The Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) is the professional body representing planners in the United Kingdom and Ireland. It promotes and develops policy affecting planning and the built environment. Founded in 1914,[2] the institute was granted a royal charter in 1959. In 2018 it reported that it had over 25,000 members.
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[3] at the Local Government Board, and began having meetings with practitioners. In November 1913, a meeting was convented 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:[4]
- 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.
In 1928 the institute elected its first female professional member, Jocelyn Frere Adburgham, and in 1959 received its royal charter, then becoming the Royal Town Planning Institute.[5]
The RTPI currently states that it is:[6]
The institute supports its membership through professional development, education and training for future planners. Fellows are entitled the use of the post-nominals FRTPI and chartered members may use MRTPI.[7] 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.[4] There are currently eight membership classes:
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.[8]
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.[9]
The RTPI runs Planning Aid in England, outside London where Planning Aid for London operates. There is a linked organization, 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.
A full list of presidents is set out below. The first president, in 1914, was Thomas Adams. The first female president, in 1974, was Sylvia Law.
The RTPI's most prestigious award is its gold medal. It is awarded at the discretion of the RTPI for outstanding achievement in the field of town and country planning. There have been 15 recipients of the Gold Medal since its inception in 1953. It's been awarded to: