Planning for the Future: Reflections from Liam Vu, Student Volunteer at ACTION 2025

From July 8-10, 2025, CIP and OPPI hosted ACTION 2025, the largest national planning conference in Canadian history, in Toronto. The conference would not have been a success without the support of our student volunteers.

In this Q&A, we catch up with Liam Vu, an urban and regional planning student at Toronto Metropolitan University, who shares highlights from the conference, lessons learned, and advice for fellow planning students.

Can you tell us a bit about yourself and why you decided to study planning?

When deciding on a career path, I vaguely knew I wanted to work in a profession that leads to positive change in the world. My path became clearer when, one day in grade 12, a developer visited my high school to gather feedback for their development. As I learned more about the project, I realized that the planning profession perfectly aligned with my aspirations for an impactful and community-focused career. Thanks to this little interaction with a developer, I was inspired to study Urban and Regional Planning at Toronto Metropolitan University, where I am proudly entering my second year with lots of enthusiasm and curiosity!

What motivated you to volunteer at ACTION 2025?

In my first year of university, I came across an opportunity to attend ACTION 2025, hosted by CIP and OPPI. The title “ACTION” really spoke to me as an impact-driven planner. In terms of the conference themes and location (being in Toronto), I felt that this year’s national planning conference was not one to miss! Volunteering for ACTION 2025 was an unmissable opportunity to meet planners from across Canada, be inspired by their impactful projects, and most importantly… attend the conference at a reduced rate!

Was there a moment or session at the conference that really stood out to you?

Throughout ACTION 2025, I was challenged to complete a live painting in front of an audience of over a thousand attendees! With my paints, brushes, and a huge wooden French easel, I completed a painting of the Toronto skyline. Afterwards, I had the opportunity to showcase my painting during the Strings and Skyline Networking Reception at Roy Thompson Hall. There, guests wrote messages using paint markers on my completed painting! To be honest, I was worried that the written messages would’ve destroyed all my hard work! But by the end, I felt that the phrases added so much meaning. My fondest memories were chatting with people as they wrote on the canvas. I was overwhelmed with all the supportive messages and friendly interactions from attendees throughout the conference!

What was your biggest takeaway from the conference?

After completing the live painting for ACTION 2025, I realized the importance of initiating bold actions in various aspects of my life. For instance, by pitching myself to the event team at OPPI and CIP, I landed the unique opportunity to do a live painting throughout the conference! In turn, I had a unique opportunity that I wouldn’t have had if I hadn’t reached out. After attending the conference, I feel even more inspired to continue taking bold actions to advance my career and positively impact the communities I serve.

How has volunteering at the conference influenced your career goals?

As this was my first national planning conference, volunteering at ACTION 2025 helped me realize the importance of networking on a national scale! As someone from Toronto, I often thought of the Greater Toronto Area as the limits of my professional network. Attending the conference gave me the unique opportunity to network with professionals and organizations from across Canada and beyond! In doing so, I broadened my perspective to consider opportunities outside of my cozy province of Ontario. Now, I’m starting to consider future events and postings from across Canada and beyond!

Do you have any advice for other planning students considering volunteering at future conferences?

If you’re nervous about networking, make friends with the other planning students! I found that chatting with planning students from different schools not only made networking more fun, but being surrounded by other motivated planning students can inspire your own journey as an emerging planning professional! For instance, after chatting with Eric Tran at the University of Waterloo during the student poster session, I was inspired to showcase my research at future planning conferences! Not to mention, networking is a lot easier when you have friends to go with, so be sure to befriend other planning students at your next conference!

Is there anything else you’d like to share with CIP members?

Thank you to the amazing teams at OPPI and CIP for making this conference such a memorable experience! I’d like to give a special thank you to Katie Watt, Karenza Sutton-Bennett, and Wendy Vance for entrusting me to do these live painting sessions throughout the conference!

I also want to thank all the friendly faces I’ve met throughout the conference, including TMU staff and alumni, new planning student besties, and presenters at the various booths throughout the conference. For students, the feeling of being surrounded by hundreds of new faces can be scary. However, I felt that I left ACTION 2025 with lots of new, meaningful friendships and connections. So, if you’re reading this, here is your sign to go to that conference you’ve been dreaming of attending. Reach out, and I’ll be your conference buddy!

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