On World Town Planning Day, on 8 November every year, planners and communities all over the world come together to celebrate how good planning improves the lives of people and benefits society at large, creating places to live, work and play together.  Argentinian Professor Carlos María della Paolera started World Town Planning Day in Buenos Aires in 1949.

To celebrate World Town Planning Day our Year 7 and 8 students have entered the Royal Town Planning Institutes’ annual competition.  The competition was to pitch a plan for regeneration to the local council.  Students were given a site in Ivybridge and asked how they thought the place should change and what issues the local council planning department need to consider to make it happen.

Students came up with some brilliant and innovative regeneration schemes including leisure centres inclusive of go-kart tracks, community project spaces for animal care and a sustainable solar panel farm.

These are some of the comments from our Year 8 students –

“I enjoyed doing this task as it meant we could make the area more environmentally friendly.”  Marcus

“I have regenerated the area with a hedgehog sanctuary, so that hedgehogs can have a secure and healthy environment.” Megan

“I liked being able to renovate an area into whatever I wanted.  It’s like being in charge of a city!” Cameron

“I loved that we were able to write about economical and beneficial things we can do to help the environment and ourselves.” Tom

“I loved the fact about how you can be very imaginative.  I found it really cool to learn about all the work that goes into where we live.” Summer

“I have enjoyed the creativity of this task.  I live near the area that I’ve regenerated so I’ve given it a more beneficial touch.” Grace

“I have enjoyed being able to change bits of Ivybridge and come up with my own ideas.” Libby

“It has been great to take part in the RTPI competition as it’s given students the chance to think about how they can regenerate their local area in a sustainable and inclusive way.  The students’ ideas were really imaginative and it was nice for them to see how they can progress to having a career in the geographical field.” Charley Richardson, Assistant Team Leader of Geography.