Hannah joined the Steering Group in 2021 and currently works as an Associate Planner with Dalcour Maclaren, based out of their Stirling office, assisting a range of utilities, infrastructure and renewable clients with their consenting requirements. Before Dalcour Maclaren, Hanna worked for SSE Renewables as a Consent Strategy Manager in onshore renewables and at Savills focusing on rural planning. She has a BSc (Hons) in Urban Planning and Property Development from Heriot Watt University and gained RTPI Chartered Membership in September 2020.

Anne completed a BSc in Urban Planning and Property Development at Heriot-Watt University, followed by an MSc in Urban Studies. As part of her postgraduate studies, she studied in Brussels, Vienna, Copenhagen and Madrid, before returning to settle in Edinburgh.

Anne has primarily worked in the public sector across planning and housing, with a focus on policy and strategic planning. She developed a particular interest in housing policy, youth homelessness and Traveller housing needs during her time in Housing Strategy at East Lothian Council.

Passionate about community engagement since her university days, Anne currently works for Planning Aid Scotland, where she provides planning advice, supports communities to shape their places, and delivers a range of training sessions to help communities and individuals navigate the planning system.

Paul joined the SYPN as the Scottish Government representative at the beginning of 2018 and provides the link between the SYPN to Scottish Ministers and the Planning and Architecture Division. Paul is a Chartered Planner at the Scottish Government and graduated from Dundee University with an MSc in Spatial Planning with a specialism in Environmental Assessment. Paul has had a number of roles within the Scottish Government, but is now a permanent member of the Planning Decisions team and deals with a variety of planning matters such as notified applications, called-in cases and environmental assessments. Paul has particular interests in the digital transformation of the planning system, as well as getting more young people interested and involved in planning.

Amy joined the Steering Group in 2023. She has an MSc in City Planning from the University of Glasgow, graduating in 2020. After graduation she undertook a 9-month research post at Heriot-Watt University, exploring the role of the planning system in tackling racial inequalities in housing. In 2022 Amy won an RTPI Research Award for this work. Following this, Amy spent 18 months working at the Improvement Service, supporting the work of Heads of Planning Scotland and also working on spatial data improvements for planning authorities. In conjunction with the RTPI, Amy worked on the Future Planners project which explored options for getting more planners into Scotland’s public sector. Amy is now a Senior Planning Officer in East Ayrshire Council's Development Planning team, providing planning policy advice and preparing the Council's third local development plan.

Marissa Chizum is a Policy Planner at Aberdeenshire Council, working on the preparation of the forthcoming Aberdeenshire Local Development Plan. Originally from the United States, she brings an externally informed perspective to evidence-led spatial policy and the practical challenges of implementing national planning frameworks at a local level, particularly across rural and peri-urban contexts.

She is the lead author of multiple topic chapters and background papers for the LDP Evidence Report, including business and industry, tourism, retail and town centres, brownfield land, minerals, and digital infrastructure. Her work spans demographic and economic analysis, spatial policy appraisal, and the development of assessment frameworks for the Strategic Environmental Assessment.

Marissa is closely involved in public and stakeholder engagement for plan preparation, including online consultation and place-based engagement in towns and rural settlements. As a member of the Scottish Young Planners’ Network Steering Group, she is particularly interested in shaping events that move beyond theory to engage honestly with the constraints, trade-offs, and decision-making realities of contemporary planning practice in Scotland.

Rim Chouaib is an associate planner at Kevin Murray Associates with a specialism in creative community and stakeholder engagement. Rim has an MSc in City Planning and Real Estate Development (with distinction) from the University of Glasgow and a DESS in Architecture from Academie Libanaise des Beaux Arts (ALBA), (Beirut, Lebanon). Through her studies, Rim gained experience in planning by participating in several international workshops in Dessau Bauhaus (Germany), Turku (Finland), Venice (Italy), and Brussels (Belgium). During her postgraduate study at the University of Glasgow, Rim won the Royal Town Planning Institute West of Scotland Chapter Student Award 2016 for excellence in coursework on the Spatial Planning Strategies course for a project that involved creating a local development plan for Govan 2030. She is a chartered member of the RTPI and is currently the treasurer of the RTPI West of Scotland Chapter. She has recently won the RTPI Scottish Young Planner of the Year (2025).

I am Emil, currently a Future Planner studying at Heriot-Watt and working at the Scottish Government. I got into planning after completing a Masters in Spatial History, and then realised a lot of what I was interested in or wanted to research was more contemporary, and that I wanted to begin to shape spaces and places, instead of just read about them. In my brief 5 months involved in planning, I have met so many interesting people, at RTPI events or in class, and I am excited to be able to help grow upon the community for young and early career planners in Scotland.

Usamah is a Senior Planner at Pegasus Group, based in the Edinburgh office. He graduated from Heriot-Watt University in 2021 with a BSc (Hons) in Urban Planning and Property Development and has experience across onshore renewable energy, residential, commercial and industrial projects. 

Usamah has a particular interest in supporting Scotland’s climate ambitions through the delivery of renewable energy infrastructure, as well as helping to address the housing emergency through sustainable and infrastructure-led development.

Usamah also sits on the BAME Planners Network Steering Group, where he supports improved engagement, representation and access to the planning profession for minority ethnic planners across the UK.

Ida is a Principal Planner within the Infrastructure Planning team at WSP. Ida has worked for WSP for over two years and prior to working at WSP she worked in local authorities, in Development Management, Enforcement, and Policy in England.

Ida mainly works on infrastructure projects across Scotland and the UK, including electricity generation, transmission, substations, water projects and pipelines. She also carries out Planning Monitoring Officer roles, which means she spends a lot of time on construction sites across Scotland monitoring compliance with planning conditions. She is passionate about supporting and delivering infrastructure projects that meet the evolving needs of communities and the goal to reach net zero.

Ida is originally from Sweden, but she moved to the United Kingdom over 11 years ago and holds an MA (hons) in Town and Regional Planning from the University of Dundee and is currently pursuing a MSc in Environmental Psychology from the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences which focuses on how outdoor environments can support people’s Health and Well-being, where she combines her interest in planning with her interest in outdoor environments and wellbeing.

Growing up I spent a large portion of my time playing city building games and like many others, Geography was my favourite subject at school, especially the human element. However when I was at school I was never aware of the professions which linked to human geography and the built environment. I ended up going to University of St Andrews and chose to study an undergraduate degree in Sustainable Development as it encompassed everything I loved about Geography - environmental, social, political and economic issues.

After graduating in 2017, I took a year out to figure out my next steps and during various job searches I came across the role of a town planner. I realised it ticked all the boxes of subjects and topics I have enjoyed learning and researching throughout my education. Many of the job listings required an accredited degree in planning so I decided to go back to University and undertake a Masters in Urban and Regional Planning at Heriot-Watt University. After graduating I took up a role in the private sector working for a planning consultancy in England focusing on minerals and waste. In 2022, I joined the Scottish Government as a Graduate Planner (now Planner) and I am currently working towards becoming accredited as a chartered planner.

Max joined the Steering Group in early 2022. He has an MSc in Geographical Information Science from the University of Edinburgh. He also holds a BSc in Urban Planning and Property Development from Heriot-Watt University. He has volunteered with Planning Aid Scotland for various projects such as Heart of Newhaven and the A9 Dualling Consultation. He is currently a licentiate member with the RTPI. When not at his desk, he is an avid runner and holds a second-degree black belt in Uechi-Ryu Karate. Max is an assistant transportation consultant at SYSTRA.

I was inspired to pursue Town Planning after completing my undergraduate dissertation on the post-war new town of East Kilbride, where I grew up. I graduated from the University of Strathclyde with a BA in History, and then in 2020 from the University of Glasgow with an MSc in City Planning. Between 2021 and 2025 I worked within Development Management at East Ayrshire Council, first as a Graduate Planner and then as a Planning Officer. I now work for Network Rail as the Lead Town Planner for Glasgow and Southwest Scotland. In my current role I act as an internal consultant to teams carrying out renewals and enhancement projects throughout Scotland’s Railway, guiding their projects through the planning system and acquiring the necessary consents. I also act as an ambassador for Network Rail in responding to Local Development Plan consultations, ensuring the protection and expansion of the railway for future generations. A major piece of work I am currently leading on is the consenting strategy for the electrification of the Border’s Railway. I achieved chartered membership of the RTPI in 2025.