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PROJECTS & PUBLICATIONS

 June 2011: Presenting at Pecha Kucha X in Edmonton

June 2011: Submitting an abstract to present at the 2011 Inaugural Planning Institute of Australia International Division Conference

May 2011: Invited to help develop a municipal Energy Sustainability Strategy

May 2011: Presented at the Canadian Urban Transit Association's "Leading the Way: 2011 Youth Summit on Sustainable Transportation" in Edmonton
  • Prairies and Territories Region conference
  • Co-presented with Bjorn Radstrom from Winnipeg Transit
  • Topic: "Promoting Walking, Cycling & Transit through Transportation Demand Management (TDM)"
April 2011: Article published in the AASCF Journal for Services to Children and Families
  • Topic: "Cause for Concern: A Preliminary Report on the Location and Accreditation of Day Care Facilities in Edmonton, Alberta"
  • This article was published in the Vol. 4, Sping 2011 Journal, and is reproduced with permission of the Alberta Association of Services for Children and Families (AASCF).
February-March 2011: Finished a Complete Management Course for Planning Directors
 February 2011: Submitted an abstract to present at the NACADA "Advising Without Borders - A Global Approach: Think Global, Act Local" conference
  • Topic: "Fostering 'Superentrepreneurship' as Advisors and Coaches: How and Why"
  • Educational advisors play an important role in directing and shaping lives, and may aid their students with the concept of superentrepreneurship.
  • NACADA = "National Academic Advising Association"
January 2011: Invited to write a chapter about Alberta's cities and citizens in an upcoming book about the province

January 2011: Proposal submitted to present at CIP/API Conference in St. John's, NL - "Making it Work: Planning in a Connected World"
  • Topic: "Exciting Times Ahead for 'Senior Planners'"
  • Discussing opportunities for experienced planners who know the system to stay engaged in their communities and effect change
  • Providing an analysis and summary of retirement literature, blended with the trends and issues on top of planners’ minds
December 2010/January 2011: Attended the AIESEC National Congress 2011 in Edmonton
  • AIESEC promotes youth leadership development and is the largest student run-organization in the world.
  • AIESEC = "Association Internationale des Etudiants en Sciences Economiques et Commerciales"
November 2010: Submitted an abstract to present at the Alberta Association of Services for Children and Families' 3rd Annual "Strengthening Today, Building Tomorrow" conference
  • Topic: "Cause for Concern: An Analysis of Day Care Locations in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada"
  • Was asked to turn the presentation into an article for the next issue of their journal
November 2010: Conference Presentation for the World Town Planning Day Online Conference - "Healthy People | Healthy Places | Healthy Planet: Integrating Food Systems into the Planning Process"
  • Topic: "Local Food Solutions for Sprawling Cities: Edmonton, Alberta, Canada's Farmers' Market Story"
November 2010: Submitted a photo to the APPI World Town Planning Day photo contest
  • Topic: "Active Living – the Act of Living"
November 2010: Conference Presentation at the Canadian Society for International Health's 17th Annual "Canadian Conference on Global Health" in Ottawa
  • Topic: "Improving Our Collective Suffering Health: Connecting the Dots Between Global, City and Neighbourhood Scales"
October 2010: Invited to write a chapter for an upcoming book on farmers' markets and urban agriculture, to be published in 2011

October 2010: Assisted the Alberta Professional Planners Institute fall conference committee

  • Collected and compiled presentations for an engaging "15 in 5" session (15 slides in 5 minutes per presenter)
October 2010: Conference Presentation at "Under Western Skies: Climate, Culture and Change in Western North America" at Mount Royal University in Calgary
  • Topic: "Our Urban Albertan Identity Crisis: Exploring the Dichotomy Between Who We Are and Who We Want To Be"
September/October 2010: Formally invited to join the Council for Canadian Urbanism (CanU)
  • Invites extended to many of Canada's top planners/designers/architects/landscape architects
  • Became a Voting Member at the Annual Conference (CanU2) in Montreal
September 2010: Workshop Presentation at The Status of Clean Technologies Conference 2010 in Lacombe, Alberta
  • Topic: "Envisioning Future Mobility"
  • Exploring how to achieve a car-free future, and why we should
September 2010: Presentation at the Association of Professional Community Planners of Saskatchewan (APCPS) Conference in Waskesiu, Saskatchewan
  • Topic: "A City Planner's Guide to Creating Positive Change"
August 2010: Submission to present at Pecha Kucha 8 in Edmonton
  • Topic: "Do You Know Where Your Children Are?"
  • Discussing why questionable uses/activities are found near several day cares; analyzing zoning issues
August 2010: Presentation at "The Planned World: Urban, Rural, Wild - An International Conference" at Simon Fraser University in Vancouver
  • Topic: "Finding the Heart of the City in the Call of the Wild"
  • Subsequently invited to turn this presentation into a journal article
July 2010: Completed my coaching certification
  • Will build upon my existing consulting with life/career/success coaching services for individuals, students, communities, and cities
  • Will continue helping others to get ahead, reach their goals, create positive change, and improve their cities and neighbourhoods
July 2010: Presentation at 50th Anniversary Mensa AG Conference in Detroit/Dearborn
  • Topic: "A City Planner's Guide to Creating Positive Change"
June 2010: Submission to present at the Atlantic Planners' Institute (API) Conference in Moncton
  • Topic: "Using What We Have, Getting What We All Want"
  • Exploring systemic societal, institutional and other barriers; discussing how to positively influence how we live, eat, work, and play
June 2010: Served as a Volunteer with the 4th Annual Meeting of the Minds sustainability conference in Omaha

June 2010: Article co-authored with planner Imai Welch published in the AACIP Planning Journal
  • Topic: "On Planning and 'Related' Degrees"
  • Download the article here (PDF)
May 2010: Participated in a research initiative to discuss and make recommendations on aging in suburbia

April 2010: Preliminary research for a giant book of business ideas and career options

April 2010: Completed a tour of several major Canadian and American cities
  • Stops included: Toronto, Des Moines, Omaha, Lincoln, Denver, Billings, Coeur d'Alene, Seattle, Vancouver, and Victoria
March 2010: Submitted an abstract to present at the Alberta Rural Development Network conference in Lethbridge
  • Topic: "Playing with the Cards You're Dealt: How to Leverage Natural and Community Resources in a Rural Setting"
March 2010: Presentation at Western Division, Canadian Association of Geographers (WDCAG) Conference at the University of Alberta in Edmonton
  • Topic: "Around the World in 80 Pages"
March 2010: Submitted two abstracts to present at the Alberta Recreation and Parks Association Conference in Jasper
  • Topic 1: "Rapid Professional Development and Personal Growth"
  • Topic 2: "Picturesque, Vandal-Proof Parks"
March 2010: Co-facilitated a session with Beth Sanders and Jagdev Patel at the Clean Tech Symposium in Calgary
  • Topic: "Municipal Planning"
March 2010: Invited to participate in a panel discussion at the Clean Tech Symposium in Edmonton
  • Topic: "Transportation, Paths and Parks; Vehicles, People, Greenspace"
February 2010: Developed the superentreneurhip concept

February 2010: Volunteered to serve as a Community Cleanup Event Manager
  • Liased with Capital City Clean Up staff, worked out logistics for a Community Challenge event in June 2010
February 2010: Completed entrance requirements for full membership in the Canadian Institute of Planners (MCIP-certified)

January 2010: Nominated to serve on the Next Gen Committee
  • Reaching out to the 18-40 demographic, to get the "next generation" involved in their city
January 2010: Completed entrance requirements for membership in the American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP-certified)

August-November 2009: Preparation for American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP) professional certification exam

August 2009: Toured cities in Central Canada
  • Stops included Winnipeg, Thunder Bay and Timmins
  • Captured over 1500 images
June/July 2009: Critical analysis of the proposed closure of Edmonton City Centre Airport
  • Reviewed 45 main arguments that had been raised for/against over the previous year
  • Download the spreadsheet (Excel, PDF)
June 2009: Article published in Mensa Canada's MC2 Magazine
  • Topic: "Breaking Down Our Top Troubles"
  • A critical look at what is required to fix the problems Canadians believe to be worst
  • Included a "Call to Action" to Mensan architects, designers, engineers and planners
  • Download the article here (PDF)
June 2009: Presented at Edmonton's Pecha Kucha Night #4 at the Shaw Conference Centre
  • Topic: "Murals: Signs of Edmonton's Enduring (and Endearing) Sustainability"
  • Download the slides in PDF format (low resolution)
May 2009: Article published in Renew Canada magazine
  • Topic: "Getting It Done - How to Move Projects Forward at the Local Level"
  • Published in the July-August Issue, and reproduced with permission of Renew Canada.
  • Download the article here (PDF)
April 2009: Interviewed by AkzoNobel (based in Amsterdam; one of the world’s leading industrial companies; manufacturer of paints/coatings/specialty chemicals) for A, their Corporate Magazine
  • Topic: Urban Colour / "Identity Crisis"
  • View the article here - see pages 48-52
  • The previous issue featured the likes of astronaut Buzz Aldrin and Michael Braungart, co-author of Cradle to Cradle
March 2009: Invited to submit an article to the Planning Commissioners Journal
  • Topic: "Making Places Where Everyone Wants to Be"
February 2009: Article published in the AACIP Planning Journal, Winter Edition
  • Article based on March 2008 Urban Design Salon
  • Topic: "Bridging the Gap: Improving Traffic, Tourism and Civic Identity in Edmonton's Core"
  • Download the article here (PDF)
December 2008/January 2009: Researched health issues such as the obesity epidemic, diabetes and workplace health
  • Reviewed literature from Europe, Australia, and North America
  • Developed recommendations for local employers to promote healthier workplaces and save millions of dollars yearly
  • Developed a simple chart to help people with diabetes stick to their diet plans
December 2008: Article submitted to Plan Canada for anticipated publication in March 2009
  • Topic: "Green Parking Lots: Paving the Way to a Greener Future"
  • Download the article here (PDF)
  • This article was published in Plan Canada, Vol. 49, No. 1, and is reproduced with permission of the Canadian Institute of Planners.
November/December 2008: Received my first request for urban planning presentation material from overseas
  • Prepared a package of work which was shared with a class of university students in Europe (France)
November 2008: Completed urban colour visualization work for a colleague in Port Elgin
  • "Painted"/applied colour to downtown buildings using photo editing software
November 2008: Joined LinkedIn
  • Further building a network of planning colleagues from around the world
  • See my profile
October 2008: Proposal sent to Google to help utilize Google Maps/Earth for main street redevelopment efforts
  • Summary:
  • Find neighbourhoods and main streets in transition or in need of improvement
  • In the same way that "Flip This House" fixes one house at a time, flip a whole street at a time
  • Showcase the street before and after redevelopment
October 2008: Presentation at the AACIP Conference in Banff
  • AACIP = Alberta Association, Canadian Institute of Planners
  • Topic: "The Benefits of Colour for Alberta's Winter Cities"
October 2008: Letter to the Editor about Edmonton City Centre Airport

September 2008: Joined Yahoo! Answers
  • Responding to questions related to cities and urban planning
  • See my profile
September 2008: Submitted an entry relating to architecture and urban colour for the Edmonton Public Library's Gallery at Milner

August 2008: Collaborated with planner Enrique Peris on an article about stock images, urban development and Canadian identity/culture
  • Article with photos submitted to Globe and Mail Editorial Staff
June 2008: Urban Design Salon to discuss affordable housing and panhandling in Edmonton in response to an article by the Edmonton Sun's Kerry Diotte
May 2008: Presentation at Western Canada's first Pecha Kucha Night
April 2008: Completed my Business Management Certificate

March 2008: Letter to the Editor about Rexall Place hockey arena

February/March 2008: Planning/Facilitating an Urban Design Salon to discuss the future of Edmonton's historic Walterdale Bridge
  • Two-day session held in March with several local planners, architects, engineers and designers
  • 15-minute Audio Summary: Click to open
February 2008: Attended my first conference outside of Canada

January/February 2008: Developed and uploaded initial design of CITYPLANNER.CA
  • First blog entry posted on February 4, 2008
November 2007: Letter to the Editor about 23 Avenue Interchange

November 2007: Letter to the Editor of the Edmonton Sun about affordable housing targets

October 2007: Made a submission to the AACIP World Town Planning Day Photo Contest
  • View my entry showing Coliseum LRT Station before an evening hockey game
September 2007: Posted first online comment to a newspaper article
  • Topic: Avoiding a TTC Toronto transit fare hike
  • Read the post here
September 2007: Started actively contacting top urban planning authors for advice and ideas

August 2007: Organized and participated in a Habitat for Humanity build

July 2007: Toured several facilities which support the homeless, poor, and at-risk populations

June 2007: Organized an Urban Design Salon lunch event
  • Topics: Affordable housing and mass transit
June 2007: Graduated from Leadership Edmonton

May 2007: Early collaboration with founders and supporters of the Council for Canadian Urbanism (CanU)

May 2007: Co-facilitated an Urban Design Salon to discuss urban planning issues in Edmonton

April 2007: Participated in Earth Day
  • Spoke with students and young professionals about environmental career options, including environmental planning
March 2007: Invited to speak to University of Alberta students about a career in urban planning


Contact Myron Belej, MCIP, AICP at myron@cityplanner.ca to:
- commission a new project or publication
- invite Myron to speak at a conference or event
- feature a version of one of his articles in another publication
- inquire about Myron's consulting or coaching services


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