Region 1: BC/YT

In my work with PIBC I contributed to CIP’s early work on Scope of Practice and establishment of the PSB and PSC. During my term as PIBC President I worked to build ties with government agencies and the local development community. I have also had the great pleasure to work as an adjunct professor, guest lecturer, and mentor to many planning students.

I am known for my ability to take complex data and technical concepts and communicate them in an accessible, way. Through my research and presentations, I help diverse audiences understand the relationships between changing demographics, economics, land use, planning, and development. I believe such storytelling and communication would be an asset to the Board as we work to strengthen the profession’s influence. I welcome the opportunity to bring my experience, perspective, and commitment to the CIP Board.

Brief Biography

Andrew has been an advocate of community planning and planners for the last two decades and is currently Vice President of Advisory Services for the rennie group in Vancouver. At rennie, Andrew provides analytical and strategic planning support for real estate developers, investors, retailers, local and provincial governments, crown corporations, and public agencies. As part of this advisory work, he has researched, written, and presented extensively on topics ranging from shifting demographics and consumer behaviour to regional development and local community planning. This work is informed by Andrew’s BA in urban and economic geography and his MA from UBC’s School of Community and Regional Planning (SCARP).

In his ongoing role as Executive Director of the non-profit Urban Futures Institute (established in 2001), he conducts publicly available research on topics ranging from labour force change and human resource management to housing, health, and aging populations. Most of this research is conducted through the lens of asking: how will these topics be reflected in community change? Following through the threads of that question, Andrew has also taught at the University of British Columbia (Quantitative Analysis for Planners), and often guest lectures at Simon Fraser University, the British Columbia Institute of Technology, and Vancouver Island University.

His long involvement with both CIP and PIBC – from SCARP student representative in 1999 to PIBC President in 2018, with PIBC Secretary Treasurer and Membership Committee Chair, and CIP’s Professional Standards Committee along the way – demonstrate his unwavering commitment to the field of planning and its development.

Region 7: Atlantic

CIP’s focus on reconciliation, equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility is important to me and aligns with how I approach my work. I am committed to furthering these principles within CIP’s framework and supporting the organizations efforts to achieve meaningful outcomes.

With experience volunteering on boards and committees, collaborating on cross-disciplinary projects and teams, and navigating public policy, I am well-equipped to contribute to CIP’s strategic direction. I also work to connect new planners with mentorship opportunities that provide a solid foundation for their careers. I am eager to collaborate with other board members to advance CIP’s mission and strengthen the planning profession across Canada. I believe that my network and experience working with planners in all four Atlantic provinces puts me in a good position to represent this amazing part of Canada on the CIP Board of Directors.

 Brief Biography

I’m a Senior Planner with Halifax Regional Municipality, where I focus on land use modernization, community engagement, housing and transportation policy, and planning with Indigenous and other equity-deserving communities. After six years with an incredible team at the municipality, I will soon be transitioning to a new role with the provincial government, where I’ll be focused on supporting housing growth.

With a strong commitment to inclusive and sustainable development, I have contributed to key planning initiatives such as the Centre Plan and Suburban Plan, as well as region-wide housing policies aimed at improving housing availability and affordability. I also help lead a peer support group for candidate planners across the province as they navigate the professional licensing process.

Outside of work, I’m actively involved in my community, volunteering on the boards of my curling club and queer curling league. I am passionate about fostering strong community connections, especially in our post-pandemic world. I grew up in a rural community in Saskatchewan, studied planning in Toronto, and now call Halifax (Kjipuktuk) home with my partner Shane and our dog Oliver.

Fellow

The continuing growth and resilience of CIP is important to me personally, to Canada’s planning profession and to Canadian society.

Brief Biography

Beate Bowron is a former Director of Community Planning for the City of Toronto with over 30 years’ experience in urban planning. She is the President of Beate Bowron Etcetera, a small consulting company with extensive experience in participatory community planning, municipal management, local economic development, consensus building and climate change adaptation. She works both in Canada and internationally.

Beate is a seasoned facilitator and trained mediator, whose practice emphasizes consensus building to avoid costly litigation and tribunal processes. As a Director of Community Planning in the City of Toronto (1998 – 2003), she was responsible for all community planning functions in the ‘old’ City of Toronto. More recently, Beate has been the project manager and public participation lead in a number of municipal ward boundary and Trustee Area reviews in Ontario.

As part of CIP’s groundbreaking work in climate change adaptation planning, Beate was responsible for climate change adaptation planning projects in the Atlantic Region and Nunavut, Canada’s Arctic. Her international experience, in a variety of consulting roles, spans China, Guyana, South Africa, Ethiopia, Vietnam, the Philippines and Ukraine. Projects have focused on public involvement, strategic planning, climate change, tourism development and sustainable, resilient cities and regions.

Currently, Beate assists community groups in navigating Toronto’s and Ontario’s planning maze.

Director-at-Large

As a practicing planner, a woman of colour, and an immigrant, I can speak to my lived experience to inform the implementation of the CIP’s “Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Roadmap”, including what drew me into the profession, what hurdles I have faced, and what has kept me here. I have previous experience in EDI consulting and policy, and know the value of this work; the profession benefits immensely from active effort to recruit and retain underrepresented planners. The Roadmap accurately acknowledges that these efforts cannot only exist on an individual level, but must be ingrained on a structural level.

As the CIP is the national advocate for the planning profession, I know the governance and policy piece is essential to furthering a diverse and inclusive culture, and I am eager to put in the work.

Brief Biography

Raida Chowdhury (BES) is a Candidate Member of the Canadian Institute of Planners, and a graduate from the School of Planning at the University of Waterloo. She is working as a Planner at Nethery Planning, focusing on land use policy projects across Ontario. Her previous positions include municipal planning at the City of Kitchener, as well as provincial policy and research at the Legislative Assembly of Ontario.

Throughout her university career, Raida was a champion for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion initiatives. From 2021 to 2023, she was a member of the School of Planning’s EDI Committee, where she helped to establish and implement the School’s first Statement of Values, in collaboration with students and faculty. She was also an EDI Consultant for the University’s Centre for Career Development, where she aided the Centre in rewriting a Professional Development course related to equity in the workplace. For several terms, she served as a Teaching Assistant and Peer Mentor, which allowed her both formal and informal mentoring opportunities with other marginalized student planners, particularly women of colour.

She is a proponent for progressive (planning) policy, demonstrated through her work in expanding lodging house permissions in the City of Kitchener. She is also an active member of her community as a volunteer for environmental and housing justice organizations. In both a professional and personal capacity, Raida believes in the duty to help foster equitable environments and communities.