RTPI awards success for students and alumna

Cardiff University’s School of Geography and Planning featured prominently in the 2020 RTPI Cymru Awards for Planning Excellence.

Held virtually in November, the RTPI Cymru Awards celebrated the achievements of newer and future members of the planning profession.

Three current students were recognised with the RTPI Cymru Prize for Academic Excellence. These prizes are given for excellence in examinations and coursework on the first year of the School’s BSc Urban Planning and Development, and BSc Human Geography and Planning programmes.

The 2020 Award recipients were:

• Katharine Forbes - BSc Urban Planning and Development
• Thomas White - BSc Urban Planning and Development
• Thomas Harding - BSc Human Geography and Planning

Alumna's breakthrough

In addition to the student prizes, alumna Emmeline Reynish was announced as the winner of the Wales Young Planner of the Year Award for 2020. Emmeline, who gained Master’s degree in International Planning and Development from the School, is now a Chartered Town Planner at Arup in Cardiff. The Judges praised her for her passion in promoting town planning in Wales and increasing diversity within the profession: “Emmeline has a strong commitment to the profession and is acutely aware of the challenges that face us both now and in the future. Her enthusiasm will go a long way to help the Institute meet those challenges in a sustainable and inclusive way.”

Professor Milbourne added: “I’d also like to offer warm congratulations to Emmeline from the entire School of Geography and Planning community. A relatively recent alumna, she’s developed her career at quite a pace and has firmly established herself within the planning community in Wales and beyond. I look forward to seeing her career develop and her future impact on the profession.”