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.