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, the institute was granted a royal charter in 1959. In 2018 it reported that it had over 25,000 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 having meetings 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: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. Functions The RTPI currently states that it is: 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. Fellows are entitled the use of the post-nominals FRTPI and chartered members may use MRTPI. 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. There are currently eight membership classes: Student For full or part-time students on courses related to planning or