Commonwealth Association of Planners
Advancing professional planning globally
2023 CAP Planning Awards
AND THE WINNERS ARE ...
Planning for the Climate Emergency/Move to Net-Zero Award Winner
Kuala Lumpur Carbon Neutrality by 2050: A Case Study of Wangsa Maju Growth Centre
MALAYSIA
UTM-Low Carbon Asia Research Centre
As we are all too aware, the climate emergency is a critical global challenge. This award recognises the important role that planning and planners can play in addressing it within the Commonwealth.
Chaired by Emeritus Professor Barbara Norman, our judges felt that this project addresses climate change in a large city in the global south. It is strategic and provides the pathway for Kuala Lumpur to achieve its climate change goals by 2050. The project initially focussed on the Wangsa Maju Growth Centre contextual background in terms of mobility, energy, waste, community, and green and open space, which serves as the basis for identifying and formulating carbon mitigation actions and programs. Besides realising city-to-city collaboration by sharing the project’s best practices and approaches with other Commonwealth cities, this project primarily achieves SDG 11, SDG 12, SDG 13 and SDG17.
Planning for Cities and Human Settlements/Plan Making in the Commonwealth
Award Winner
City Plan: Nanaimo Re-Imagined
CANADA
The City of Nanaimo & Lanarc 2015 Consultants Ltd.
To achieve the SDGs, plans need to integrate what is often treated as separate concerns, e.g., biodiversity and transport infrastructure. This award recognises how plans, plan making, and the delivery of a plan can make Commonwealth cities and human settlements safe, healthy, attractive, and more environmentally sustainable.
Chaired by Viral Desai, past coordinator of CAP’s Young Planners Network, our judges felt that the Nanaimo City Plan is a remarkable example of implementing Doughnut Economics to create a sustainable model for a city that is trying to balance its environmental capacity while creating a liveable place. It translates theories into practice and transforms the way we approach urban planning. The project engaged an impressive 40,000 residents, including indigenous groups, to achieve this goal, whilst focusing on the SDGs and their potential to be applied to other areas of the Commonwealth.
Planning for Equitable and Inclusive Cities and Human Settlements
Award Winner
Empowering Communities Through Cultural Planning: The Stories of Prince Albert, Yorkton, and Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan
CANADA
Prairie Wild Consulting Co., the City of Prince Albert, the City of Yorkton, and the City of Moose Jaw
Inequalities within and between places are all too evident across the Commonwealth. This award showcases the work of planners in tackling inequalities, working with seldom-heard groups, and engaging with diversity to build inclusion and cohesion.
Chaired by CAP Patron, Trudi Elliot CBE, our judges felt that this entry demonstrated how culture, tradition, and identity can be incorporated into planning and projects across the Commonwealth. Inclusive cultural planning techniques were used over the 3 communities, reflecting their strengths, needs and diversity, and showing how indigenous and marginalised populations can be empowered and included in development decisions. It demonstrates how culture can drive long-term development and community empowerment. The entry was felt to live up to its description of a blueprint for culturally diverse communities seeking sustainable development, and deployed techniques and approaches which could be used and adapted in a diverse range of communities and settings within the Commonwealth.
Planning for the Conservation of the Built and Natural Environment and Cultural Heritage
Award Winner
Rejuvenation of Concubine Lane - Ipoh
MALAYSIA
The Department of Town and Country Planning Malaysia (Plan Malaysia), Ipoh City Council, and the Malaysian Institute of Planners
The cultural and natural heritage of places is often fragile and threatened by growth pressure or conversely by disinvestment. This award recognises the work of planners in conserving buildings, areas, or landscapes, and aiding in their interpretation.
Chaired by CAP VP for the Canadian Institute of Planners, Jihad Bitar, the judges noted the important collaborative element of this project which aims to enhance the historic district and improve its management. The government policies have been instrumental in promoting heritage tourism by designating a specific area in the local plan to attract more local and foreign tourists to Concubine Lane. The initiative has transformed the Lane into a bustling economic hub and a popular placemaking destination in Ipoh, particularly after the COVID-19 pandemic. The protection and promotion of cultural and heritage elements within the urban fabric is a model for other Commonwealth cities.
Young Planner Award: Essay Competition
D.M. Sanduni Dissanayake
SRI LANKA
For the CAP Young Planners Award 2023, young planning students or professionals were
invited to submit an essay entry on the topic:
Planning for Sustainable, Resilient, and Inclusive Communities: Leveraging Technological Innovation and Increasing Public Participation
Chaired by Malith Senevirathne from the CAP Young Planners Network, our panel of judges hailing from across the Commonwealth noted the emphasis on environmentally secure and empowered, engaged, and responsive communities, supported by technology that is appropriate for the locality and the challenges that are faced.
The following candidates have been commended for their excellent essays as well:
Liza Ayoo - Kenya
Nadeesha Lankadhikara - Sri Lanka
Abiola Durodola - Nigeria
Ezekiel Ufuoma Lucky - Nigeria