Alberta Professional Planners Institute Supports Resilience in Alberta's Resource-based Communities

In Alberta's race to sustainably diversify its economy and cut emmisions ahead of increasing climate change demands, the Alberta Professional Planners Institute (APPI) is committed to supporting resilience in Alberta's resource-based communities. APPI's support also reaches to the recovery and rebuilding efforts in the region of Wood Buffalo following the devastation caused by northern wildfires.

APPI believes in the work led by the provincial government on initiatives to lower carbon emissions.  We also know these changes directly impact the viability and future of communities.  As communities such as Hanna, Stettler, Drumheller and Forestburg face uncertain futures with the proposed phasing out of coal, APPI believes there are opportunities for communities to come together and discover a new path forward.  APPI is aware of these difficult changes looming and wants to connect communities with professionals who can help.

“Alberta consistently demonstrates great resilience in the aftermath of natural disasters and confidence towards dealing with major challenges.  Time and time again we’ve faced economic and environmental set-backs only to rebuild and strengthen our position as a progressive province with world-class cities open to opportunity,” says Misty Sklar, President, APPI.  “Managing change is a fundamental element of our profession as planners.  Planning shapes our communities and develops efficient steps to make them resilient and sustainable.  That’s why we are here to help.”

APPI is the face of the planning profession within Alberta, Northwest Territories and Nunavut, serving the public interest by providing regulation, advocacy, promotion, and services for our members.  APPI is a not-for-profit organization with over 900 members, governed as a publicly accountable organization with obligations under the Alberta Professional and Occupational Associations Registration Act and the Professional Planner Regulation, including adherence to a code of professional conduct.  As part of our mandate we provide continuous professional learning activities for our members and the public, to help ensure that Alberta’s planners are current and up to date in planning theory and best practices.

For 56 years, Alberta’s professional planners have been designing great cities and communities throughout the province, by integrating diverse interests and developing plans and policies that adapt and respond to change.  Now, with massive changes looming on the horizon, the need to plan for resilience has never been greater.
APPI recognizes that community planners in regions affected by the phasing out of coal or by northern wildfires may require some financial assistance to help them meet their goals.  To that end, those affected community planners may advertise for RFP contracts and employment opportunities on the APPI website at a 50 per cent discount.  By extending this offer to December 2017, APPI will help ease some of the financial burden these communities are experiencing and assist planners in connecting to larger planning communities in a search of sustainable paths forward.

APPI will also host the Canadian Institute of Planners National Planning Conference in Calgary in June 2017, where the conference theme will be Building Resilience.  We invite everyone to join planners, engineers, architects and community builders as we share our knowledge and develop skills to build more resilient communities.

Mary Jane Alanko
Executive Director
Alberta Professional Planners Institute