News related to Rural Planning and Development

The Ontario Professional Planners Institute held its AGM meeting on Thursday, September 19, 2013 in London, Ontario.  Adam Wright received the 2013 Gerald Carrothers Graduate Scholarship at this years conference.  In May of this year Adam completed his MSc in Rural Planning and Development at the School of Environmental Design and Rural Development, University of Guelph. Adam's research at the graduate level focused on negotiated agreements and their interactions and impact on regulatory and legislative consultation processes associated with extractive resource development.

The OAC Alumni Award for Distinguished Teaching Award was presented to Professor John FitzGibbon on Thursday, September 19, 2013 by the OAC Alumni Association at the OAC Welcome Back BBQ event.  This award recognizes the importance of effective teaching of faculty who play a significant role in the education of OAC students.  

Professor John FitzGibbon is a Professor in the Rural Planning and Development program, School of Environmental Design and Rural Development at the University of Guelph.

In March, the Advanced Planning Practice class travelled to Polk County in Central Florida. The objectives of this trip were to provide experiential learning through case study analysis, draw on comparisons between American and Canadian jurisdictions and develop skills for applying this analysis to a local Ontario context. During this field trip, the class experienced a new-urbanist community, a reclaimed phosphate mining site and a sixth generation cattle ranch.

University of Guelph

Local Food and Agriculture

by:  John F Devlin

As the planet’s population continues to grow and use finite resources, long-term sustainability comes more and more into question. Food sovereignty, responsible water use, the role of technology in environmentally sustainable development, and healthy communities all depend on long-range vision and good land use decisions.

The School of Environmental Design and Rural Development was saddened to learn of the recent passing of Dr. Douglas Hoffman.  Dr.

The School of Environmental Design and Rural Development (SEDRD) is known for its collaborations with community groups, rural organizations and associations. Providing a critical service for many in Ontario and across the world, the school is often sought out to perform research, evaluation and provide helpful data to enhance these groups’ offerings, services and program delivery. A great example of this service is a recent collaboration between SEDRD researchers and the Rural Ontario Institute to strengthen the programming of their Advanced Agricultural Leadership Program (AALP).

Congratulations to Adam Wright, MSc student in Rural Planning and Development and the Student Delegate for the Ontario Professional Planning Institute, on winning the prestigious Gerald Carrothers Graduate Scholarship.    The Gerald Carrothers Graduate Scholarship assists in furthering planning education and recognizes a student OPPI member who is making a contribution to the community. Applicants must be members of OPPI at the time of application and the recipient must be enrolled full-time in an accredited graduate planning program. The winner is selected based upon:

The School of Environmental Design and Rural Development in partnership with the Ontario Farmland Trust recently hosted a symposium entitled Rural Resilience: Coping with Climate Change and Rising Energy Prices.  The  proceedings are now available at:  http://ontariofarmlandtrust.ca/get-involved/events/annual-farmland-forum/