Dr Jill L Grant, FCIP LPP, has been Professor of Planning at Dalhousie University since 2001. Previously she was Professor of Environmental Planning at the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design (now NSCAD University). She earned a Masters and a PhD in Regional Planning and Resource Development from the University of Waterloo.
In being named a Fellow of the Institute, Jill was recognized for her contributions to education, research, and the profession. Over the decades Jill has taught hundreds of students who went on to become planning practitioners. She is known for encouraging critical thinking, extensive reading, and good communication skills. She has contributed to the profession by serving on several CIP committees over the years, being program chair for the 2003 conference in Halifax, and serving on the editorial board of Plan Canada for six years (including four as chair). She is a regular contributor to Plan Canada.
Through the years Jill has focussed her research on understanding the connections and the gaps between theory and practice. She has interviewed and surveyed planning practitioners from across the country to gain a better sense of the challenges and opportunities of planning practice. Her research has provided valuable insight into the planning and design of residential environments, urban development practices and processes, and neighbourhood change. She also has published on the history of planning, illuminating the legacy of practice in Nova Scotia.