For Stella’s Professional Profile, please visit her LinkedIn.

My name is Stella, an urban planner and community animator who graduated from the School of Regional and Community Planning (SCARP) at the University of British Columbia (UBC). Currently, I am living in Toronto and exploring the different opportunities here in city planning, inclusive placemaking, and community development as a project coordinator and community engagement specialist. I have a Master’s of Community and Regional Planning (MCRP), and also a BA in Geography with a focus on Urban Environment and Sustainability.

As someone who has traveled to over 60 cities and 20 countries/regions around the world, I am particularly interested in urban sustainability, public transportation planning, public space and placemaking, healthy built environments, multicultural planning, and inclusive community engagement. I believe that planners should design cities that connect citizens to their local communities through the democratization of planning. With participatory planning, equitable community engagement, and informed decision-making, people can feel safe, involved and uplifted in their cities. I am most passionate about planning healthy and inclusive cities that allow communities of different sociocultural backgrounds to connect and thrive together.

As a young Chinese-Canadian, I thrive through understanding the deep connections between my cultural roots and my self-identities. I am a map enthusiast and I enjoy telling urban histories and community stories through interactive mapping. During my free time, I love cooking and sharing food with others because I believe that nothing can be accomplished on an empty stomach. I always aim to communicate with a genuine heart and an open mind. I build up my knowledge and life experiences through the process of learning, unlearning, and relearning.

This blogsite is built with the intention to present my project research and some of my planning work online.