SCARP says congrats but not farewell to graduates

Zoe is excited to continue working for the Society for Children and Youth of BC, where she has recently accepted a new offer as a Project Coordinator. Here, she will continue to work at the intersections of community building, emancipatory justice, and child and youth advocacy. In particular, she hopes to continue exploring food systems and housing planning.

We really went from Moving Beyond the Car to Moving Beyond the SCARP. To think we all started this journey in 2020 behind little screens and now we’re out in the world improving our everyday places and spaces. Thank you to everyone who was part of this experience and a huge congratulations to my fellow graduates!

Congratulations to our cohort for making it through Zoom university. Here’s to no more breakout rooms and a lifetime of having to explain what planning is.  

As Sun Tzu once said, "in the midst of chaos, there is also opportunity." We started our planning careers during an uncertain time, transitioning to an unfamiliar virtual space but we made the best of it. We found creative ways to present, to connect, and to grow and I am excited to see what we will accomplish post SCARP! If we are able to start planning school during a chaotic time, we will be able to make the most of all opportunities. I look forward to the future communities we are building! 

Having focused on housing and land use planning, Tyler contributed to the studio project Equity in Zoning with the City of New Westminster. Their team analyzed the zoning regulations and processes at the City and provided recommendations on how to increase equitable outcomes through zoning reforms. Tyler is now using the skills and knowledge he gained during his time at SCARP while working in affordable housing development and planning in New York City.

Makaila (they/she) is grateful to have completed the Indigenous Community Planning (ICP) program (2020-22) amongst her peers and unceded xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) territory. Makaila spent their final year in a practicum with sísqeʔ (Siska Indian Band). This work was done with Breanna Willms (ICP student), under the guidance of Jessie Hemphill (Supervisor - UBC), and in partnership with Samantha Gush (Comprehensive Community Planning Coordinator - Siska). Their capstone report, "Holding Space Gently: Trauma-Informed Emergency Planning with Siska Indian Band" provides reflections on this experience (available at link). Makaila continues to find her place within Indigenous Sovereignty and Land Back work as a settler planner/facilitator/artist. 

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1BeTjTkcjWKWcY-IUWSlbscKp717VMH3H/view?usp=sharing

Florence Zheng is a graduating master's student of Community and Regional Planning at UBC, focusing on Comparative Development Planning. She is a social and environmental justice advocate, sustainability enthusiast, and map lover. Prior to her studies at SCARP, she received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Geography from UBC. She aspires to be a planner to foster places that are inclusive, healthy, and sustainable.