Scott Taylor is a graduate from the University of Waterloo’s planning co-op program. As a student Scott had the opportunity to participate in an International Federation for Housing and Planning (IFHP) summer program in Finland. Since graduation, Scott has spent the last 11 years working for the County of Grey in various planning positions.
As part of his work at Grey County, Scott is involved with a mixture of policy and development planning matters. He loves being part of a small (but mighty) planning department, in a diverse County; as it has allowed for great on-the-job training and plenty of unique experiences. The County is currently undertaking an official plan review, where they are focusing on non-traditional methods of public engagement, to receive broader public input.
Scott is an active volunteer with Ontario Professional Planners Institute (OPPI) and the Canadian Institute of Planners (CIP). He is currently the Vice-Chair of the Lakeland District Leadership Team, and sits on CIP’s Centenary Committee. Scott also serves as a mentor for some younger members working their way through the Professional Standards Board process.
As part of his work with Lakeland District, Scott assists with planning Continuous Professional Learning (CPL) events and public outreach. For the last couple of years Scott, along with other Lakeland District volunteers, has been using LEGO® to engage and educate youth on planning. The LEGO® workshops are interactive, and focus on planning and community involvement in the city hosting the event. Participants are presented with a site from their city and asked to construct their ideas on what to ‘plan’ for the site. In 2016, Lakeland District held nine such workshops at schools, libraries, and youth centres, with a broad range of participants from age four to adult. The idea was also presented at the 2016 OPPI Symposium in Hamilton, with two sessions that were geared towards adults.
Scott’s personal observations from running these events are that kids ‘get’ planning, and are very receptive to planning principles, especially when not spoken in ‘planner-ese.’ As an extension of the LEGO® workshops, he is currently making short videos using the LEGO® to teach people about planning concepts. These videos can be used as part of future workshops, or for standalone viewing.