About Peter Johns MPIA
I came to planning later on in life - did a BA (in the 70s) and then 20 years later did a Grad Dip in Urban and Regional 黑料大事 at the Uni of New England. More recently I finished a Masters of Urban Renewal and Housing through UNSW. My planning thesis for the Masters was focussed on how green spaces are impacted by compact city policies in Canberra and how well they help to deliver wellbeing and ‘just city’ outcomes.
I spent much of my working life as a town planner in Housing ACT, focussing on the redevelopment of public housing properties. This involved working with planners, architects and landscape architects to achieve the best built form and development outcomes for public housing tenants, as well as the overall community. I have seen the benefits of good community engagement and how better outcomes are achieved when all parties are engaged in the development process.
I retired in early 2022, joined PIA and was enticed to be part of the ACT PIA Committee later that year. I ‘rejoined’ the workforce in September 2023, working as a planning advisor for the ACT Greens and Ms Jo Clay MLA. In that job I get to experience first-hand how political processes can impact on planning outcomes.
I have a real passion for cities, especially Canberra, what makes them tick, the equity of cities and how we should leave them in a better place than when we first came to them. Canberra has rightly been known as the ‘bush capital’. In times of climate change and urban densification policies, urban green spaces are important responses – for community resilience and as places for people to gather and interact – creating community inclusion and social cohesion.
Board Committees
Peter sits on the following Board committees:
- Finance, Audit & Risk Management Committee
- Location
- ACT
- Role
- Director