CAP Regional Vice-Presidents

• Biograpies of the Vice Presidents to follow

• Belinda Yuen, Vice-President SE Asia Region

  BA(Hons), MA(Town & Regional Planning), PhD (Environmental Planning), FSIP, MRTPI, MPIA Belinda Yuen is a qualified urban planner and has a PhD with focus on environmental planning. She has planning practice and research in spatial planning and urban policy analysis, most recently on planning livable, sustainable cities and vertical living. Belinda has served on various Singapore committees including as Planning Appeals Inspector. She has been President, Singapore Institute of Planners (2005-08), and Vice-President, Commonwealth Association of Planners (Southeast Asia) (2006-08; 2010-12). Belinda is also on the Editorial Board of Asia Pacific Planning Review; Regional Development Studies; Cities; Journal of Planning History; International Advisory Board, United Nations State of World’s Cities Report 2008/09; United Nations Global Research Network on Human Settlements; Working Group of United Nations Commission on Legal Empowerment of the Poor; Board of Global Urban Development and Pacific Rim Council on Urban Development; Juror, Shaikh Khalifa Bin Salman Al Khalifa Habitat Award, 2008-2009, among others.

• Sonia Kirby, Vice-President Australasia-Pacific Region

  Sonia Kirby is an environmental planner with a passion to make the world a better place. As a principal, she has over 10 years experience in strategic planning around Australia and internationally. Sonia has worked with Brisbane City Council's Biodiversity planning unit, in Ho Chi Miny City, Vietnam on State of the Environment Reporting, and in Victoria's Wyndham City Council as a Strategic Planner for one of the State's fastest growing LGA's. She is one of the first Honours graduates from Griffith University's Environmental Planning degree, and also completed a Masters in International Urban and Environmental Management from RMIT.

  For the past 5 years, she has worked on a range of projects for the public and private sector alike. Her current interests include structure planning and community visioning, with a particular bias for environmentally respectful development. She is also involved in the PIA International Division, and her most recent efforts have seen a number of Pacific Island planners establish the Pacific Islands Planning Association". Sonia also tutors Strategic Planning Studio at Griffith University and is a recently elected member of the PIA QLD Division Committee. Community visioning and engagement projects Sonia has facilitated include the preparation of Ipswich 2020, and the Ripley Valley Community Plan. She has also provided advice on the Our Toowoomba Towards 2050 Community Plan and Beaudesert WOSP Vision.

  Sonia provides planning expertise on a range of issues including strategic planning, master planning, land use modelling, environmental planning and sustainability, community visioning and regional planning. Sonia's strategic planning experience includes the preparation of Structure Plans and master plans in urban fringe areas, design and application of land use modelling techniques, development of planning policy, and regional planning activities in metropolitan Melbourne and South East Queensland. Sonia is an effective project manager and takes pride in the delivery of projects on time, on budget, and in a professional manner. She works well in multi-disciplinary teams and communicates effectively with all stakeholders - government officers and representatives, other professionals, and the broader community.

• Kabir Mohammed Yari Vice-President, West Africa Region

  

  Kabir M. Yari was born in Daura, Nigeria. He is a professional and registered town planner with extensive experience in urban infrastructure projects, participatory planning and urban governance.

  Kabir Yari holds a B.Sc. Degree in Geography from the Bayero University, Kano Nigeria and a Masters Degree in Urban and Regional Planning from the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria. In addition, he attended many short courses in Housing, Project Preparation and Appraisal, Public Private Partnerships and Urban and City Management among others.

  He started his working career with the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing before joining Urban Development Bank of Nigeria. He has worked or closely collaborated with multilateral institutions and agencies such as the World Bank, United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-HABITAT) and the Cities Alliance among others in the preparation of urban projects and programmes in Nigeria. For example, he participated in the preparation of the Infrastructure Development Fund (IDF) project in 1987. This is a multi state fund aimed at the provision and rehabilitation of municipal infrastructure in Nigerian cities. He has also participated in several projects aimed at improving participatory urban governance under the United Nations Urban Management Programme (UMP) as well as the Sustainable Cities Programme in the cities of Ibadan, Enugu and Kano. Kabir Yari also participated actively in the preparation and implementation of Karu Development Strategy, the first project on City Development Strategy in Nigeria, supported by the Cities Alliance, the World Bank and UN-HABITAT.

  Malam Yari also has extensive experience in financing of urban projects having spent a substantial part of his working career with the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing and Urban Development Bank of Nigeria.

  Malam Kabir Yari is currently the President of the Nigerian Institute of Town Planners, as well as the Vice President, West Africa of CAP. He is happily married with children. His hobbies include traveling, reading and community development.

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