Engage with the unique social, economic and ecological issues northern and rural communities face as you discover how to develop and implement solutions.

Learn how to translate your ideas into meaningful, impactful, and positive on the ground change that improves environmental conditions and people’s quality of life.

When you make a positive change, you will know because you will see it in the community you work in.

Northern and Rural Community Planning is the application of planning principles and practices to the often unique social, economic, and ecological issues confronting northern and circumpolar communities. Many of the principles and skills you learn will prepare you to work in communities large and small in different regions and countries.

Our degree provides you with a thorough understanding specific to the unique planning requirements of those communities while developing practical knowledge to address those issues. You will study both physical and social science knowledge as it relates to community planning, and develop an understanding of the relationship between northern communities and surrounding rural resource regions.

Through experiential learning, gain experience in applying your learning to designing and creating policy that is appropriate and responsive to northern and rural community needs.

Gain an appreciation of how and why communities change and of the place and function of northern communities and rural regions in the global environment.

The degree provides a broad education in environmental planning. The focus is on understanding the relationship between people and the environment, reducing the environmental impact of human activities, and responding and adapting to environmental change.

The study of planning examines public processes that improve the quality of decisions affecting the environment. Responsible planning integrates various private and public interests and identifies viable, workable options. Planners play a vital role in decision-making processes concerning the future of human settlements, resource management, environmental protection, human health and well-being, economic development, and many other areas. Ultimately, the work of planners becomes part of, or a catalyst to, public policy.

Environmental Planning offers a comprehensive program of courses, such as environmental assessment, ecological design, economic development, First Nations planning, land use planning, and sustainable communities. Each course provides a creative and challenging learning environment for students to tackle today's most contentious issues such as sustainability, climate change, biodiversity, environmental stewardship, and urban sprawl. Environmental Planning offers unique perspectives on a rapidly evolving field of study and solutions for an increasingly complex world.

Environmental Planning is dedicated to upholding professional standards of practice and is accredited by the Professional Standards Board (PSB) which is recognized by the Canadian Institute of Planners (CIP) and the Planning Institute of British Columbia (PIBC). Accreditation is a system for promoting national standards of education in planning and for recognizing educational institutions for a level of performance, integrity, and quality.

Accreditation benefits students in Environmental Planning in three ways:

Current students can apply for Student Membership in PIBC;
Graduates are eligible for Full Membership in PIBC and CIP after two years of professional planning experience; and
Employers in the planning field look for students graduating from an accredited planning program, thus significantly improving graduates' job prospects.

The focus of this major is to promote an understanding of the complexity and diversity of environmental problems, to develop an appreciation of community change processes, and to provide planners with knowledge which will improve the quality of the built environment and reduce the impact of human activities on the natural world. The unique planning requirements of smaller communities and rural regions demand a grounding in both physical and social science methods and an understanding of the relationship between northern communities and surrounding rural resource regions. Environmental planning necessitates strategic thought and action combined with knowledge grounded in professional practice. The Northern Rural and Community Planning major combines concepts such as bioregionalism, sustainability and landscape design within the context of physical land-use planning, social planning and community economic development.

Northern and Rural Community Planning is the application of environmental planning principles and practices to the often unique social, economic, and ecological issues confronting northern and circumpolar communities in Canada and elsewhere in the northern hemisphere. Successfully addressing these issues requires an appreciation of how and why communities change, and of the place and function of northern communities and rural regions in the global environment, and a grounding in both physical and social science methods of research and analysis.

Career Paths
Registered Professional Planner
Community planner
Neighbourhood planner
Housing planner
Planning consultant
Project manager
Community development planner
Economic development officer
Provincial or federal civil service