Each year, the students from the University of Waterloo's Planning Students’ Association (PSA) and the Toronto Metropolitan’s Association of Planning Students (TMAPS) host the Waterloo - Toronto Metropolitan Undergraduate Planning Conference (WTMUPC) to build bridges, learn from each other, and connect in a fun way! This year's theme was "Cities in 2050", with threads of future, sustainability, and reconciliation.
Caption: Group photo at the end of the day.
PSA President, Tayvin Salyajivin-James was ecstatic that he and his team got the opportunity to plan and host the first in-person WTMUPC since the COVID-19 pandemic. “Cities are at the forefront of some of the most pressing global challenges, from climate change to social injustice. Undergraduate students have a unique opportunity to shape the future of our cities and communities. The decisions we make now will have a profound impact on the places we live, work, and play in the years to come.”
The conference consisted of an entire day of events, including 2 Guest Speakers, Speed Networking, Panel Q&A, and a Design Charrette. It was an enormous success with over 100 undergraduate students attending. Participants were able to leave having made new connections, learned new knowledge, and achieved new accomplishments.
Listed below are some photos taken by second-year Planning student Urooj Khan throughout the day.
Opening Address:
Guest Speaker: Martin Quarcoopome
Guest Speaker: Dr. Marta Berbes-Blazquez
Panel: Vitumbkio Mhango, Vincent Biak, Timurul Hoque Kazi (moderator), Annie Yang, Dana Anderson
Design Lead: Dr. Katherine Perrott
Students taking part in the design charrette
The conference would not have been a success without the dedication of the Planning Students’ Association Team. A special thank you to the following:
President & Vice-President Tayvin Salyajivin-James & Kathy Ma
Professional Outreach Team Katie Traynor & Timurul Hoque Kazi
Finance Director Joshua Falshaw
Events Director Adrian Chee & Events Coordinators Sejal Goel, Shively Holland, & Jeanette Li
Graphic Design Director Brandon Ng & Designers Micheal Glazyrin, Ashvika Mathivannan, Alley Poon, & Khalil Heron
Social Media Directors Maja Ruszkowska & Harsh Trivedi & Social Media Coordinator Paige Thompson
Additional thanks to Tim Ross & Jae Versteeg
Full photography credits go to Urooj Khan who took, edited and uploaded photos for the entire event.