Making waves: The emergence of the Canadian planner
Abstract
"Making waves" describes every planner and
defines our mandate. Some planners make ripples,
others tidal waves; the entire profession is capable of
a tsunami. The University of British Columbia's
School of Community and Regional Planning
(SCARP) has produced many accomplished wavemakers:
city councillors, provincial and federal
ministers, a recent premier, and members of the
Senate. These planners have established a new
profession based on taking risks, many of
which create waves that splash back and
threaten to inundate or even drown the
wave-maker. Risk-taking is an essential
function; as the ultimate characteristic of a
planner, it also describes the history of
planning education in Canada.