Constitution of the International Planning History Society
As approved September 1993, amended October 1996 and July 2004
1. Title
a. The name of the society shall be the ‘International Planning History Society’.
2. Objectives
a. The objectives of the Society shall be:
to promote and develop the subject field of planning history;
to encourage research into planning history and the dissemination of research findings;
to provide opportunities for means of contact between members through organising conferences, seminars, and meetings; the publication of a regular bulletin; and the internet; and,
to develop links with other organisations concerned with planning history.
3. Membership
a. Membership of the Association shall be open to:
individual persons supporting the objectives of the Society. All individual members shall be entitled to attend the Society’s conferences, meetings and seminars, etc., for a lower fee than non-members, when arrangements for such a lower fee can be made;
and, institutions (for example, libraries, educational and professional bodies, planning agencies, etc.) wishing to subscribe to the Society’s bulletin.
4. Affiliation
a. Affiliation will encourage collaborative activities and may lead to specific membership privileges as agreed by Council and the equivalent governing body of the Affiliate organisation.
b. Organisations concerned with research and education in the subject field of planning history and supporting the objectives of the Society may become Affiliates as follows:
Founder Affiliates – the Society for American City and Regional Planning History and the Urban History Association (US).
Invited Affiliates – at the invitation of the Council of the Society.
5. Council
a. There shall be a Council of the Society with the following membership:
The officers of the Society (ex-officio);
at least twenty but no more than twenty-four members; and,
and a mix of national representatives, genders, postgraduate students, and members of Affiliate bodies.
b. Council members generally serve four-year terms of office with half the membership renewed biennially.
c. Vacancies in Council membership may be filled biennially by general election or invitation by the Management Board. Retiring individual members shall be eligible to stand for re-election on subsequent occasions.
d. Council members will be active in the affairs of the Society and shall represent and communicate the views of the general membership of the Society.
e. The Council shall have general oversight of the Society’s affairs, including the right to initiate general policy discussions, draft position statements and guidelines, and make recommendations to Officers and the Management Board.
f. The Council shall meet on the occasion of the Society’s International Conferences (for which a quorum shall be President and not less than five other members). Special council meetings may be called between international conferences if a quorum is possible and sufficient advance notice is given. All or part of any Council meeting may be open to the general membership of the Society as determined by Council.
5. Officers
a. The Officers of the Society shall be the: President; Editor: Planning History; Conference Convenor; Secretary-General; Treasurer; Membership Secretary; and Electronic Communications Coordinator.
b. Officer positions may be joint appointments and Council may decide upon new or modified roles as circumstances dictate.
c. The Officers of the Society shall be appointed by the Council of the Society from among the individual members of the Society. The normal terms of office of the President, Secretary-General, Treasurer, Membership Secretary, Electronic Communications Coordinator, and the Editor: Planning History shall be four years; the normal term of office of the Conference Convenor shall be two years. Retiring officers shall be eligible for re-appointment.
d. The Officers shall present reports to the Council at each international conference:
President – on the work of the Management Board and the general policy directions of the Society;
Secretary-General – on the Society’s elections and the work of the Council;
Treasurer – on the accounts and financial affair of the Society;
Membership Secretary – on the membership of the Society;
Conference Convenor – on the Society’s International Conference programme;
Editor, Planning History – on the bulletin; and
Electronic Communications Coordinator on the website and related matters.
e. The report of the President will be published in Planning History and/or on the Society’s website.
7. Management Board
a. The Officers of the Society shall constitute the Management Board of the Society with the responsibility of conducting the general business of the Society.
b. The Management Board may co-opt additional members from Council or the general membership for set terms.
c. The Management Board shall have power to establish committees to further the Society’s objectives, invite Council and ordinary members to join such committees, and appoint members of Council.
8. Finance
a. The income of the Society shall be used solely for the administration of the Society, for its actives and in the furtherance of the objectives of the Society.
b. The financial year of the Society shall end on 31 December. The Society’s accounts shall be audited annually and a statement and report presented to members at the biennial international conference.
c. The Management Board shall be empowered to determine annual subscription rates for Membership. Annual membership subscriptions shall become payable on 1 January. A member whose annual subscription is not paid by 31 March may be deemed to have resigned.
d. The Management Board shall be empowered to determine any financial arrangements relating to affiliation under Clause 4.
9. Bulletin
a. The bulletin of the Society shall be termed Planning History.
b. The Editor of Planning History shall be empowered to appoint members of an Editorial Board.
c. All members shall be entitled to receive copies of Planning History.
d. The normal frequency of publication of Planning History will be three times per year.
10. Conference, Meetings and Seminars
a. The President and Management Board shall organise the Society’s programme of conferences, meetings and seminars in co-operation with the Society’s individual members, Affiliates, and other organisations concerned with planning history. Such events shall be organised on a self-funding basis.
b. As far as possible the programme shall include a biennial International Conference from 1994.
c. The Conference Convenor shall have complete responsibility for the organisation of the biennial international conference to be held under hte auspices of the Society. The Society will make a monetary contribution as an advance or loan to the Conference Convenor to assist in planning.
11. General Meeting
a. A General Meeting of individual members of the Society can be called by Council on the occasion of the Society’s International Conference or as other circumstances permit.
b. General Meetings shall receive a report from the President on the business of the Society, may discuss any respect of the Society’s activities, and may make recommendations to the Council.
12. Constitution
a. The Council shall have authority to amend the Constitution after consultation with members of the Society.
b. The Constitution should be reviewed by Council every six years or more frequently as circumstances dictate.