About
I am a settler and an uninvited guest, born and raised on the traditional territory of the Beothuk (colonially known as St. John’s Newfoundland and Labrador). Currently working as an urban planning consultant and coach on the treaty territory of the Tla'amin Nation (colonially called Powell River).
I am an urban planner, project manager and certified executive coach.
My 20 years of experience includes leading multi-disciplinary teams in planning, design, sustainability, and community engagement while embedding and employing a collaborative working style to foster partnerships across community groups, agencies, different levels of government and those with lived experience.
My professional planning work focuses on housing strategies and action plans, embedding equity in planning and climate action, and decolonizing work. My team and I also complete equity readiness assessments, offer introductory equity training for organizational staff and develop organizational equity frameworks, policies, toolkits, and strategies.
As a Certified Coach, I work with women and gender-queer folk to identify and remove barriers to their life and career goals. I work with organizations to facilitate their visions the future of their work. I conduct 360 degree feedback for people looking to work on an area of their leadership. I help my coaching clients see through the patriarchy and white dominant culture to build confidence in their abilities. My coaching clients are in leadership roles across academia, public, private, and the non-profit sectors.
With a BA in Environmental Studies (highest honours), Carleton (2002) and a MA from the School of Community and Regional Planning, UBC (2005), I qualified as a full member of the Canadian Institute of Planners (2009). In 2019 I became a Certified Executive Coach.
After serving a term as Director of PIBC (2007-2009), I continue to regularly volunteer for the planning profession – having served on the mentorship and awards committees, and on annual conference committees. Currently I am mentoring candidate members and was an appointed member to CIP's former Social Equity Committee.
I was a founding board member of North American Hardcourt Bike Polo and am the founder of Ladies Army (renamed The Crown Classic), the first women's international bike polo championships that has evolved into a women, trans, femme tournament. I designed the world's first bike polo-specific court.
I work with values-aligned clients and lead with integrity.
Articles by Lisa
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Three things the planning profession needs to stop saying…
Three things the planning profession needs to stop saying…
By Lisa M.
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5 Leadership Lessons I Learned from Star Trek: The Next Generation
5 Leadership Lessons I Learned from Star Trek: The Next Generation
By Lisa M.
Contributions
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How can you overcome resistance to change when engaging the public?
Being very clear about the boundaries of the conversation is important as well as articulating the level of influence people will have over the decision (see IAP2 spectrum of public participation for more information). Keep reminding people what is on the table for discussion to keep focus.
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How can you overcome resistance to change when engaging the public?
Helping people see a connection from them to the topic is extraordinarily helpful. This can also be accomplished in a one-on-one conversation where you can also become vulnerable in identifying your connection to the topic. Mirroring back what people are saying (exact words, without correcting for political correctness) can help keep people in the conversation and see how what they are saying lands.
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How can you overcome resistance to change when engaging the public?
I've found that to understand the sources of resistance, one-on-one conversations work well. This can help remove the need to feel like one has to 'perform' in front of people and can help make people feel more comfortable being vulnerable.
Activity
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What a week in BC politics. 👀 If you’re worried about this provincial election… If you’re worried about the climate crisis… If you’re worried…
What a week in BC politics. 👀 If you’re worried about this provincial election… If you’re worried about the climate crisis… If you’re worried…
Liked by Lisa M.
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We're back for an autumn class offering of Resilience and Equity in the Built Environment and this time it'll be in-person, starting Wednesday 18…
We're back for an autumn class offering of Resilience and Equity in the Built Environment and this time it'll be in-person, starting Wednesday 18…
Liked by Lisa M.
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Congratulations to the Okotoks Dawgs on winning the WCBL Championship for the 3rd year in a row! It was a competitive playoff series and hard fought…
Congratulations to the Okotoks Dawgs on winning the WCBL Championship for the 3rd year in a row! It was a competitive playoff series and hard fought…
Liked by Lisa M.
Experience
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Resilience Planning
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Education
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Activities and Societies: Planning Students' Association, First Year Orientation Coordinator, Admissions Committee
Concentration on urban design and public participation
Professional Project (document and film): To a Place Called Home - The Arts Pow Wow and Redesign of Slocan Park (a community driven, multicultural, public realm redesign project in East Vancouver)
Academic Research: Recovering the University Fabric
http://www.library.ubc.ca/archives/u_fabric/urban.html -
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Licenses & Certifications
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Exploring Low-barrier, Gender-focused Approaches to Housing Certificate
Homelessness Learning Hub
Issued -
Dignity Institute Certificate
The Thrivance Group
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Member
International Coaching Federation
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Volunteer Experience
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Social Equity Committee Member
Canadian Institute of Planners
- Present 5 years 7 months
Human Rights
The mandate of the Social Equity Committee (SEC) is to draft a gender policy to ensure consistency with the Commonwealth Women in Planning Manifesto, as well as SDG 5 (Gender Equality) and 10 (Reduced Inequalities).
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Provisional Member Council Representative (Elected)
Planning Institute of British Columbia (PIBC)
- 2 years
Represented provisional members' interested on PIBC Council
Mentorship Committee Chairperson
Awards Committee Member -
Founding Director, Regional Representative, Advisor
North American Hardcourt Bike Polo
- 4 years
Founding member of the Board of Directors that established the sport of hardcourt bike polo
Developed first rule set, competitive structure and organization bylaws
Developed an open source tool kit for newer clubs to help get established by liaising with their department of parks and recreation, organize tournaments and attract sponsorship. -
Founder
Ladies Army, International Women's Bike Polo Championships
In 2009, I founded the Ladies Army Bike Polo Tournament to encourage more women to play bike polo. In its first year (with only two months to organize), it attracted nine teams (27 women),and has grown to an over 40 team tournament. It was hosted in 2010 in Brooklyn; 2011, Austin; 2012, Lexington; 2013, Vancouver; 2014, Toronto; 2015, San Francisco; 2016, Mexico.
The tournament attracts teams from four continents with women (and men as spectators and supporters) traveing from…In 2009, I founded the Ladies Army Bike Polo Tournament to encourage more women to play bike polo. In its first year (with only two months to organize), it attracted nine teams (27 women),and has grown to an over 40 team tournament. It was hosted in 2010 in Brooklyn; 2011, Austin; 2012, Lexington; 2013, Vancouver; 2014, Toronto; 2015, San Francisco; 2016, Mexico.
The tournament attracts teams from four continents with women (and men as spectators and supporters) traveing from Australia, Japan, Switzerland, Germany, the UK and all over North America (approximately 250 people). Today it is considered one of the must-attend tournaments on the hardcourt bike polo calendar and attracts as much sponsorship as the World Championships.
http://lancasterpolo.com/2013/04/03/ladies-army-5-interview-with-lisa-jill-and-shannon/
http://www.urbanvelo.org/issue32/p66-67.html
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Planning Mentor
Planning Institute of British Columbia (PIBC)
- Present 9 years
As a mentor, my responsibility is to assist candidate members in professional growth in key areas of competency including: the CIP Code of Professional Conduct; the role of public interest in professional planning; and the role of the profession in maintaining standards of competency, ethics and professionalism.
Publications
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Shifting Cultures, Changing Needs: Solutions for Housing Affordability from the Ground Up
Planning West Vol. 55 No. 2 Spring 2013
An overview of the 2013 Housing Affordability Symposium.
Changing demographics are changing needs in housing, the 125-plus attendees learned
at the 2013 Housing Affordability Symposium. Sponsored by the Canadian Home Builders
Association, the two day packed agenda featured key note presentations from author Chris
Turner and the Honourable Ida Chong, Minister of Aboriginal Relations and Reconciliation.
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Vancouver Urban Forum
Planning West Vol. 54 No. 4 Fall 2012
On June 6, 2012, host Sam Sullivan introduced 20 thought-provoking urbanists of our time to stimulate thinking about urban achievement and promote dialogue about how to make cities better. My article is a summary of that day. From governance structure, to zoning to innovation to revenue instruments, I explore the lessons learned that we can employ in our daily work.
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Development of a Comprehensive Road Safety Plan
CITE Conference Paper
This conference paper for the Canadian Institute of Transportation Engineers was based on a study I conducted while working with an advisory committee to develop a Road Safety Plan for the City of New Westminster.
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Safety Review of Pedestrian Facilities
Walk 21 Conference Paper
While at Opus Hamilton, I was part of a team that conducted a thorough engineering safety review of pedestrian infrastructure in the Lower Lonsdale area for the City of North Vancouver.
The study included a vulnerable road user field survey, review of the vehicular and pedestrian volumes, review of pedestrian-related collisions, identification of safety concerns and recommendations for improvements. The recommendations focused on short-term, low-cost, easy-to-implement improvements, such…While at Opus Hamilton, I was part of a team that conducted a thorough engineering safety review of pedestrian infrastructure in the Lower Lonsdale area for the City of North Vancouver.
The study included a vulnerable road user field survey, review of the vehicular and pedestrian volumes, review of pedestrian-related collisions, identification of safety concerns and recommendations for improvements. The recommendations focused on short-term, low-cost, easy-to-implement improvements, such as signs, pavement markings, and brush trimming. Longer-term and/or higher-cost improvements were identified where appropriate. The study identified 32 types of safety concerns at more then 120 locations in the study area, with a total cost estimated up to $1.1 million.Other authorsSee publication
Recommendations received
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Join now to viewMore activity by Lisa
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It's exciting to see these new below-market homes ready to be tenanted by local families. Housing Squamish Executive Director Sarah Ellis has worked…
It's exciting to see these new below-market homes ready to be tenanted by local families. Housing Squamish Executive Director Sarah Ellis has worked…
Liked by Lisa M.
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After years of hearing friends and colleagues rave about SVI, I'm going! Excited to be there with you, Iona Santos-Fresnoza, founder of Kapé…
After years of hearing friends and colleagues rave about SVI, I'm going! Excited to be there with you, Iona Santos-Fresnoza, founder of Kapé…
Liked by Lisa M.
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It has been a tumultuous year after the Province interrupted how we planned for appropriate growth in a well planned out manner, but the team has…
It has been a tumultuous year after the Province interrupted how we planned for appropriate growth in a well planned out manner, but the team has…
Liked by Lisa M.
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A beautiful, personal project from former Resilience Planning collaborator, Stacey Forrester.
A beautiful, personal project from former Resilience Planning collaborator, Stacey Forrester.
Shared by Lisa M.
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