Brian Jackson will retire after stepping down from his position as chief planner for the city of Vancouver.
"Vancouver’s top planner is resigning only three years after being appointed to a job that has been at the centre of uproar over rapid development," reports Frances Bula.
According to Bula, "Brian Jackson blames the unusual efforts former planning staff have made to increasingly contradict and oppose what his department is doing, at a time when the city is trying to accomplish a lot on many fronts. The previous planner was in the post for six years; the one before that did the job for at least 10 years." The article includes more details of the political debates that led to his departure.
Allen Garr followed up on the news with a column recapping the significant events from Jackson's tenure, including the controversial approval the approval of a 36-story condo tower on the edge of Emery Barnes Park, the community plan for Grandview-Woodland, and a decision to shut down the city's Urban Design Studio.
FULL STORY: Vancouver’s chief city planner to step down
New Planning Initiatives Strive for Equity in Baltimore
The Planners Across America series visits Maryland for an interview with Baltimore Planning Director Tom Stosur.
Planners Across America: Making Albuquerque the Land of Enchantment, Not Confusion
The city of Albuquerque is focused on bringing consistency and coherence to an unwieldy collection of planning and land use regulations. An interview with Albuquerque Planning Director Suzanne Lubar explores the city's approach to the challenge.
Poll: What are the Most Important Skills for Planning Staffers?
In the second in a series of posts, PlannersWeb recently posted the results of a poll asking: "What are the skills you’ve found most important in serving on a planning commission?"
What ‘The Brutalist’ Teaches Us About Modern Cities
How architecture and urban landscapes reflect the trauma and dysfunction of the post-war experience.
‘Complete Streets’ Webpage Deleted in Federal Purge
Basic resources and information on building bike lanes and sidewalks, formerly housed on the government’s Complete Streets website, are now gone.
The VW Bus is Back — Now as an Electric Minivan
Volkswagen’s ID. Buzz reimagines its iconic Bus as a fully electric minivan, blending retro design with modern technology, a 231-mile range, and practical versatility to offer a stylish yet functional EV for the future.
Ratepayers Could Be on the Hook for Data Centers’ Energy Use
Without regulatory changes, data centers’ high demand for energy would be subsidized by taxpayers, according to a new study.
City Nature Challenge: Explore, Document, and Protect Urban Biodiversity
The City Nature Challenge is a global community science event where participants use the iNaturalist app to document urban biodiversity, contributing valuable data to support conservation and scientific research.
A Lone Voice for Climate: How The Wild Robot Stands Apart in Hollywood
Among this year’s Oscar-nominated films, only The Wild Robot passed the Climate Reality Check, a test measuring climate change representation in storytelling, highlighting the ongoing lack of climate awareness in mainstream Hollywood films.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
City of Albany
UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
City of Piedmont, CA
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research