Planning For Sustainability

Council members of the Malaysian Institute of Planners debated vigorously on the future direction of planning profession in Malaysia during last week's monthly Council Meeting. The Planning Institute of Australia's (PIA) successful tranformation, overtaking RTPI and AIP was referred. Planning For Sustainability, the jargon has been used by MBPJ during last year's World town Planning Day celebration and it is used extensively now. I am of the opinion that the future of Planning similar to all trade is not how to protect your professional interest, but how to contribute towards sustainable development, to potrait to the World and the community how have you done in minimising the effect of Climate Change, the threat to mankind now. For MIP and in particularly planners to earn due respect and be recognised as a force to be reckoned with, planners have to start talking about SD, to incorporate SD principles in the development plans and layout planning, to engage stakeholders to identify ways and means to further enhance the cause of SD and importantly to establish ourselves as the champion of SD, at least amongst the players in building and construstion sector, if not all. So, the question is, are we ready to face the music, to reinvent and to prepare to sacrifice? It is time to realise the slogan of Planning For Sustainability...