with easy access to information
• There should be an emphasis on the practical for affecting outcomes in the real world
• The book should be progressive, forward thinking, and have a point of view
• It should be sensitive to the nation's changing demographics and address participation issues
• The book should advance the planning and design professions

What do YOU think would make this book a success? E-mail us at upds@planning.org to let us know!