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Friends of Planning
Growing New Roots In Planning:
How to Grow Our Cities for the Next 30 Years?
The University of Toronto Planning Alumni Committee is proud to host the Friends of Planning Spring Social again for 2026. This year, the Planning Alumni Committee celebrates it's 30th anniversary!
As a reflection of the history of urban planning in Canada, and a look ahead to what future opportunities to pursue, we want to invite you to come imagine the future of the planning industries with us!
We want to ask the question:
How can we grow roots in urban planning, roots that draw new nutrients to grow our cities for the next 30 years?
Event Date:
April 29, 2026
Event Time:
6PM - 9PM
Event Location:
The Great Hall, Hart House,
7 Hart House Cir, Toronto
Our Panelists and Moderator
About the Event
The annual Friends of Planning Spring Social is presented by the University of Toronto Planning Alumni Committee and the Department of Geography & Planning.
It is one of the pre-eminent annual events for the planning and development industry, with 200+ alumni, faculty, and other prominent city builders attending for an evening of networking, music, hors d’oeuvres, and a keynote address on a pivotal planning topic from influential figures in the industry.
In addition to offering a great time for networking, the event also raises money to support a number of initiatives that enrich the student experience. Notably, funds ensure that all students entering the second year of the program have the opportunity to join the cohort field school. This event takes the cohort to a major city in order to explore planning issues and practices outside of the Toronto context.
Our Scholarship Initiatives - Calling for Donation!
Our Scholarship Initiatives - Calling for Donation!
Friends of Planning Fund
Friends of Planning Fund
The Friends of Planning Fund is dedicated to enhancing the MScPl student experience by supporting student travel for research and conference presentations and offering student awards that recognize academic excellence and financial need. The fund is an endowment that we add to each year through the vital support of alumni and friends of the department.
About the Planning Alumni Committee
Established in 1996, the Planning Alumni Committee (PAC) is a non-profit volunteer organization comprised of graduates of the Master of Science in Planning (MScPl) program working to enrich the learning experiences of current graduate planning students. PAC plays an important role in providing opportunities to enrich the educational experiences of graduate planning students, including those listed below.
PAC’s mandates are twofold:
to encourage networking among alumni, faculty, planning students and other planning industry professionals; and
support students in learning the latest development in the planning industry
to raise money for planning scholarships and the Friends of Planning Fund.
Financial Support
PAC Student Field Trip
PAC provides financial support for the annual trip taken by second year graduate planning students to major urban centres to learn about local planning issues and challenges.
Conference Attendance
PAC also provides assistance for student attendance at planning conferences such as the Canadian Association of Planning Students Conference, the Canadian Institute of Planners Conference and the Ontario Professional Planners Institute Conference.
Scholarship
PAC offers a number of student scholarships, including the University of Toronto Planning Alumni Ontario Graduate Scholarship, Matthew Hanson Scholarship, Friends of Planning Graduate Scholarship for Innovation (GSEF), Peter R. Walker first Year Planning Scholarship, more information can be found our webpage.
Student Support
Matthew Hanson Workshop
PAC organizes the Matthew Hanson Planning Opportunities Workshop where recent graduates share their internship experiences, career paths and insights on finding exciting planning opportunities. This interactive workshop encourages an informal dialogue between panelists and students throughout the evening. The participation of recent planning alumni on the workshop panel also helps to demonstrate the diversity of careers available to graduates of the Program in Planning.
Mentoring
PAC runs a mentoring program during the school year. Mentoring provides a great opportunity for students networking, explore their areas of interest, and get some career guidance. Student mentees are matched with professionals in their desired career field and get a better idea before graduating of what the working world is like. Mentoring is also a great opportunity for alumni to reconnect with the Program and the Department.
Planning Skills Modules - Pizza with Planners
PAC offers planning skills modules to complement PAC-sponsored professional development courses on topics ranging from technical knowledge in Planning (e.g. Ontario Planning System, Pro Forma Analysis, latest development in planning industry) to soft skills (interviewing, resume review). The types of planning skills modules offered are based on results from a student survey ranking various planning topics and skill sets.
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