Planning on a smaller scale pays off big for grad

Many people associate municipal planning with large urbanized communities. For geography and environmental studies grad Richard T. Buchan, however, some of Vancouver Island’s smaller communities offered much larger opportunities. Living, studying and completing co-op work terms in Port Hardy, Campbell River, and North Cowichan gave Buchan great opportunities for hands-on learning in community planning.

“I think every student should take the co-op option and apply for work in small towns,” says Buchan, “you gain work experience and often have more responsibilities in a smaller community.”

Those big projects in small towns gave Buchan a range of experiences during his co-op work terms that are directly relevant to his future career goals as a community planner.

During his co-op work term for the City of Campbell River, for example, Buchan was the main driving force behind the city’s online food map. The tool connects consumers with their food sources—farmers, stores, restaurants—and with land for growing and gardening.  Also during his co-op term Buchan led the development of Harvest Campbell River, a short film showcasing the food map and Campbell River’s emerging agricultural sector.

“People don’t often think of their community as made up of an energy system, leisure system, health system, economic system, agricultural system, and so on,” explains Buchan. “As a community planner I can look at multiple aspects of our community and create the tools needed to meet overarching goals, such as, how we address climate change or how we create attractive and functional communities.”

It was Buchan’s upper-level Environmental Studies and Geography courses, combined with his coop terms, that led him in the direction of community planning.  “The fieldwork opportunities were fantastic, and classes like Climate, Energy and Politics (ES 405) and Urban Social Geography and Planning (GEOG 448) really bridged the real world with the classroom.” Buchan said interacting with Saanich city planners was not only relevant to his studies but inspired him in the direction of his chosen career.

“My ideal career is one where I have a meaningful impact on my community, and leave it better for the next generation,” says Buchan.

Buchan will continue his studies this fall at Waterloo University where he was accepted into a masters program in planning.

——

More student stories from Spring convocation: http://ring.uvic.ca/news/congratulations-spring-2014-grads