Meet the Judges

Caroline is a chartered town planner and experienced planning academic. Her research and teaching interests focussed on green and blue health, cycling and walking, sustainability and urban form.

Over the years she has been involved in several international research collaborations and is currently part of the child-focussed cities network with researchers in Brazil, Australia, Africa and Europe. For the last six years Caroline was Senior Editor at the journal Cities & Health - helping to develop a place for the dissemination of cross-disciplinary research spanning academic, policy and practitioner boundaries in urban planning, public health and policy. 

Caroline is the Director for Scotland, Ireland and English Regions. In this role she leads the Institute’s policy, public affairs and member services work in Scotland and Ireland and is the lead Director for our work in our English Regions. 

Outside work Caroline ferries her children to and from sporting activities and is Membership Secretary at Edinburgh diving club, where her daughter is a competitive age group diver. She spends not enough time on her allotment and also likes to knit and sew. 

Fraser Carlin is the Head of Planning & Regulatory Services at South Lanarkshire Council and has worked in a range of Local Authorities across the UK over the last 30 years delivering all aspects of public sector planning as well as managing activities within Housing, Regeneration and Economic Development Services. Fraser is a former Convenor of the RTPI in Scotland as well as being the Chair of the Heads of Planning Scotland and is committed to advancing and promoting the role and benefits of Planning as key factor in improving the lives of individuals and the communities that they live in. It is in this context that he sees the positive impact of the RTPI Awards.

In his spare time Fraser watches, listens, plays and talks about Football.

James graduated from the University of Aberdeen in 2013 (MA (Hons) in Geography and Spatial Planning) and is a Chartered Member of the RTPI. James is a Senior Planner with Aberdeenshire Council's Strategic Development Delivery Team, and works primarily on National and Major Energy and Transmission Developments. He has been a member of the SYPN since 2019 and is the current Chair for 2024.

Kirsty Macari ​is Co-Head of Undergraduate Programmes in DJCAD at the University of Dundee with a remit across Architecture and Urban Planning along with Contemporary Art Practice.  Kirsty studied Town and Regional Planning and Urban Design combined with significant public service practice across Planning and Economic Development before joining the University of Dundee. She is also undertaking a Professional Doctorate in Education and integrates student learning with practical applications to inform future practice.  She is a Director in private practice, Board Member of Architecture & Design Scotland and an Academician with the Academy of Urbanism. A strategically focused planner who works across sectors to drive the integration and promotion of social place-making. Kirsty believes in engaging the full spectrum of people that make up our places through digital and transdisciplinary place-making to support wellbeing for resilient communities. She continues to be a member of the RTPI General Assembly and the Education and Lifelong Learning Committee. Kirsty has recently taken up the role as Vice Chair of Planning Schools Forum.

Jim is the Chief Executive of national design champion Architecture and Design Scotland. After graduating from Edinburgh University, he completed an MPhil in Town Planning at University College London and a Diploma in Historic Building Conservation at Reading University.

He has over 30 years’ experience working in local government and national government organisations across the UK in a range of design and heritage roles and is passionate about the role design can play in improving people’s lives.