My Proposed PIBC Planning 'Platform' - Please Vote For Me !

About Me and Planning

• As a full RPP / PIBC / CIP member, I have over two decades of diverse experience working for the public and private sectors in the Metro Vancouver region and parts of British Columbia through a number of different capacities including municipal and regional planning policy, real estate development, consultant, and instructor (https://www.linkedin.com/in/ericaderneck). 
• I have degrees in both planning and business, as well as other academic qualifications, and have worked on a variety of public policy and land development projects. I believe that a successful planner -- and the resulting plan -- is informed by a diversity of work experiences, education, training, and knowledge.
• I have contributed to advancing positive land use and city building in a number of ways, including as planning consultant and development planner leading projects through the design and approval processes, and as regional and municipal planner advancing policy programs. 
• My focus is on industrial lands and their important contribution to providing economic, employment, and taxation benefits to the community. A complete community cannot neglect economic sustainability. I have led a series of significant projects and strategies, and written leading reports and articles about industrial and employment land use matters, giving me in-depth knowledge and unique expertise in this matter and associated planning and development considerations.

Teaching Urban Planning and Land Development 

• Teach at the Langara College Applied Planning Program, three academic courses: ‘Introduction to Planning’; Land Development’; ‘Studio Planning – Sustainability’. These courses and the program train future generations of planners.
• Teach at the SFU City Program ‘Planning for Non-Planners: What You Need to Know about Community Planning’ and my own offering ‘Learn the Basics of Planning - Live Online One-Day Class’ (www.learnplanning.ca). These short classes are targeted to both the general public and other city-building related professionals, as well as students interested in pursuing a planning education and career, who want to learn more about urban planning concepts, principles, and terms, and the roles of planners, stakeholders, and decision-makers in planning and development processes.
• Teach at the Greater Vancouver Real Estate Board and the Fraser Valley Real Estate Board ‘Introduction to Urban Planning and Land Development for REALTORS’. As part of the professional development training, this course provides realtors / brokers with a better understanding of urban planning and policy matters that inform the use and potential of lands for their clients.

Promoting Urban Planning Matters 

• Through several different means, I have spent considerable effort increasing the profile and awareness of industrial / employment lands related matters to planners, and the wider public. 
• I have written many articles, published in PIBC Planning West and CIP Plan Canada magazines, as well as other media, about industrial lands, employment uses, innovation economy, live/work units, planning and development trends, and associated matters as well as other topics. Since 2020, this has been some 30 articles, which I further promote to both fellow planners and other audiences, to increase awareness. 
• I maintain a website about industrial and employment land use matters, as a recourse for planners and others (www.industriallands.ca). 
• I manage a weekly subscription newsletter sent to planners, city builders, and the wider public, sharing an organized collection of current articles about cities, urban planning, real estate development, transportation, economy, and other related matters, noting that these are all interconnected issues that are part of modern cities and urban society (https://ericaderneck.substack.com). 
• I regularly attend PIBC conferences and events, and particularly over the past few years increased the number of sessions that I have organized and lead. This includes two sessions at the BC Land Summit in 2024 and three sessions at the PIBC Conference in 2025.

Supporting Planners Through Additional Efforts

• Beyond teaching a new generation of students, I support new planners in many ways. For example, to advance them through the CIP candidacy process as their mentor or sponsor, offer career advice, and provide academic and employment references. 
• I have also been an external advisor for several academic planning graduate thesis, providing my expertise to review draft reports, provide guidance, and participant in committee meetings.

Collaborating With Other Land Use City-Building Professionals

• I strongly believe that successful city building requires close collaboration between planners -- both in the public and private sectors -- and allied professionals, such as architects, engineers, designers, brokers, developers, etc. This is informed by my own experience working on multi-disciplinary teams, and recognizing the increased complexities of planning and development, as well as urban issues.
• I value industry events where different professions come together to share / exchange knowledge and ideas, such as the BC Land Summit which I always attend. 
• I enjoy teaching other professionals and the general public about the basics of urban planning. Even if they are not intending to become planners, providing them with a better understanding of the role of planners and planning is of value to everyone. 
• I have long been a member of ULI BC (Urban Land Institute), as well as participated on panel events, and in the past volunteered and chaired a committee, providing me an opportunity to interact with many other urban land related professionals. ULI BC has a mission of shaping the future of the built environment for transformative impact in communities worldwide.