Gillian is the Principal of the Place Strategy & Environmental Infrastructure team within the Development Plan Group at Glasgow City Council. She has a BSc (Hons) in Town Planning from Heriot-Watt University and BSc (Hons) in Human Geography from the Open University. She is a chartered member of the Royal Town Planning Institute and currently sits on their Partnership and Accreditation Panel. She is also a RTPI nominated practioner rep on Queen University Belfast Planning school partnership Board.
Gillian started her career in Banff & Buchan / Aberdeenshire before moving to Glasgow 13 years ago. She therefore has a broad breadth of experience working both very rural and highly urbanised areas. The team she currently leads has the following Objectives:
• Create liveable, productive, adaptable, multifunctional spaces/places;
• Support climate change adaption and mitigation;
• Increase resilience, both of communities and their environment;
• Foster community engagement with, and ownership of, space/place;
• Develop places that support healthy, active lifestyles and engender well-being;
• Promote connectivity and permeability, both spatial and social;
• Establish integrated environmental infrastructure as a fundamental requirement for successful urban development;
• Facilitate innovative uses for vacant and derelict land and under-utilised greenspace;
• Nurture biodiversity and expand thriving habitats;
• Highlight and strengthen the link between community planning and the physical environment, particularly with a view to reducing health inequalities;
• Positively influence infrastructure/asset investment decisions to maximise environmental quality.
