MESSAGE FROM THE DIRECTOR
Dear SURP alumni, donors, supporters and students,
It is my utmost pleasure, for the seventh year in a row, to report on the state of the School of Urban and Regional Planning.
Like other programs, our School and its programming were affected by the pandemic. Most of us at the University of Alberta returned to teaching in person as of March 1, 2022. The first few months of the academic year were largely spent preparing for accreditation of our BA/BSc Planning programs. The site visit was conducted virtually — probably the first one ever done in this manner for a planning program in Canada. Despite its limitations (and some benefits), we did very well and passed with flying colours, securing accreditation for the next five years. The accreditation team’s positive comments validated and cemented our resolve to keep going in the direction we have chosen. One such comment was:
The [University of Alberta’s] innovative program design makes use of a breadth of educational opportunities to offer a very competitive and responsive program of study in planning. Overall, the program is designed to provide students with both breadth and depth of planning knowledge and skills. The program also maintains the flexibility for specialization in other areas of planning.
The team highlighted the hallmarks of the program by stressing the fact that the School “enjoys strong support from the planning profession in the public and private sectors of Alberta, emphasizes real-life planning projects brought into the coursework, and has a strong employment record for graduating students entering the profession.”
These remarks are testament to how we are preparing the next generation of planners, who will be ready to tackle the existing and future challenges within the planning practice. The strong employability of our students, who commonly receive multiple job offers, shows that the industry has not only rebounded, but also concurs with the quality of our graduates and our approach to education.
None of this would have been possible without the commitment of the faculty, cooperation from our students, strong backing from the senior administration at the University of Alberta, and strong relationships and continued support from the industry and our supporters. Thank you all for making our School such a success, and for enabling the success of the next generation of planners.
We are also very excited this year for the return of the Celebration of Planning Gala on November 17. Tickets and sponsorship opportunities can be found online. We look forward to seeing many of you there!
Warm greetings,
SANDEEP AGRAWAL
Professor and Director, School of Urban and Regional Planning
Trevor
Devlin
Co-op experience
My co-op placement with the City of Edmonton was an incredibly rewarding experience.
Mon
Rosete
Co-op experience
I have been working with the City of Edmonton and enjoy seeing the real-life impacts of our work.
Nooshin
Firoozbakhsh
APPI Scholarship
My scholarship has allowed me to connect with community and academic partners.
Molly
Thomas
SSHRC Scholar
The MURP program has introduced me to a passionate community of planners.
Veerinder
S. Paul
Alumnus
I have been fortunate to work as part of a small team that handles very big and interesting projects.
Tara
Slater
Alumna
After working towards a bachelor of arts in sociology, I found the MURP program at the U of A.
Studio Project Highlight: “Zoning in on Equitable Engagement”
This past year, as part of PLAN 495: Planning Studio, students were required to design and prepare a planning-related capstone project for a real-world client.
Politics and Planning: A Conversation with Anne Stevenson
Councillor Anne Stevenson shared reflections on the dynamic relationship between planning and municipal politics.
Understanding and responding to the transit needs of women in Canada
Priyanka Babbar is a recent graduate from the MURP program. She spent this past year investigating the needs of women using transit.
Winter City Design and Urban Heat Island Mitigation Panel
The Winter City Design and Urban Heat Island Mitigation Panel provided insight into spatial planning, design and climate adaptation.
Understanding social vulnerability is critical for climate change adaptation
Sarah Kehler, a PhD student in the Climate Adaptation and Resilience Lab, studies climate adaptation from a socio-political perspective.
Engaging Northern communities using arts-based methods
In March, Maéva Gauthier delivered the inaugural talk of the UArctic Thematic Network on Local Scale Planning, Climate Change and Resilience Speaker Series.
Introducing PLAN 485/ 585 – Advanced Topics in Planning (Indigenous Planning)
This year, SURP students had the opportunity to participate in a new course focused on Indigenous planning.
