Program Overview

Introduction to the Indigenous Community Planning (ICP) Concentration

The Indigenous Community Planning (ICP) concentration is a unique and innovative program offered by the School of Community and Regional Planning (SCARP) at the University of British Columbia. This concentration is designed to train a new generation of community planners who will work in respectful partnership with Indigenous communities, aligned with their values and priorities.

Program Overview

The ICP concentration is a part of SCARP's dual-accredited Master of Community and Regional Planning program. It is a partnership with First Nations in cultural learning, community engagement, and planning. The program trains students to break with the colonial legacy and culture of planning, working instead in respectful partnership with Indigenous communities.

Program Details

• The ICP concentration is a two-year program that includes a modified set of general MCRP requirements plus a set of ICP-specific requirements.
• Students in the ICP concentration complete a practicum (instead of the Planning Studio) which partners pairs of students with an Indigenous community for eight or more months to work on a planning project (typically a comprehensive community plan).
• The program includes a range of courses, including:
  • PLAN 500: Comparative Perspectives on Planning History and Futures
  • PLAN 502: Sustainability and Resilience in Planning
  • PLAN 504: Urban Design and Visual Representation
  • PLAN 505: Planning Theory, Values, and Ethics
  • PLAN 506: Information and Analysis in Planning
  • PLAN 507: Engagement and Facilitation for Planners
  • PLAN 511: The Legal and Institutional Context of Planning
  • PLAN 514: Indigenous Planning: Ways of Being, Knowing, and Doing
  • PLAN 515: Indigenous Law, Governance, and Community Planning
  • PLAN 516: Planning for Community Economic Development
  • PLAN 543: Indigenous Community Planning Practicum

Electives

Students in the ICP concentration can choose from a range of electives, including courses within SCARP or in other departments that relate to their interests. Some recommended electives outside of SCARP include:

• ANTH 540A: Sacred Geography
• APBI 361: Key Indicators of Agroecosystem Sustainability
• BAPA 580: Topics in Policy Analysis
• BAUL 500: Real Estate Markets
• CIVL 598P: Pedestrian and Bicycle Facility Design
• COM 486X: Urban Resilience
• CONS 528: Social Science Research Methods and Design for Natural Resource Management
• FISH 506F: Traditional Ecological Knowledge in the Fisheries Management - Current Topics in Fisheries
• FISH 506G: Economic Foundations of Environmental Policies
• FNIS 501A: Indigenous Theory and Method(ologies)
• FRST 522: Social, Community, and Indigenous Forestry
• FRST 551: Landscape Planning for Sustainability
• GEOG 535: International Migration and Settlement
• GEOG 560A: Economic Geography
• GPP 507: Environmental Law and Policy Frameworks
• GPP 541: Policy Dimensions of Energy Systems
• GPP 543: Sustainable Water Systems
• GPP 544: Economic Foundations of Environmental Policies
• GPP 581: Behavioural Foundations for Public Policy
• GPP 582: Public Engagement in Policy Decisions
• GPP 584: Policy Responses to Global Climate Change
• GPP 591A: Designed Leadership for Change
• GPP 591C: Lind Initiative Seminar
• GPP 591D: Special Topics in Public Policy
• GPP 591N: Power and Practice
• GRSJ 415: Critical Racial and Anti-Colonial Feminist Approaches
• GRSJ 511: Difficult Knowledge: Ethics and Praxis of Research in Challenging Settings
• LARC 553: Green Network Planning
• LARC 582: AutoCAD Workflow for Landscape Architecture Construction
• RES 520: Climate Change: Science, Technology, and Sustainable Development
• SOCI 423: Sociology of Food
• SOCI 425: Urban Sociology
• SOCI 540: Social Inequality
• SOIL 516: Urban Watershed Management
• SOIL 518: Water in International Development
• SOWK 44C/529A 001: Communities, Social Development, and Community Organizing
• SPPH 552: Risk and Communication in Public Health
• UDES 505: Urban Design as Public Policy: Policymaking for a Sustainable Region
• UFOR 495: Biodiversity in Urban Areas
• URSY 510: Urban Systems and Society
• URSY 520: Urban Systems Planning and Analysis
• URSY 550: Infrastructure Asset Management

Course Structure

The ICP concentration is structured over two academic years and six academic terms. The course structure is as follows:

• Year 1 Term 1: PLAN 500, PLAN 502, PLAN 504, PLAN 514
• Year 1 Term 2: PLAN 505, PLAN 506, PLAN 507, PLAN 515
• Year 1 Summer: PLAN 516
• Year 2 Term 1: PLAN 511, PLAN 543
• Year 2 Term 2: PLAN 543
• Year 2 Summer: Electives

Admission Criteria

The ICP concentration is open to both Indigenous and non-Indigenous students. The admission criteria include:

• A bachelor's degree from a recognized university
• A minimum GPA of 3.0
• Letters of reference
• A personal statement
• A resume

Research Areas

The ICP concentration focuses on Indigenous community planning, with research areas including:

• Indigenous planning theory and practice
• Community engagement and participation
• Indigenous law and governance
• Community economic development
• Sustainable development and environmental planning

Faculty and Staff

The ICP concentration is taught by a team of experienced faculty and staff, including:

• Leona Sparrow, Musqueam/UBC Liaison
• Maggie Low, Assistant Professor and Chair
• Jessica Barudin, Assistant Professor
• Jessie Hemphill, Assistant Professor of Teaching
• Scott Graham, Adjunct Professor
• Shauna Johnson, Adjunct Professor
• William Trousdale, Adjunct Professor
• Wendy Simon, Indigenous Student Recruiter

Funding

The ICP concentration is funded by a range of organizations, including:

• The Real Estate Foundation of BC
• Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada (INAC)
• The Teaching and Learning Enhancement Fund of UBC
• The Faculty of Applied Science at UBC

Conclusion

The Indigenous Community Planning (ICP) concentration is a unique and innovative program that offers students the opportunity to learn about Indigenous community planning and to work in respectful partnership with Indigenous communities. The program is designed to train a new generation of community planners who will work to support Indigenous self-determination and to promote sustainable development and environmental planning. With its focus on Indigenous planning theory and practice, community engagement and participation, and sustainable development, the ICP concentration is an exciting and rewarding program for students who are passionate about making a positive difference in the lives of Indigenous communities.