Gillian Dick

Glasgow

Gillian is the Manager of Spatial Planning – Research & Development 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 is the past Chair on their Partnership and Accreditation Panel. She has completed six years as the RTPI nominated practioner rep on Queen University Belfast Planning school partnership Board, which she also chaired for the final two years. She has spent the last four years in a similar role with the Technical University Dublin Partnership Board, where she currently the chair. Gillian had the lead role for the Council within the Horizon 2020 Connecting Nature project, where Glasgow was one of the front runner cities. http://www.connectingnature.eu/glasgow Glasgow used its Open space Strategy and Delivery Plan (opportunity mapping) as it’s exemplar within this project. Glasgow is now one of the Role model cities in the UNEP programme UN Generation restoration Gillian started her career in Banff & Buchan / Aberdeenshire before moving to Glasgow 19 years ago. She therefore has a broad breadth of experience working both very rural and highly urbanised areas. Gillian’s team takes a place- based approach with a nature-based solutions focus to all that they do. The team 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.