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.