CIP Awards
The Canadian Institute of Planners recognizes outstanding achievement in the planning profession through various recognition award programs. The following is a summary of available awards to planners and planning students.
Awards for Planning Excellence
The Canadian Institute of Planners annual Awards for Planning Excellence honour planning projects judged on their excellence, innovation, impact on the profession, implementation potential, and overall presentation. All of these projects are deserving of recognition for their excellence in planning work, their contribution to the profession, and for showing particular strength in the category under which they won their award. Currently, there are twelve categories for these awards, each accepting submissions which are then judged by the Awards committee and awarded at the annual conference.
Click here to visit the Awards for Planning Excellence pages for information on past recipients and guidelines for submission.
Vision in Planning (ViP) Awards
CIP established its Vision in Planning Award in 2001 to recognize community plans that have achieved or exceeded their intended expectations and represent a significant contribution to Canadian planning heritage. The award celebrates plans of a historical nature that have been successfully implemented and have improved the quality of life for a Canadian community. The recipient of the Vision in Planning award is chosen by committee with endorsement from CIP Council and the local affiliate and is awarded at the national conference once a year.
Click here for information on past VIP Award winners.
President’s Award
CIP established the President’s Award in 2006 to recognize achievement by a Canadian individual or organization whose significant contribution to the planning community warrants acknowledgment on a national level. The recipient(s) of this award is chosen by the current President of the Institute, with endorsement from CIP Council. This award does not involve a nomination process for a recipient, but is chosen based on the President’s selection of a recipient that he/she feels the association should recognize for that year. This award is given annually at the CIP conference by the current President to an individual or organization. The recipient(s) may or may not have membership in CIP.
Click here for information on past recipients of the President’s Award.
President's Award for Young Planners
In 2010, CIP changed the focus of the President’s Award to recognize a young planner. The 2010 recipient, Janine de la Salle, was honoured for the vision, leadership, and intellectual rigour she has brought to her professional practice. Recently, Janine was a keynote speaker at the Planning Institute of British Columbia’s World Town Planning Day Gala, and a review of her book, Agricultural Urbanism: Handbook for Building Sustainable Food & Agriculture System in 21st Century Cities (co-authored with Mark Holland) appears in the Winter 2010 issue of Plan Canada.
We received nominations for so many impressive young planners last year, and in light of that, CIP has created a second President’s Award specifically celebrating the leaders of tomorrow.
The 2011 CIP President’s Award for Young Planners will recognize the outstanding professional success and achievement of a young Canadian planner under the age of 35. The recipient of this award will be chosen by the current President of the Institute, with endorsement from CIP Council.
Nominations can be submitted by employers, colleagues, or CIP members in good standing. Nominees may not self-nominate.
Eligible candidates must be:
- under 35 years of age as of December 31, 2011
- members in good standing of the Institute (Student, Provisional, or Full Member) at the date of entry and presentation of the award
The requirements are:
- a citation of no more than 100 words from the nominator explaining the young planner’s achievements and his/her promise for the future;
- a summary of no more than 400 words detailing the candidate's professional qualifications including universities attended, employment history, volunteerism, etc.; and
- a 100-word statement from the nominee explaining how they would promote planning as a professional activity should they win the Award.
Please submit nominations to: Bianca Spence, Program Coordinator, Communications at bspence@cip-icu.ca.
The deadline for nominations is March 18, 2011.
Plan Canada Awards
In 1997, the Plan Canada Awards were introduced to recognize the best short and feature articles published in Plan Canada the preceding year. These articles are evaluated by the Plan Canada Awards committee and judged according to the extent to which the article serves the needs and interests of Plan Canada readers; writing style and clarity; good journalism including insight, imagination, depth of reporting, analysis; and demonstrated leadership and innovation.
Click here for the winning articles of the Plan Canada Awards.
College of Fellows
Election as a Fellow of the Canadian Institute of Planners is the highest award the Institute can give to a planner. It is given only to those Members who exhibit the highest professional attainment and exhibit a wide breadth of experience. Such professional attainment and experience must be significant within the Canadian or international planning context of planning.
Becoming a Fellow gives the member the designation of FCIP (Fellow of Canadian Institute of Planners). To become a Fellow, a member must be nominated by another member in good standing adhering to the nomination criteria located in this section. The nomination is then brought before the Fellows nominating committee of the College of Fellows, CIP Council and the affiliate Council. Newly elected Fellows are inducted at the CIP national conference once a year.
Student Scholarships
Student members of the Canadian Institute of Planners are eligible to apply for scholarships provided by the Planning Student Trust Fund. This fund was established in 1989 to provide financial assistance to students pursuing an education in planning. Currently there are six scholarships awarded each year. Further information on the PSTF and the scholarship criteria can be found on the PSTF page in the student zone section.
Student Awards for Academic Excellence
The Canadian Institute of Planners Student Awards for Academic Excellence recognize a student in each of the CIP recognized planning programs (undergraduate and graduate) across Canada who has achieved academic excellence. The Award will consist of a certificate bearing the CIP seal, and a book prize.
Eligibility for the award is limited to fulltime student members of CIP, enrolled in planning programs recognized by CIP. Where more than one program is recognized at one university, one award should be given for each program. The award shall be granted to the student member who achieves the highest academic standing over the length of the program. The head of each planning school shall select the individual from each program which is recognized by CIP who meets the criteria for the student award.