Planner I

**Requisition ID**:37636

**Company**

Located on the traditional, ancestral and unceded lands of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Peoples, Vancouver has a commitment to becoming a City of Reconciliation. Vancouver consistently ranks as one of the world’s most liveable cities and is working towards being the greenest city in the world. Named among Canada's Top 100 Employers, BC's Top Employers, and Canada's Greenest Employers, the City of Vancouver seeks colleagues who can help shape and embody our core commitments to sustainability, decolonization, equity and outstanding quality of life for all residents.

Consider joining our committed team of staff and being part of an innovative, inclusive and rewarding workplace.

**Main Purpose and Function**

The Planner I supports public space planning, design and implementation, including coordinating internal and external public space design processes for the Gastown Streets project as well as other retail corridors with significant public space emphasis. The position helps refine and advance the overall process, leads review of consultant materials, conducts research, policy, case-study and concept development, and supports development of partnerships with Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-waututh, and community relationships with BIAs, urban indigenous organizations, heritage groups, accessibility advocates, etc.

**Key Contacts and Reporting Relationships**

The position reports to the Senior Public Space Planner for Projects and Policy. This position works closely with a team of planners, engineers and public realm design consultants who lead public space design projects, as well as policy development. The planner I helps lead collaborative internal working groups and technical teams to advance the overall design process and help manage various consultancies. The Planner I provides mentorship and guidance to Planning Analysts, Landscape Designers and Engineering Assistants work on the Gastown project, as well as on other projects and policy work within Street Activities.

**Specific Duties/Responsibilities**
- Emerging policies_
- Supports the development and implementation of public space initiatives, projects and policy.
- Supports the development and refinement of design process with internal and external partners for Gastown Streets project.
- Represents Branch in an inter-departmental review of best practices and policies related to public space, and supports the creation of city-wide policy.
- Stays up to date on best practices for public life/public space.
- Provides guidance to junior and technical staff on research, mapping, visualization and presentations.
- Takes a lead role in internal discussions regarding public space policy, stewardship and programming.
- Establishes, coordinates and facilitates collaborative internal technical teams, charrettes and workshops to advance the overall project scope and process, utilizing creative and strategic online, virtual and in-person tools and techniques.
- Public Realm and Streetscape Concepts_
- Supports public realm and streetscape design through research, conducting best practices case studies, analysis of the public realm and public life existing conditions, mapping and visualization.
- Develop public realm goals and principles, high-level concepts and related visuals and analysis that can facilitate public space, streetscape and street design process, visioning, workshops, trade-off analysis, decision-making and storey-telling.
- Develop consultant scope, review and provide feedback to multi-disciplinary consultancies related to public realm experience and streetscape design.
- Review, analyze and provide feedback on street designs concepts from a public life and public realm experience to facilitate ideation and design iteration process to advance City’s public life goals.
- Public engagement support_
- Supports the development of public engagement strategies for public space-related projects and policies.
- Develops presentation materials to communicate complex policies and concepts to different audiences, including other departments, stakeholders, the public, and Council.
- Facilitates and co-designs public and stakeholder engagement activities.
- Responds to public enquiries on specific projects.
- Develops and maintains partnerships_
- Builds relationships and collaborates closely with staff in other COV departments, including Street Use, Transportation, Building Review Branch (CBO), and Planning Design & Sustainability (PDS).
- Develops and maintains relationships with community organizations related to public space creation, stewardship and programming.
- Other duties and responsibilities as assigned.

**Minimum Qualification Requirements**
- Membership or eligibility for membership in the Canadian Institute of Planners is an asset.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

- Considerable knowledge of urban and spatial design, streetscap