François Lapointe has made very significant contributions to the planning profession at local, regional, and national levels during a career that spanned five decades. These contributions include his leadership as a planning practitioner and in the development of the profession, as well as his strong commitment to planning education and research.
 
François held senior roles in the National Capital Commission (NCC) between 1992 and 2013, where he was known for his expertise in strategic planning and management, urban governance, environmental planning, and communications – skills that are prized when dealing with the challenges of multiple governmental jurisdictions. His responsibilities included the Plan for Canada’s Capital (PCC), the Gatineau Park Master Plan, and the Greenbelt Master Plan, which received an Award for Planning Excellence from CIP. Prior to the NCC, François worked in senior planning positions for the City of Ottawa (1990-1992) and in the Saint-Jérôme area, north of Montréal (1981-1990).
 
With respect to community service and leadership in the profession, he served as an administrator and then President of the Corporation Professionnelle des Urbanistes du Québec (later l’Ordre des urbanistes du Québec) during a critical time in its development (1988-1990). His contribution to the professionalism of planning in Quebec was recognized by the OUQ, which awarded him the Hans Blumenfeld Award and bestowed him the title of Membre émérite.
 
More recently, François has been conducting research on the governance of capital cities, with a special focus on the governance of Canada’s Capital, initially in association with the Centre on Governance of the University of Ottawa, and currently as an independent researcher.