A Canadian Planner in China: What Works, What Doesn't and What's Missing?

October 05, 2017

11:05am - 11:20am

Student Ignite

The Chinese Planning structure is quite similar to Canada's; both are top-down and have extensive plans for different levels of administration, but their priorities are different due to the unique geographies of each country. This presentation will have a quick introduction of these two similarities but will mainly focus on the differences regarding how one's planning knowledge/education in Canada works in a country with vastly different priorities regarding how they plan for people. These examples include China's population growth/density, their use of rural land and how government "goals" need to be strictly adhered too. This presentation should provide an interesting prospective for those planners who have not traveled or worked in such a different environment. 

Learning Objectives:

• A better understanding of how the differences in each country's geographies impact what kind of planning theories are utilized/how they can be utilized. 
• A better appreciation for the kind of planning we are taught here in Canada, and to understand that this education provides guidelines instead of firm requirements. (Ex: Calthorpe's TOD in Beijing's city centre is largely irrelevant without some "tweaking to the theory"). 
• Be able to appreciate the similarities and differences between the Canadian and Chinese planning administration. 

Speakers