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18 January 2013
News
Comings and Goings
Renovations
Student News
Faculty News
News Archives
Comings and Goings
Many of you will have already heard that Andy Fillmore has decided to step down as Director of the School and return to practice. In telling us of his decision, Andy noted that he felt welcomed at the School and enjoyed engaging with students and faculty members. In his heart, though, he missed professional practice. When the unexpected opportunity from the Waterfront Development Corporation was offered to him, he felt the need to return to the work that he found harder to leave than he had imagined. We will miss his contributions on a daily basis, but hope he won't be a stranger to the School in his new role.
The School will soon initiate a search for a new faculty member, but we recognize that it could take a year or so to have a full-time replacement on board. We expect to announce relatively soon who will take on the director's duties when Andy leaves.
This year we had 237 applications for the BCD and 91 for the MPlan program, so interest in studying planning remains high. We accepted 53 to the BCD and 20 to the MPlan. We have a total of 140 BCD students, 41 MPlan students, and 2 Master of Planning Studies (our research program) students working with us this year.
Sessionals and adjunct faculty members teaching with us this year include Cecilia Alstrom-Rapaport (who is also the Undergraduate Coordinator), Jonah Bernstein, Patricia Busby, Peter Bush, Farhana Ferdous, Lisa Tondino, Brant Wishart, Colin Whitcomb, Barry Allen, Howard Epstein, Alan Ruffman, Austin French, Ken Kam, Pat Kelly, Samantha Rodriguez, Allegra Snyder, Val Spencer, Jen Strang, and Kate Thompson.
Renovations
In the summer and early fall the windows in the studios and office areas of the School in the Medjuck Architecture Building were replaced and other renovations completed. The Honours BCD students finally received studio space in HB3A: small but welcomed digs! During summer 2013, renovations are scheduled for Sexton House (currently office space for five of our permanent faculty members, and some part-timers). We don't know yet where we will all be relocated during that time. We're hoping that after the chaos of the renovations we will enjoy improved work and study space for the School, and we might enjoy a greater share of the space in Sexton House. Sexton House celebrates its centennial this year, so perhaps we will organize an event to celebrate the reopening: stay tuned for details.
Student News
- Recent BCD graduate, Thomas Maguire's research on Barrington Street inspired an article in the Coast. Click here to read the article.
If you wish to read the research paper, you can find it here (22MB).
- BCD student, Max LaPierre, won the 2012 ESRI Canada GIS Scholarship at Dalhousie.
- BCD alumni Chris DeMaine and Caroline King joined the Master of Planning Studies program, doing transportation research with Dr Ahsan Habib.
- Patricia Manuel accompanied two students on field research in Newfoundland and Labrador in the fall. BCD student Mitch Underhay received a travel scholarship from the Atlantic Planning Institute to conduct work for his honours thesis research in Gros Morne National Park. MPlan student Jamie Summers received funding from NL Department of Environment and Conservation for her graduate research on planning for climate change adaptation in Bonne Bay.
- MPlan students Mateja Peterlin and Nick Shaw attended the Regional Science Association International conference meeting in Ottawa in November to present their masters' research projects. Nick received an API travel scholarship to attend the Annual Meetings of the Transportation Research Board in Washington DC to present a paper. Mateja and Nick are collaborating with Professor Ahsan Habib on other papers currently in production.
- Graeme Buffett and Jill Grant wrote an op-ed for the Chronicle-Herald on themes related to Graeme's master's research on the Halifax music scene. It appeared in the paper on 21 December 2012. Click here to read the article.
Faculty news:
- Dr Ahsan Habib recently presented two papers with his grad student collaborators at the Annual Meetings of the Transportation Research Board in Washington DC. Construction is currently underway to prepare the new DalTRAC lab: this is funded by the Canadian Foundation for Innovation and will provide a valuable research space for the transportation planning researchers in the School. We hope it will enjoy its official opening in February.
- Dr Jill Grant presented a paper with MPlan alum Dan Scott at the Association of Collegiate Schools of Planning conference in Cincinnati in November. She received a Reviewer's Award from the Journal of Planning Education and Research at the conference. She recently edited a book, Seeking Talent for Creative Cities: The social dynamics of innovation, which has been accepted by University of Toronto Press.
- Dr Patricia Manuel and Dr Eric Rapaport have received funding from the Public Health Agency of Canada and NS Department of Environment to study the implications of climate change for an aging rural population in Nova Scotia. They are partnering with the NS Centre on Aging at Mount St. Vincent University. They have concluded their work with the Atlantic Climate Adaptation Solutions: reports for Yarmouth and for the District of Lunenburg are available at atlanticadaptation.ca. Eric is on sabbatical for the winter semester, revelling in the opportunity to spend time in the library again. Patricia hopes to take a sabbatical in fall 2013.
- Professor John Zuck continues to serve on the Licensed Professional Planners of Nova Scotia Board, and is active with the Atlantic Provinces Association of Landscape Architects.
- Professor Frank Palermo and his Cities and Environment Unit have several First Nations and local community planning projects underway.
- Professor Andy Fillmore is organizing the fifth annual meeting of the Council for Canadian Urbanism (CanU5), which will happen in Halifax in the fall of 2013. Although he will leave the School to become Vice President of Planning and Development at the Waterfront Development Corporation this spring, he will continue to work with Dalhousie to have the students and faculty of the School of Planning play a prominent role in the national gathering of urbanists.
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