Plan Canada Editorial Committee 

Alex is a registered professional planner and Senior Planning Analyst for the Government of British Columbia Ministry of Housing. Alex has co-authored several articles in Plan Canada and Planning West, and is interested in contributing to constructive dialogue on today’s planning issues. Alex graduated from the University of Manitoba with a Masters of City Planning.

Arlene Etchen has been working as a recognized knowledge mobilization and communications professional in the planning, housing, and energy sectors for over 15 years. Throughout her career, Arlene has applied her expertise by undertaking research, delivering lectures, and authoring articles involving topics such as sustainable affordable housing, secondary suites, accessibility, and aging-in-place. She has had the opportunity to deliver presentations nationally, and in Belgium, Scotland, and Ireland.

Arlene’s passion for housing and sustainability extends beyond her professional endeavors, to her volunteer work with the Institute without Boundaries (Brookfield Sustainability Institute), the York Region Water Conservation Council and the Earth Day Hometown Heroes initiative, recognizing leaders in sustainability.

Yasmin Afshar is an award-winning planner and writer who is interested in where and how we live, and the impacts this can have on our identity and wellbeing. Her curiosities are broad but almost always tie back to a landscape of some form, whether that be physical, theoretical, sensory, or emotional. As a city builder who works at the nexus of urban planning, design, and community engagement, Yasmin has a deep appreciation for the impact that connection and belonging can have on our lives, and the importance of histories and lived experiences to place and space.

Yasmin holds a Bachelor of Environmental Studies, Honours Planning, from the University of Waterloo, and a Masters of Fine Arts in Creative Nonfiction from the University of King’s College. She is a Senior Associate with Urban Strategies and is currently writing a book about loneliness and belonging across geographies.

Sarah is a Registered Professional Planner with experience working in the private and public sectors on a wide range of development projects, planning studies, and long-range planning initiatives across Ontario. She is currently a development review planner with the City of Ottawa. She enjoys learning new things and is excited to read your submissions!

Rylan Graham is an Assistant Professor in the School of Planning and Sustainability at the University of Northern British Columbia. Rylan’s research focuses on issues related to growth management, intensification, downtown revitalization, and with a particular focus on mid-sized Canadian cities. Rylan has a PhD from the University of Calgary, a Master of Arts, Planning from the University of Waterloo, and a Bachelor of Arts, Geography from the University of Regina. Prior to entering academia, he practiced as a planner in Alberta and Saskatchewan. LinkedIn

Based in Toronto, Glenn Miller, FCIP is a senior associate with the Canadian Urban Institute, where until 2016 he provided planning advice to the private, public and non-profit sectors. He previously led the CUI’s award-winning education and research programs and ran the CUI’s internship program. Glenn is also the co-founder of Strategic Regional Research Alliance, an NGO seeking a better understanding of how to connect home with work. Glenn was founding editor of the Ontario Planning Journal (1986-2011) and contributes to a wide variety of publications, including Y Magazine, ReNew Canada and SPACING. He recently rejoined the Editorial Committee for Plan Canada. Glenn was Planner in Residence at the University of Waterloo’s School of Planning in 2012. He also taught at Ryerson University’s School of Urban and Regional Planning (now TMU), Seneca College and the George Brown Institute Without Boundaries. Glenn became a member of the College of Fellows in 2005.

Shree is a Registered Professional Planner and the manager of Current & Long Range Planning with the City of Fort Saskatchewan in Alberta. Prior to joining the City of Fort Saskatchewan, Shree worked in the consulting sector in the capacity of an Urban Designer and a Planner and worked for development industry and many Alberta communities. Shree has Bachelor of Architecture from the University of Mumbai, India and Masters in Environmental Design from the University of Calgary. Her diverse background is her strength and her practice focus is the creation of complete and sustainable communities.

Ezra is a registered professional planner and a project manager with the City of Toronto. Prior to joining the City of Toronto team, he worked as a planner with the City of Calgary. Ezra is a graduate of the University of Waterloo School of Planning, is currently pursuing a graduate diploma in public administration in the Local Government Program at Western University, and volunteers with the Toronto District of the Ontario Professional Planners Institute.

Dr. Kyle Whitfield is an Associate Professor at the University of Alberta, School of Urban and Regional Planning. Her focus is on community planning; this encompasses planning with older adults both in an urban and rural setting. She is curious about citizen engagement in planning related decision making and methods of qualitative research. She is a RPP and MCIP.