Sophie Stanton receives RTPI North East Young Planner of the Year Award 2023
Sophie is a MSc Urban Planning graduate
11 July 2023
Congratulations to Sophie on receiving the Young Planner of the Year Award at the RTPI North East Planning Excellence Awards 2023. The North East Awards for Planning Excellence recognise and highlight the positive contribution planning professionals make in the communities we serve around the world. All Young Planner of the Year winners from regions across the UK will be entered into the national shortlist and be judged by the national judges.
Sophie has a passion for combining her role as a planner with EDI-focused planning research to deliver schemes for increased social and societal benefits. Despite being at an early stage in her planning career, through her published research Sophie is setting herself up as a thought leader working at the intersection of planning, society, and EDI. Alongside delivering schemes and projects in her day job, Sophie guest lecturers at Newcastle University and she regularly volunteers her time to provide planning support for numerous community groups across the northeast region and to help provide a voice for under-represented and overlooked groups.
Judges' comment
"Sophie has a solid knowledge and understanding of planning within the areas she has had experience in. Sophie’s approach is enthusiastic and original (demonstrated through voluntary work and identifying areas in which the profession could improve). A good skill set has been demonstrated through the varied workstreams – working with clients (across sectors), communities and local authorities."
About Sophie
“Outside of Ethical Partnership, I involve myself in volunteering opportunities where I can use my planning knowledge to help others. For example, I am currently assisting Dwellbeing and Shieling in developing a Strategic Plan for Shieldfield, Newcastle Upon Tyne. This has involved various social and strategy meetings whereby I have met with fellow volunteers and local residents to establish local needs and how we might best display this to Newcastle City Council to secure sustainable and ethical development in the near and far future for current and future residents of Shieldfield.
I continue to follow my passion in producing research in topics which have lacked in academia and planning, for example research I produced in my master’s dissertation titled “’Rainbow Regeneration’ in Newcastle Upon Tyne’s LGBTQ* Scene: Working Towards Sustainable Inclusivity and Representation’, which was awarded by Newcastle University and has been published by Cities Forum. I look for opportunities to evolve my knowledge and educate others on topical issues which are prevalent today. As a community activist and researcher, I believe it is important to be mindful of inequalities and injustices present, and therefore I hope to see my research and work as a planner informing and guiding others into questioning and investigating the diverse and complex urban places we occupy.”