Registered Professional Planner Profile: Emily Elliott, MCIP, RPP

Emily Elliott joined MHBC in 2014 and is a Partner and Vice-President. Emily provides a broad range of planning services to private sector clients. She is experienced in preparing applications and obtaining approvals for official plan amendments, zoning by-law amendments, draft plans of subdivision and condominiums and minor variance. Emily has experience making effective presentations in front of Council, Committees and the public and has been involved in numerous Ontario Land Tribunal hearings.
 
Emily received her Honours Bachelor of Environmental Studies (Urban and Regional Planning) from the University of Waterloo in 2007.
 
 



What and/or who inspired you to become a planner in the first place?
 
Through high school, I was very interested in the ways people lived, how cities evolved, and the relationship between the built and the natural environment. I grew up on a farm and our closest city was London. I would go every month or so, and I was fascinated by how quickly it was changing. I had an excellent Geography teacher, Mr. Grafton, who noted my interest in human geography and suggested that planning might be of interest to me as a career choice. He also suggested that the University of Waterloo might be a good fit. I didn’t have a clue as to what I wanted to do and I had never heard of planning. I looked into the program at UW and decided to give it a go! I think I ultimately would have found my way to planning, but that path might not have been as direct had it not been for that teacher.
 
 Can you tell us a bit about your career path?
 
I dabbled in a few different areas of planning before joining MHBC. After completing my undergrad degree, I worked for Professor Robert Shipley at the University of Waterloo at the Heritage Resources Centre. Under his supervision, we worked with municipalities to write descriptions of designed buildings for the Canadian Register of Historic Places. 
 
Following this, I decided to travel and ended up working for a planning department in the City of Melbourne, Australia. It was 2008 and, at this time, there was a shortage of urban planners in Australia but not a lot of jobs in Ontario. I arrived in Melbourne on a Friday, called a recruiter, and started at the City of Melbourne the following Monday. The Australian planning system was very similar to that of Ontario’s, and I spent my time there processing straightforward development permit-type applications. This job was a great way to get some experience and see some of the world before settling into my career.
 
When I returned from Australia, I worked as an in-house land use planner at Aird & Berlis. In my view, there was no better experience or training than working at a law firm. I really learned how to interpret policies and regulations, what a strong development application should look like, and the effort that goes into preparing one, and the importance of forming a defensible professional opinion that is rooted in policy and represents good planning.  
 
I joined MHBC in 2014 and have been fortunate to work with some amazing planners and mentors here. I enjoy working in consulting as I get to work on a broad range of projects across many different municipalities in Ontario and also get to work some great people!
 
 
 In your current role at MHBC, what types of projects do you focus on now?
 
I work primarily on development projects, including Official Plan and Zoning By-law Amendments, Plans of Subdivision and Condominium, and Site Plan Applications for both infill and greenfield development. 
 
Over the past couple of years, I have also been working more and more on Master Environmental Servicing Plans. I’ve really enjoyed these projects as they guide the long-term growth of new communities in a liveable and resilient away, while also protecting the natural environment and ensuring appropriate servicing. They require a lot of collaboration with multi-disciplinary teams, the public, and the municipalities. Through this process, the project teams I have been involved with are working to co-create solutions that reflect the complexity of the challenges facing establishing new communities.
 
 
 Looking ahead, what areas of focus do you feel are especially pressing and why?
 
Planning is a forward-thinking profession so considering the future of our communities is inherent in what we do. There are a lot of challenges facing the world right now and it can feel overwhelming, making it difficult to be optimistic. As a profession, we are leaders in shaping the future of the communities we live and work in, and this is an opportunity we should be proud of — I think it’s one of the reasons so many of us got into planning in the first place.  
 
I think housing affordability is one of the most pressing issues at the moment. I have young kids and think about where they are going to live and what their future communities are going to look like. I question whether my kids and other young people will have the same opportunities as I did to explore the world and gain experience or whether affordability will be a barrier.
 
As we create policies and work through the development approvals process, I think ensuring an adequate supply of housing now and for the future should be top of mind. This includes housing for all different lifestyle and life stages. This will also mean transformation, not only within downtowns but also within traditional suburban neighbourhoods. We need to push the boundaries on the status quo and be prepared to stand up for “good planning.” Solutions to the issue of housing affordability are complex and involve multiple levels of government as well as developers. The issue is not going to be solved by relying on developers alone to provide affordable housing. We all need to work together to try and address this issue and stand back and really consider the broader public interest as we tackle this issue.
 
 
 The planning profession is ever evolving. What are you seeing happening now that makes you especially proud to be a planner? What would you like to see more of?
 
I am happy to see more discussions related to gentle density and the missing middle and a re-thinking of outdated zoning regulations. I see some municipalities adopting zoning regulations that are more flexible to allow for growth in established neighbourhoods, taller buildings, and a broader range of unit types in new neighbourhoods. I think bringing these conversations to the public can help stave off NIMBY responses when the projects come to fruition. 
 
I would like to see more flexibility in zoning regulations related to these applications so they can get through the development approvals process faster or avoid it completely. If we agree that this type of development is desirable for communities, it should be enshrined in our policy and regulatory framework. This can have a significant impact on housing affordability and equity. I think what the City of Kitchener has done through their Growing Together initiative is inspiring and has the power to be quite transformational.
 
 
 Do you have a message for up-and-coming planners finding their way in the profession?
 
My advice to up-and-coming planners is to keep an open mind and not be afraid to try new things. Planning is such broad profession and there are a range of projects you can become involved in that you might not realize you have an interest in or excel at until you try. For example, as an early-career planner, I never considered working on expropriation matters. As it turns out, I really enjoy this work but wouldn’t have known that had I not been open to giving one a try. I am certainly a “jack-of-all trades,” which allows me to work on a great diversity of projects. The job of a planner is constantly changing and there is always room to grow and learn new things. Don’t be afraid of taking on new challenges!
 
Some good advice I received early on that has proved very useful is to develop strong relationships with other professionals, planners and non-planners alike, that you can lean on for advice and support. As your career advances, theirs will too and you will end up with a network you can rely on and that you enjoy working with. It’s really great to work with experienced planners, lawyers, and engineers who I started my career with that have now gone one to be experts in their respective fields. Planning is a really small industry so having good relationships is key! Plus, it makes work so much more enjoyable!