THE PROFESSION OF PLANNING Michael Geller
World Town Planning Day November 8 and the Role of the Town Planner At UniverCity on Burnaby Mountain, Michael Geller and a team of planners have planned an entire new community.
P
eople are often uncertain when asked about the role of a town planner.
That may be since among the approximately 7000 planning professionals across Canada— of which approximately 1400 are in British Columbia, there is considerable variety. On November 8, planners in 30 countries around the world celebrate World Town Planning Day. It is a day to recognize the importance of community planning, an oftentimes contentious discipline that brings together professional planners, builders and developers, politicians, special interest groups, and the general public. Since 1949, World Town Planning Day has focused on the progress of community planning across Canada and four continents. It highlights the valuable contributions planners have made to the quality of the human environment and provides recognition of the ideals of community planning among the profession and the general public world-wide. So, what is a planner? There are city or urban planners hired by the private sector, such as
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developers, property owners, and engineering firms, and there are city or urban planners employed by the public sector, for example, federal, provincial, and local governments, and myriad public agencies and institutions.
Since 1949, World Town Planning Day has focused on the progress of community planning across Canada and four continents. Many planners focus on what is called current land-use planning. They are the people we see at public information meetings or standing before City Council. Other planners tend to specialize in long-term landuse planning, regional planning, urban design, and transportation planning. Increasingly, planners are specializing in heritage preservation, environmental planning, parks and recreation, resource management, and economic development. In recent years, housing planners have become a particularly busy group. In developing a plan for a particular property, neighbourhood, or community, urban planners must take into account a wide array of considerations including BC Notaries Association
Official Community Plans and zoning bylaws and other relevant legislation, sustainability, traffic congestion, air pollution, neighbourhood crime, and land values. The importance of the urban planner has been increasing throughout the 21st century, especially in many parts of British Columbia as we begin to face increased population growth, climate change, and other impacts of unsustainable development. Consequently, an urban planner can no longer be considered a white collar or blue collar professional; he or she is becoming a “green collar” professional. Professional Planners in British Columbia are members of the Planning Institute of British Columbia (PIBC) that has been dedicated to the advancement of the planning profession for more than 50 years. Fully qualified Professional or Certified members of PIBC have the exclusive right and privilege to utilize the professional title “Registered Professional Planner” and “RPP” designation in British Columbia. They may also use the designation “MCIP” to indicate their professional status nationally with the Canadian Institute of Planners. Those who have made an exceptional contribution are Volume 28 Number 3 Fall 2019
