As the national voice of Canadian professional planning, CIP appreciates strong relationships with many international organizations and planning associations across the globe, including the Global Planners Network, Commonwealth Association of Planners, and select United Nations bodies. CIP is also the leading Canadian organization for the annual World Town Planning Day celebrations on November 8th, sharing Canadian and international perspectives on key planning issues.
Our Partners
Commonwealth Association of Planners
The Commonwealth Association of Planners (CAP) seeks to develop the skills of urban and regional planners across the Commonwealth in order to meet the challenges of urbanization and the sustainable development of human settlements.
CAP’s activities are largely supported through volunteer contributions, which includes CIP’s current representative to the CAP Executive Committee, Jihad Bitar RPP, MCIP, and its representative on the Young Planners Steering Network Group, Champa M. Maduranayagam RPP, MCIP.
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Global Planners Network
In 2006, CIP's collaboration with other international planning organizations led to the launch of the Global Planners Network (GPN), a forum for sharing best planning practices, strengthening personal and institutional networks, and finding ways to bring planners together.
CIP’s President and Chief Executive Officer participate in quarterly meetings of the GPN, sharing timely information on planning developments, coordinating international outreach activities (e.g. World Town Planning Day), and maintaining strong partnerships between the member institutes.
In 2020, GPN issued the
Abu Dhabi Declaration, outlining the values and role of planners in regional and urban development to elevate understanding of planning and its key role in all communities.
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United Nations
UN-Habitat: In 1976, Canada hosted the first United Nations Conference on Human Settlements (HABITAT I) in Vancouver. Participants signed the Vancouver Charter, a global manifesto for national and international action on matters of global urbanization. That conference led to the formation of the United Nations Commission on Human Settlements and the United Nations Centre for Human Settlements (UN-HABITAT), which launched the first World Urban Forum in 2002 in Nairobi, Kenya.
In 2003, CIP was invited to assist Canada’s federal government in preparations for the 2006 World Urban Forum in Vancouver. Immediately prior to that event, the 2006 World Planners Congress (also held in Vancouver) was attended by nearly 1,200 delegates from around the world, and saw 15 countries sign the Vancouver Declaration on urbanization, development and planning. That document laid the foundation for the Global Planners Network.
In 2018, CIP President, Eleanor Mohammed RPP, MCIP, attended the World Urban Forum 9 in Kampala Lumpur, Malaysia. During WUF9, CIP continued to build on old relationships, form new ones, and provide planning expertise by participating in sessions and panels, adding positively to CIP’s reputation as the voice of Canadian planning. Read the report here.
Planners for Climate Action (P4CA): In 2017, CIP became a member of Planners for Climate Action, founded at the 23rd Conference of Parties (COP-23) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), in Bonn, Germany. The initiative, convened by UN-Habitat, is comprised of associations of planning practitioners and planning educators, collectively representing tens of thousands of planners worldwide, as well as other partners active in this area. CIP appreciates the voluntary contributions of many members who are actively involved in P4CA committees. For more information visit the P4CA website.
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World Town Planning Day
World Town Planning Day (WTPD) is an international day celebrating the accomplishments of planners and their contributions to their communities. On November 8, planners around the world participate in World Town Planning Day activities annually, a practice that began in 1949. Find out more about upcoming WTPD events
here.
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International Planner Exchange Program
Program currently on hold due to COVID-19
CIP is a partner with the American Planning Association’s International Division on the International Planner Exchange (IPE) program.
The two-week exchange sees participating planners hosting each other in their homes and workplaces. The goal is to expose planners to international planning work by providing a direct, one-on-one experience between planners in Canada and the US. The goal of the International Planner Exchange Program is to provide a channel to allow professional U.S. and overseas planners to obtain an understanding and experience of planning practice in each other's countries. To learn more
click here.