Through our CHANGE action plan, we are working with members and employers to develop a planning profession that is more representative of the communities it represents.

Since 2020, we have:

1. Launched EXPLORE, a work experience pilot programme for young people from diverse backgrounds.
2. Awarded apprenticeships, bursaries and scholarships to planning students from underrepresented backgrounds through the RTPI Trust Bursary scheme, as well as Government and privately funded initiatives.
3. Appointed regional champions for diversity and inclusion in the English regions. We plan to appoint more champions across other nations and regions.
4. Designed an Inclusive Employer Framework, which aims to help employers achieve their inclusion objectives.
5. Supported our internal teams to embed diversity and inclusion into their working practices.
6. Unveiled BALANCE, an initiative that expands the reach of RTPI volunteers and school ambassadors to a greater number of schools and colleges.
7. Collaborated with other professional membership bodies on a Memorandum of Understanding that aims to create a more diverse, equitable and inclusive built environment sector.

Our focus will be on exploring the relationship between ethnicity and planning, understanding the experiences of disabled RTPI members, and identifying further opportunities to provide training around diversity and inclusion. We are also conducting research with other built environment institutes to benchmark diversity within our respective professions. Our aim is to develop a clearer picture of the sector as a whole and improve our understanding of the barriers to entry.