Canadians in the Business World-World Magazine, 2010
Q&A: How Ottawa bungled its plan for a new monument-Macleans
In conversation with urban design guru Larry Beasley on the lessons we can learn from Ottawa’s plans for the victims of communism memorial
By John Geddes
Now available-ECODESIGN FOR CITIES AND SUBURBS: A NEW BOOK BY LARRY BEASLEY AND JONATHAN BARNETT
Purchase Here: http://islandpress.org/ecodesign-for-cities-and-suburbs
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About Beasley & Associates
Upon his retirement from local government in 2006, Larry Beasley established a small planning consultancy specializing in quality urbanism. The firm provides advice to governments and the development community on projects and initiatives at the scale of entire city plans to neighbourhood schemes to specific site developments. Beasley & Associates is based in Vancouver, B.C., but does work throughout the world, with extensive experience in Canada, the Unites States and the Middle East.
The foundation of Beasley and Associates is Larry Beasley’s long and primary involvement in the transformation of Vancouver into one of the world’s most pleasant and beloved cities. His planning emphasizes the “city by design” and a focus on sustainable, liveable and appealing urbanism, with particular expertise in higher density, mixed use, inner city development.
Together, he and his team provide advice on urban design, policy planning, advanced systems of development regulation and management and related tools that incentivize preferred urban forms and garner public goods. Beasley also specializes in group facilitation and interest-based problem solving. Producing charettes to engage interested parties and experts in expedited planning is a related specialty.
Beasley and Associates offers its clients a unique, holistic perspective in addressing problems and opportunities of the environment and the city. The firm generally works in consortium with larger planning, architecture and landscape architecture firms, providing special expertize and leadership, and emphasizing top quality production. Professional highlights include:
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Founding the Urban Planning Council in Abu Dhabi, UAE, now one of the most progressive planning agencies in the Middle East
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Founding the Urban Design Studio with the City organization of Dallas, Texas, shifting the design culture of that community
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Crafting a completely new vision for Brampton, Ontario, which is helping to redefine sustainable suburbs in Canada
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Addressing quality growth of small cities via the setting of a new plan for Prince Rupert, British Columbia
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Helping to set new directions for Toronto, Ontario’s Planning Department
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Designing completely new national capital districts in Abu Dhabi and Moscow, Russia
Larry Beasley- Founding Principal
Photo Credit: Marina Dodis
Larry Beasley’s career has been dedicated to guiding the transformation of cities as a professional planner, urban designer, planning manager, and author.
Following many years as the chief planner of the City of Vancouver, he has led a successful consulting practice that has completed game-changing assignments in Abu Dhabi, Moscow, Dallas, Scandinavia, and across Canada.
Among many appointments, he has served terms on the National Capital Commission in Ottawa, the International Economic Advisory Board of Rotterdam in The Netherlands, TransLink (Greater Vancouver’s integrated transportation agency) and the Green Line Transit Project in Calgary.
In addition, he is a ‘Distinguished Practice’ Professor of Planning at the University of British Columbia, where he taught future planners for over 27 years
He has authored two popular books – “Vancouverism”, and, “Ecodesign for Cities and Suburbs”, while his online course offered via EdX has gained a worldwide following.
He is a Member of the Order of Canada, and has also received both the Kevin Lynch Prize from MIT and the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal.
Initially studying architecture, he has degrees in Geography/Political Science and Planning. He is a Fellow of the Canadian Institute of Planners, an Honorary Member of the Canadian Society of Landscape Architects, and has been recognized as an “Advocate for Architecture” by the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada. He has also received the Dean’s Medal of Distinction from UBC’s Faculty of Applied Sciences.
A full version of Larry Beasley’s CV can be found here.
Sandy Logan- Principal Associate
WILLIAM (SANDY) LOGAN is the principal associate of Beasley and Associates, an international planning and urban design consultancy. He is a Senior Project Manager with expertise in human and health services, community planning, organizational change and development, business and personal coaching and group facilitation.
As a seasoned professional, Sandy Logan has over three decades of experience in project management in the public and private sectors. For many years as a senior manager in the Government of British Columbia, he was responsible for the development and implementation of two of the largest computer systems used by the provincial government. These systems reorganized the delivery of human services for a significant portion of the public in the Province and significantly and permanently impacted the job responsibilities of thousands of employees. Then, Sandy Logan was employed, for seven years, by IBM Canada as a senior consultant in the Human Services Global Practice Team. Fulfilling this role involved consulting with the leadership of a number of governments in the Western world. Sandy was IBM’s Project Manager on a number of government undertakings involving significant organizational change. He was a member of IBM’s team responsible for project risk assessment and mitigation. This included the renegotiation of troubled projects.
For the past several years with Beasley and Associates, Sandy Logan has worked internationally on large urban design and urban planning projects. These included the following key projects.
Abu Dhabi – From 2006 through 2011, Sandy Logan was the Project Manager for the multi-disciplinary planning and production team convened by Beasley and Associates (including Civitas and Perkins+Will Canada) responsible for the development of the Abu Dhabi 2030 Plan, the Al Ain 2030 Plan, the Al Gharbia 2030 Plan and the Al Ain Region 2030 Plan. He was intimately involved with all phases of these 2030 Plans – from inception, through development, completion and delivery. During this time he organized and managed the complex logistics of major charettes and the various workshops that were fundamental to the success of these 2030 plans. He was the lead customer contact. He served as the health and community services expert at the charettes. He was also the Project Manager for the Capital Cities workshop that was the genesis of the Capital City District Master Plan. He was the Project Manager for The Emirate of Abu Dhabi’s Public Art project. This entailed the organization of a large public art charette and subsequent consultation with the Sheikha Salama Bint Hamdan Al Nahyan Foundation – the sponsor of this project. He introduced IBM’s Smarter Cities initiative to Abu Dhabi’s Urban Planning Council and continues to be involved with IBM’s Smarter Cities team.
Dallas – Sandy Logan is playing a major leadership role in a program to fully integrate leading urban design practices into all functions of the local government as well as the development community.
Toronto – Sandy Logan played a key and extensive role in several recent projects. This included development of the City Planning Division’s Strategic Plan 2013 – 2018. This Plan has won wide-spread acclaim and has been used to fundamentally re-orient the way the department works internally and externally in a very challenging and demanding environment. In a separate assignment, he co-facilitated a ground-breaking accord for a significant waterfront development between the local government and Pinnacle International, a large Canadian development group.
Moscow – Sandy Logan was part of a multi-disciplinary planning and urban design team (including Urban Design Associates, Gillespie’s, John Thompson and Partners, Beasley and Associates) that developed a competition winning plan for the expansion of the city and a new National Capital District for the Russian Federation.
Sandy Logan has also provided separate professional services for key Vancouver projects.
University of British Columbia – He recently co-led the development of a strategic directions plan for the university’s Campus and Community Planning Group.
The Rennie Group – For the past seven years, he has provided organizational change and development advice to this group, which is one of the leading condominium sales, marketing and design firms in North America. In addition he has been coaching the future leadership of the Rennie Group of Companies in preparation for a full turnover of the management structure and organization.
Sandy Logan has a degree in Psychology and Political Sciences (BA) and has had extensive complimentary training and education.
Larry Beasley’s Publications
– “Effective Urban Densification by Barry Johns – Book Review”, Canadian Architect (Vol. 70, No. 7, October 2025).
– “Foreward”, section in book, City Builders – The Maleks, the Olympics, and a Historic Gift to Vancouver, by Richard Littlemore, Barlow Books (2025).
– “Structuring the City” and “Foreward”, chapter and section in book, The Routledge Handbook of Urban Design Practice, edited by Michael Larice, Molly O’Neill Robinson, and Allen Pennman, Routledge (2026 publication pending).
– “The cloak of secrecy around Vancouver’s False Creek South needs to be lifted”, The Globe and Mail (September 14, 2021).
– “Big-City Planning: Memories and Insights”, Plan Canada Magazine- Special Centenary Edition (Spring 2019).
– “Reshaping of Downtown Vancouver – A Case Study of Transformative Incrementalism”, chapter in book, Transformative Incrementalism: The Journey to Sustainability, by Robert Buchan, Municipal World (2019).
– “The Art of the City by Raffaele Milani – Book Review”, Canadian Architect (Vol. 63, No. 3, March 2018).
– “Northeast False Creek: Vancouver’s New Golden Apple”, Vancouver Sun (February 21 2018).
– “Reclaiming Space for the Community – Giving the 13th Floor to the People”, Vancouver Sun (November 10 2017).
– “Canada Needs a New Vision for the Suburbs”, Vancouver Sun (October 30 2015).
– “The City as Museum and the Museum as City”, chapter in e-book, The City and Its Museum, edited by Marlen Moulion and Eric Sandweiss, International Council of Museums (2015).
– “Taking Canada to the World: Touchstones for Effective Canadian Planning Abroad”, Plan Canada Magazine (Winter 2012).
– “Living in False Creek North – From the Residents’ Perspective”, self-published booklet through the UBC School of Community and Regional Planning (July, 2008).
– “Moving Forward in Canadian Communities: Soliloquy of an Urbanist”, Plan Canada Magazine (Winter 2004) – Winner of the 2005 Plan Canada Feature Article of the Year from the Canadian Institute of Planners.
– “Beaudry is Linchpin of NCC’s Excellence”, Ottawa Citizen (March 2004).
– “Re-inventing the City for People – A City by Design”, Ontario Planning Journal (Vol. 19, No. 1, January/February 2004).
– “Laws and Processes Behind the Urban Designer’s Pencil: Thoughts from the Vancouver Experience”, Plan Canada Magazine (Autumn 2003).
– “Neighbourhood in the City”, with Jacqui Underwood, Vancouver Lifestyles Magazine (April 2001).
– “New Urban Neighbourhoods in Vancouver”, Making Cities Liveable Newsletter (Vol. 5, No. 3/4. 2000).
– “Development Management in a Fast-Changing Canadian City: The Vancouver Example” and “China-Canada: Urban Cross Currents”, with Louise Morris, China-Urban Planning Overseas (November 2000).
– “Living First in Downtown Vancouver”, American Planning Association – Zoning News (April 2000).
– “Hands Across the Pacific: Lessons from Chinese and Canadian Co-Operation” Forum – Canada’s National Municipal Affairs Magazine, with Louise Morris (Summer/Fall 1998).
– “New Urban Neighbourhoods in Old Urban Ways”, New Urbanism – Publication of the International Making Cities Liveable Council (Spring 1997).
– City of Vancouver Casino Review Discussion Paper, with others (August 1994).
-“Design Guidelines – Curse or Blessing”, Awards Magazine for Architecture, Construction and Interior Design, with others (September 1994).
– The Vancouver Legacies Program – Visions, (July 1985).
– More Testimony: Theory and Practice of Citizens’ Participation”, Plan Canada Magazine, book review (early 1984).
– “Hastings Sunrise”, “Planning for Cassiar Street”, “The ALRT System”, and “1986 and Beyond – Giving to Vancouver’s Future”, Quarterly Review Magazine (October 1980, October 1981, April 1982 and July 1985, respectively).
– A Design Probe Comparison of Regional and Municipal Attitudes Toward Regional Town Centres – Case Study in Burnaby, B.C., master’s thesis (May 1976).
– “Champlain Heights: Citizens’ Urban Design in Vancouver”, Landscape Architecture Magazine (March 1976).
– Vancouver’s Transportation Future, editor (Fall 1972).
Following are publications where Larry Beasley’s work is extensively discussed:
– Littlemore, Richard, “The Ideal City?”, TREK UBC Magazine (Vol. 78, No. 1, Spring/Summer, 2022)
– Bani Hashim, Alamira Reem, Planning Abu Dhabi – An Urban History, Routledge, 2019.
– Chung, Cindy, “Member in Focus”, Planning West Magazine (Winter, 2019).
– MacDonald, Elizabeth, Urban Waterfront Promenades, Routledge, 2018.
– Grant, Jill, “Experiential Planning: A Practitioner’s Account of Vancouver’s Success”, Journal of the American Planning Association (Vol. 75, Number 3, 2009).
– Montgomery, Charles, “Futureville”, Canadian Geographic Magazine (Vol. 126, No. 3, May/June, 2006).
– MacDonald, Elizabeth, “Street-facing Dwelling Units and Liveability: The Impact of Emerging Building Types in Vancouver’s New High-Density Residential Neighbourhoods”, Journal of Urban Design (Vol. 18, Number 1, February, 2005).
– Sandercock, Leonie, “An Anatomy of Civic Ambition in Vancouver: Toward Human Density”, Harvard Design Magazine (Number 22, Spring/Summer, 2005).
– Berelowitz, Lance: Dream City – Vancouver and the Global Imagination, Douglas & McIntyre, 2005.
– Fisher, Bonnie et al: Remaking the Urban Waterfront, Urban Land Institute, 2004.
– Breen, Ann and Rigby, Dick: In Town Living – A Different American Dream, Praeger Publishers, 2004.
– Punter, John: The Vancouver Achievement, UBC Press, 2003.
– Register, Richard: Ecocities – Building Cities in Balance with Nature, Berkeley Hills Books, 2002.
Professional Awards Received by Larry Beasley
2022
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Silver Award of Excellence – Planning Institute of British Columbia
2020
- Honorary Faculty Member- Vancouver Island University, Master of Community Planning Program
2016
- President’s Award- Canadian Institute of Planners (for role in Future Forward Task Force)
- Dean’s Medal of Distinction- University of British Columbia, Faculty of Applied Sciences
2012
- Design Leadership Award- International Interior Designers Association, Interior Designers Canada and Interior Designers Institute of British Columbia
- Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal- Governor General of Canada
- Award of Excellence-Urban Design- Canadian Institute of Planners (for Dallas CityDesign Studio’s West Dallas Urban Structure Plan and Guidelines)
- Competition Winner- Moscow Capital Expansion Competition (City of Moscow)
2011
- Honorary Doctorate Degree – Dalhousie University
- CLIDE Award- North Central Texas Council of Governments (for Dallas CityDesign Studio’s West Dallas Urban Structure Plan and Guidelines)
- Winner and Peoples’ Choice Award- Vancouver Viaducts Removal Competition (City of Vancouver)
2010
- Award of Excellence-Publications- Canadian Institute of Planning (for “Experiential Planning – A Practitioner’s Account of Vancouver’s Success” – with Jill Grant)
2009
- Award of Excellence- International Society of City and Regional Planners, The Hague, Nl. (for “Plan Al Ain 2030”)
2008
- Building Named for Him- “The Beasley”, Downtown Vancouver
- Award of Excellence- Planning Institute of British Columbia (for “Plan Abu Dhabi 2030”)
2007
- Distinguished Alumni Award- Simon Fraser University Alumni Association
- Honorary Doctorate Degree- Simon Fraser University
- Kevin Lynch Prize- Massachusetts Institute of Technology
2006
- Leadership in Healthy Public Policy Award- Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada
- Award of Excellence- Congress for the New Urbanism, Chicago, Ill. (“Living First” Strategy Downtown)
- Honorary Landscape Architect- Canadian Society of Landscape Architects
2005
- Plan Canada Feature Article of the Year- Canadian Institute of Planners (for “Moving Forward in Canadian Communities: Soliloquy of an Urbanist”)
- Appreciation Award- Downtown Vancouver Business Improvement Association
2004
- Award of Excellence- Planning Institute of British Columbia (Urban Design Booklet -Vol.2: “Vancouver’s New Neighbourhoods”)
- Excellence on the Waterfront Honour Award- Waterfront Centre Society, Washington, D.C. (False Creek North Neighbourhoods)
- Special Achievement Award for Planning- International Downtown Association, Washington, D.C. (“Living First” Strategy Downtown)
2003
- Excellence on the Waterfront Honour Award- Waterfront Centre Society, Washington, DC (Waterfront Promenade)
- Awards for Planning Excellence- Canadian Institute of Planners and Planning Institute of British Columbia (Downtown Transportation Plan)
- “Advocate for Architecture” Medal- Royal Architectural Institute of Canada
2000
- National Honour Award- Canadian Institute of Planners (Southeast False Creek Environmentally Sustainable Community – Policy Statement)
1999
- National Honour Award- Canadian Institute of Planners (Historic Preservation Planning in Xi’an, China)
1998
- Award for Planning Excellence-Planning Institute of British Columbia (Vancouver Skyline Study)
1996
- Award of Merit- Planning Institute of British Columbia (Downtown Public Realm Improvements)
- Award of Planning Excellence- Planning Institute of British Columbia (False Creek North Policy Broadsheets and Official Development Plan)
- “World’s 100 Best Planning- United Nations Centre for Human Settlements, Nairobi, Kenya – for Practices” Habitat II Summit, Istanbul, Turkey (Waterfront Planning Process and Plans)
1995
- National Honour Award for Intergovernmental Cooperation- Canadian Institute of Planners (Central Waterfront Port Lands Policy Statement)
1994
- Award for Contribution to Local Government- Social Planning & Research Council of B.C. & Forum for Planning Action
(Victory Square Planning Program)
1993
- Award for Planning Excellence- Planning Institute of British Columbia (Downtown South Plan/Implementation)
1992
- Award of Merit- Planning Institute of British Columbia (Central Area Plan)
- “Golden Nugget” Award- Pacific Coast Builders Conference, San Francisco, Calif. (False Creek North Plan)
- Excellence on the Waterfront Honour Award- Waterfront Centre Society, Washington, D.C. (Coal Harbour Plan)
1991
- Award of Merit- Planning Institute of British Columbia (Coal Harbour Policy Plan)
1990
- Award for Planning Excellence- Planning Institute of British Columbia (False Creek North Plan)
1988
- National Honour Award- Canadian Institute of Planners (Legacies Program)
1987
- Achievement Award- Downtown Vancouver Association (Legacies Program)
1987
- Special Achievement Award- International Downtown Association, Washington D.C. (Legacies Program)
Ecodesign for Cities and Suburbs: A new book by Larry Beasley and Jonathan Barnett
Purchase Here: http://islandpress.org/ecodesign-for-cities-and-suburbs
As world population grows, and more people move to cities and suburbs, they place greater stress on the operating system of our whole planet. But urbanization and increasing densities also present our best opportunity for improving sustainability, by transforming urban development into desirable, lower-carbon, compact and walkable communities and business centers. Jonathan Barnett and Larry Beasley seek to demonstrate that a sustainable built and natural environment can be achieved through ecodesign, which integrates the practice of planning and urban design with environmental conservation, through normal business practices and the kinds of capital programs and regulations already in use in many communities. Ecodesign helps adapt the design of our built environment to both a changing climate and a rapidly growing world, creating more desirable places in the process. In six comprehensively illustrated chapters, the authors explain ecodesign concepts, including the importance of preserving and restoring natural systems while also adapting to climate change; minimizing congestion on highways and at airports by making development more compact, and by making it easier to walk, cycle and take trains and mass transit; crafting and managing regulations to insure better placemaking and fulfill consumer preferences, while incentivizing preferred practices; creating an inviting and environmentally responsible public realm from parks to streets to forgotten spaces; and finally how to implement these ecodesign concepts. Throughout the book, the ecodesign framework is demonstrated by innovative practices that are already underway or have been accomplished in many cities and suburbs—from Hammarby Sjöstad in Stockholm to False Creek North in Vancouver to Battery Park City in Manhattan, as well as many smaller-scale examples that can be adopted in any community. Ecodesign thinking is relevant to anyone who has a part in shaping or influencing the future of cities and suburbs – designers, public officials, and politicians.
Beasley & Associates Planning, Inc. 