RTPI would like to congratulate Samer Bagaeen and Olafiyin Taiwo on their election as Fellows of the institute for their wide-ranging contributions to the planning profession.

Chartered Fellow is the highest professional membership grade offered by the RTPI and is only awarded to chartered members who fulfil the criteria and have gone above and beyond to contribute to the planning profession.

Professor Samer Bagaeen

Samer is on the senior leadership team for Planning & Environmental Management at Arcadis and is Head of School of Town Planning at the University of the Built Environment.

He has served on the RTPI international committee and the Board of Trustees twice and was elected the 2026 RTPI Vice President earlier this year.

The nominations subcommittee was particularly impressed by his breadth of contribution across academia, industry and the public sector.

He was also commended for setting up and attaining RTPI accreditation for two planning schools and for his involvement in the wider built environment.

Samer said: “I am deeply honoured to be elected as a chartered fellow of the institute. This recognition by the Board of Trustees nominations subcommittee is especially meaningful to me, reflecting my ongoing commitment to the institute and to advancing the planning profession across academia, industry, and the public sector.

“I see the FRTPI designation as one that would enable me to further establish myself as a thought leader in the planning and development sectors.

“Becoming a Fellow of the RTPI also demonstrates my commitment to professional ethics, sustainability, and the wider social impact of planning decisions on communities, serving as a hallmark of a lasting legacy in the field. It represents a career dedicated to shaping urban spaces responsibly, sustainably, and inclusively."

Olafiyin Taiwo

Olafiyin is a lecturer in town planning at the University of Brighton and is Chair of the Commonwealth Association of Planners (CAP) Young Planners Network. She has served on the RTPI international committee and the General Assembly.

The sub-committee was particularly impressed by the amount and range of her work.

She was particularly commended for her contribution at the UN Habitat professional forum, where she represented the RTPI and CAP and helped to shape the UN-Habitat’s Strategic Plan (2020-2023).

The committee was also impressed by her work supporting young people and planners. For example, helping to launch the Headway Global Mentoring Initiative, which helped to connect young professionals from across 20 countries.

Olafiyin said: “Being elected as a fellow of the RTPI is both an honour and a profound milestone in my journey as a planner. Fellowship represents not only professional achievement, but also a responsibility to continue shaping places and policies that improve people’s quality of life globally. Personally, it is a recognition of the values that have guided me. It affirms the years of commitment and the many collaborations that have shaped my path.

“This recognition inspires me to keep pushing boundaries: to strengthen international collaboration, to foster innovation in how we teach, research, and practice planning, and to ensure the profession remains relevant in addressing the complex social, environmental, and political issues of our time.”