Royal Town Planning Institute

The Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) is the principal body representing planning professionals in the United Kingdom and Ireland. It promotes and develops policy affecting planning and the built environment. Founded in 1914, the institute was granted a Royal Charter in 1959. In 2012 it reported that it had over 23,000 members.

Origins

Following the Housing, Town Planning, &c. Act 1909, surveyors, civil engineers, architects, lawyers and others began working together within local government in the UK to draw up schemes for the development of land. The idea of town planning as a new and distinctive area of expertise began to be formed. In 1910, Thomas Adams was appointed as the first Town Planning Inspector at the Local Government Board, and began meeting with practitioners. In November 1913, a meeting was convened of interested professionals to establish a new Institute, and Adams was elected as the group's President. The Town Planning Institute (TPI) was launched with an inaugural dinner in January 1914, and it was formally established on 4 September 1914 when its Articles of Association were signed. The first three of the Articles of Association were:^[2]

• To advance the study of town-planning, civic design and kindred subjects, and of the arts and sciences as applied to those subjects;
• To promote the artistic and scientific development of towns and cities;
• To secure the association, and to promote the general interests of those engaged or interested in the practice of town-planning.

The institute received its royal charter in 1959, then becoming the Royal Town Planning Institute.^[3]

Functions

The RTPI currently states that it is:^[4]

• A membership organisation and a Chartered Institute responsible for maintaining professional standards and accrediting world class planning courses nationally and internationally.
• A charity whose charitable purpose is to advance the science and art of planning (including town and country and spatial planning) for the benefit of the public.
• A learned society.

Members

The Institute supports its membership through professional development, education and training for future planners. Full membership allows the use of the initials 'MRTPI' after a member's name. In March 2012 it reported that it had over 23,000 members, of which 8,000 were women and 15,000 men. These included 1,100 international members, across 82 countries.^[2]

Governance

The RTPI is governed by a General Assembly and a Board of Trustees. The General Assembly is responsible for the development of planning policy and practice. The Board of Trustees is responsible for managing the affairs of the RTPI as a chartered body and registered charity.^[5]

Research

The RTPI promotes research activity underpinning and evaluating planning practice, theory and education. The RTPI holds an annual awards ceremony recognising excellence in the field of planning and urban design.^[6]

Planning Aid

The RTPI runs Planning Aid in England, outside London where Planning Aid for London operates. There is a linked organisation, Planning Aid Wales. Planning Aid provides free, independent and professional planning advice to communities and individuals who cannot afford to pay consultant fees. It was established by the Town and Country Planning Association in 1973 and involves volunteers working on casework and community planning activities.

Presidents

See also

• Construction Industry Council
• Town and country planning in the United Kingdom

References

External links

• RTPI Royal Charter of 1959, as amended, October 2012, and Byelaws and Regulations
• Official website