Hello there! My name is Meredith Gillespie, and I am currently a fourth-year undergraduate student at UBC. I am pursuing an Honours degree in Human Geography and will be graduating this year. My interest in Human Geography has sparked a passion for travel within me. My most recent adventure was a year abroad in Barcelona, Spain, where I completed an Arts Co-op position teaching English to elementary school students. Barcelona is a fascinating city to examine for the urban planning strategies it has implemented. The city’s large pedestrian sidewalks provide enough space for all those who use them, such as the disabled.
One of my favourite courses at UBC is one entitled ‘Introduction to Social Geography’. I truly enjoyed learning about how cities across North America have historically been planned to limit certain communities to areas with poor or well developed land. I hope to keep this in mind in my future endeavors, given that Urban Planning is my particular interest within Human Geography.
I was lucky enough to complete an internship this summer in the Department of Planning for the Government of Bermuda. I learned the importance of writing for different audiences within the professional world in this position. Writing a brief e-mail to your supervisor versus a final report to the Director of the Department require wildly different tones, for example! Ultimately, I hope to work as an Urban Planner in Bermuda, as this is where I grew up and I am motivated to improve the built environment of my island home.
Another professional interest of mine is the work that Business Improvement Associations do across Canadian cities. After working at a BIA the summer before last, I saw how crucial community participation in urban development decisions is. I am thus eager to learn how to write for a public audience!