Tara Lynne Clapp, Associate Professor and Chair
Mark Groulx, Associate Professor
Rylan Graham, Assistant Professor
Theresa Healy, Assistant Professor
Ray Chipeniuk, Adjunct Professor
Daniela Fisher, Adjunct Professor
Richard Krehbiel, Adjunct Professor
Finlay Sinclair, Adjunct Professor
Website: www.unbc.ca/environmental-planning
The degree provides a broad education in environmental planning. The focus is on understanding the relationship between people and the environment, reducing the environmental impact of human activities, and responding and adapting to environmental change.
The study of planning examines public processes that improve the quality of decisions affecting the environment. Responsible planning integrates various private and public interests and identifies viable, workable options. Planners play a vital role in decision-making processes concerning the future of human settlements, resource management, environmental protection, human health and well-being, economic development, and many other areas. Ultimately, the work of planners becomes part of, or a catalyst to, public policy.
Environmental Planning offers a comprehensive program of courses, such as environmental assessment, sustainable and inclusive design, housing, First Nations planning, land use planning, and sustainable communities. Each course provides a creative and challenging learning environment for students to tackle today’s most contentious issues such as sustainability, climate change, biodiversity, environmental stewardship, and urban sprawl. Environmental Planning offers unique perspectives on a rapidly evolving field of study and solutions for an increasingly complex world. Environmental Planning is dedicated to upholding professional standards of practice and is accredited by the Professional Standards Board (PSB) which is recognized by the Canadian Institute of Planners (CIP) and the Planning Institute of British Columbia (PIBC). Accreditation is a system for promoting national standards of education in planning and for recognizing educational institutions for a level of performance, integrity, and quality.
Accreditation benefits students in Environmental Planning in three ways:
- Current students can apply for Student Membership in PIBC.
- Graduates are eligible for Full Membership in PIBC and CIP after two years of professional planning experience.
- Employers in the planning field look for students graduating from an accredited planning program, thus significantly improving graduates' job prospects.
Three majors are available to students completing the Bachelor of Planning:
Planning students complete a set of general program requirements totaling 78 credit hours in addition to completing specialized course requirements for each major.
Note: Some upper-division courses may be taught in alternate years; students should consider this when
planning their course sequences.
Program Requirements for all Majors in Planning
Lower-Division General Environmental Planning Requirement
100 Level
| Microeconomics | |
| Introduction to Planning | |
| Principles and Practices of Planning | |
| The Aboriginal Peoples of Canada |
One of the following:
| Writing and Communication Skills | |
| Communications in Natural Resources and Environmental Studies |
200 Level
| Planning Analysis and Techniques | |
| Land and Indigenous Reconciliation Studio | |
| Introduction to GIS | |
| Introduction to Earth Science | |
| Canadian Government and Politics |
One of the following:
| Statistics for Business and the Social Sciences | |
| Basic Statistics | |
| Probability and Statistics for Scientists and Engineers |
Upper-Division General Environmental Planning Requirement
300 Level
| Sustainable Communities: Structure and Sociology | |
| Community Engagement and Inclusion Studio | |
| Environmental Impact Assessment | |
| Professional Planning Practice | |
| Land Use and Development Studio | |
| Research Methods in First Nations | |
| or | Community-Based Research |
| Intermediate GIS | |
| Law and Indigenous People |
400 Level
| Environmental Law | |
| Housing: From Concept to Construction | |
| Land Use Planning | |
| Planning Theory, Process and Implementation | |
| Environmental and Professional Ethics | |
| Northern Communities | |
| or | Land Relations and Communities in Recreation and Tourism |
Major Requirement
Students must choose to specialize in one major. All course requirements in the major must be completed.
Major in Northern and Rural Community Planning
The focus of this major is to promote an understanding of the complexity and diversity of environmental problems, to develop an appreciation of community change processes, and to provide planners with knowledge which will improve the quality of the built environment and reduce the impact of human activities on the natural world. The unique planning requirements of smaller communities and rural regions demand a grounding in both physical and social science methods and an understanding of the relationship between northern communities and surrounding rural resource regions. Environmental planning necessitates strategic thought and action combined with knowledge grounded in professional practice. The Northern and Rural Community Planning major combines concepts such as bioregionalism, sustainability, and inclusion within the context of physical land-use planning, social planning, and community engagement.
Northern and Rural Community Planning is the application of environmental planning principles and practices to the often unique social, economic, and ecological issues confronting northern and circumpolar communities in Canada and elsewhere in the northern hemisphere. Successfully addressing these issues requires an appreciation of how and why communities change, an appreciation of the place and function of northern communities and rural regions in the global environment, and a grounding in both physical and social science methods of research and analysis.
| Program requirement for all majors in planning: | 78 credit hours |
| Major requirement: | 13 credit hours |
| Major elective requirement: | 19 credit hours |
| General elective requirement: | elective credit hours as necessary to ensure the completion of 120 credit hours. |
The minimum requirement for a Bachelor of Planning with a major in Northern and Rural Community Planning is 120 credit hours.
Lower-Division Requirements
| Introductory Ecology | |
| Introduction to Environmental Citizenship | |
| or | Social Geography |
A minimum of 9 credit hours from the following:
| Peoples and Cultures | |
| Methods of Economic Evaluation | |
| Planet Earth | |
| British Columbia: People and Places | |
| Resources, Economies, and Sustainability | |
| Social Geography | |
| Introduction to Global Studies | |
| Globalizations | |
| Precalculus | |
| Food, Agriculture, and Society | |
| Recreation and Leisure Programming | |
| Contemporary Political Issues | |
| Introduction to Social Welfare |
Upper-Division Requirements
| Sustainable and Inclusive Design Studio | |
| Law and Municipal Government |
One of the following:
| Indigenous Planning Studio | |
| Local Climate Action Studio | |
| Special Topics Studio |
One of the following:
| Society, Policy and Administration | |
| Municipal Government and Politics | |
| Canadian Politics and Policy |
A minimum of 3 credit hours from the following:
| Landscapes, Place and Culture | |
| Environmental Anthropology | |
| Urban Anthropology | |
| Cost-Benefit Analysis | |
| Field School in Planning | |
| Undergraduate Thesis | |
| Professional Report | |
| Internship | |
| Waste Management | |
| First Nations Religion and Philosophy | |
| Political Ecology: Environmental Knowledge and Decision-Making | |
| Community Development | |
| Indigenous Geographies of Climate Resilience | |
| Northern Communities | |
| An Introduction to Environmental History | |
| International Development | |
| or | Critical Development Geographies |
| Society, Policy and Administration | |
| Municipal Government and Politics | |
| Canadian Politics and Policy | |
| Local Services and Public Policy | |
| Local Government Finance | |
| Comparative Northern Development | |
| Resource Communities in Transition |
Students must ensure that all prerequisites are fulfilled prior to registering in any course.
Students are encouraged to use the general electives to take a minor offered in Geography, Political Science, First Nations Studies, or other fields associated with community development.
Major in First Nations Planning
First Nations communities have significant and growing demands for qualified planners. The opportunities for skilled planners increase as many First Nations move to define land claims in Canada, potentially giving First Nations significant responsibilities for land and community planning. However, planning by and with First Nations requires specific skills and abilities in the planners, whether or not they themselves are First Nation.
For most First Nations communities, few distinctions are made between ecological/environmental planning and planning for social and cultural needs which are developed from within, and are grounded in, the ecosystem. First Nations planning must necessarily integrate all of these domains. Many First Nations wish to remain grounded in tradition and seek to move into the future through sound community economic development and skilled land management. Most face significant community development needs, including infrastructure development, housing, and health planning. Students need not only a sound grasp of planning principles, but also an understanding of the protocols, history, social structure, and ecology of Canadian First Nations. Cross-cultural translation skills, community participation techniques, and a solid grounding in ethics are required.
| Program requirement for all majors in planning: | 78 credit hours |
| Major requirement: | 13 credit hours |
| Major elective requirement: | 19 credit hours |
| General elective requirement: | elective credit hours as necessary to ensure the completion of 120 credit hours |
The minimum requirement for a Bachelor of Planning with a major in First Nations Planning is 120 credit hours.
Lower-Division Requirements
| Introductory Ecology | |
| A First Nations Language: Level 1 |
A minimum of 9 credit hours from the following:
| Introduction to Archaeology | |
| Peoples and Cultures | |
| Introduction to Environmental Citizenship | |
| Introduction to Environmental Policy | |
| A First Nations Culture: Level 1 | |
| Perspectives in First Nations Studies | |
| Introduction to Traditional Environmental Knowledge | |
| Introduction to Health Sciences II: Rural and Aboriginal Issues | |
| Precalculus | |
| Food, Agriculture, and Society | |
| Integrated Resource Management |
Upper-Division Requirements
| Indigenous Planning Studio | |
| First Nations Religion and Philosophy | |
| or | Indigenous Environmental Philosophy |
One of the following:
| Sustainable and Inclusive Design Studio | |
| Local Climate Action Studio | |
| Special Topics Studio |
A minimum of 6 credit hours from the following:
| Comparative Study of Indigenous Peoples of the World | |
| Ethnobotany | |
| Field School in Planning | |
| Undergraduate Thesis | |
| Professional Report | |
| Internship | |
| Public Engagement for Sustainability | |
| First Nations Religion and Philosophy | |
| Indigenous Environmental Philosophy | |
| Seminar in First Nations Studies | |
| First Nations Perspectives on Race, Class, Gender and Power | |
| Indigenous Geographies of Climate Resilience | |
| Environmental Justice | |
| History of Indigenous People of Canada | |
| Aboriginal Perspectives on Land and Resource Management | |
| Land Relations and Communities in Recreation and Tourism | |
| Law and Municipal Government | |
| Indigenous Governance and Social Policy | |
| Individual and Community Wellness for Indigenous Peoples |
In addition to FNST 131-3 and FNST 303-3 or 304-3, students must select a minimum of three FNST courses (9 credit hours) from the upper- and lower-division lists.
Students must ensure that all prerequisites are fulfilled prior to registering in any courses.
Students are encouraged to use the general electives to take a minor offered in First Nations Studies or other courses associated with aboriginal and First Nations issues.
Major in Natural Resources Planning
The major in Natural Resources Planning is designed to provide students with an understanding of the complexities of including the natural and cultural environment in planning decision-making. The major is intended to address both project-level and large-scale environmental planning issues that occur in developments that have an impact on the natural environment.
The objective of this major is to familiarize students with planning and decision-making in a variety of sectors that include provincial land use planning, environmental assessment, watershed planning, and integrated resource and environmental management. These areas of planning are characterized by complex and intricate questions about how to use our natural resources and who should decide. The multidimensional aspects of environmental management include natural and cultural complexity, different desired futures, value differences, assessment and monitoring tools, and integration methods. This major emphasizes an understanding of planning in both the substantive realm (natural and social sciences) and the procedural realm (the process of including people in the decision-making process).
Students enrolled in the Natural Resources Planning major must successfully complete 120 credit hours. Students interested in working with biological and environmental aspects of natural resource planning should take BIOL 103/BIOL 123 and BIOL 104/124 as elective courses and BIOL 201 as the ecology elective to satisfy prerequisites for many of the other biological and environmental courses. Those students interested in the environmental sciences should take first- and second-year Chemistry courses as part of the general electives. Students interested in integrated natural resource planning should take BIOL 104/124 and a mix of courses in areas of Political Science, First Nations Studies (FNST or ENPL), Environmental Science (ENSC), Geography, Outdoor Recreation and Tourism Management, International Studies, and Economics.
| Program requirement for all majors in planning: | 78 credit hours |
| Major requirement: | 18 credit hours |
| Major elective requirement: | 16 credit hours |
| General elective requirement: | elective credit hours as necessary to ensure the completion of 120 credit hours. |
The minimum requirement for a Bachelor of Planning with a major in Natural Resources Planning is 120 credit hours.
Lower-Division Requirements
| Introductory Ecology | |
| or | Ecology |
| Cartography and Geomatics | |
| Integrated Resource Management |
A minimum of 9 credit hours from the following:
and |
Introductory Biology I Introductory Biology I Laboratory |
and |
Introductory Biology II Introductory Biology II Laboratory |
and |
General Chemistry I General Chemistry Lab I |
| Weather and Climate | |
| Introduction to Aquatic Systems | |
| The Aboriginal Peoples of Canada | |
| Introduction to Traditional Environmental Knowledge | |
| Introduction to Soil Science | |
| Introduction to Global Studies | |
| Precalculus | |
| Introduction to Natural Resources Management and Conservation | |
| Food, Agriculture, and Society | |
| Resource Inventories and Measurements | |
| Introduction to Wildlife and Fisheries | |
| Sustainable Outdoor Recreation and Tourism |
Upper-Division Requirements
| Indigenous Planning Studio | |
| Natural Resources Planning |
One of the following:
| Sustainable and Inclusive Design Studio | |
| Local Climate Action Studio | |
| Special Topics Studio |
A minimum of 3 credit hours from the following:
| Limnology | |
| Conservation Biology | |
| Environmental Economics and Environmental Policy | |
| Forestry Economics | |
| Cost-Benefit Analysis | |
| Field School in Planning | |
| Undergraduate Thesis | |
| Professional Report | |
| Internship | |
| Northern Contaminated Environments | |
| Biometeorology | |
| Waste Management | |
| Air Pollution | |
| Climate Change and Global Warming | |
| Public Engagement for Sustainability | |
| Traditional Use Studies | |
| Tenure, Conflict, and Resource Geography | |
| Aboriginal Perspectives on Land and Resource Management | |
| Agroforestry | |
| Recreation and Tourism Impacts | |
| Protected Area Planning and Management | |
| Society, Policy and Administration of Natural Resources | |
| or | Society, Policy and Administration |
| Law and Municipal Government |
Students must ensure that all prerequisites are fulfilled prior to registering in any course.
Students are encouraged to use the general electives to take a minor offered in areas of Geography, Political Science, First Nations Studies, or other fields associated with community development.
Minor in Planning
The minor in Planning is designed to provide students with an opportunity to acquire a basic knowledge of planning theory and methods. The minor consists of 12 required credit hours (four designated courses) and 6 credit hours of upper-division elective courses listed below. A maximum of 6 credit hours (two courses) used to fulfill program requirements for a major or another minor may also be used to fulfill requirements for a minor in Planning.
Requirements
| Introduction to Planning | |
| Principles and Practices of Planning | |
| Sustainable Communities: Structure and Sociology | |
| Planning Theory, Process and Implementation |
Electives
Two of the following:
| Environmental Impact Assessment | |
| Professional Planning Practice | |
| Housing: From Concept to Construction | |
| Land Use Planning | |
| Sustainable and Inclusive Design Studio |
Updated: May 22, 2024