Alumnus shortlisted for RTPI prize

Alumnus and Senior Planner at Deloitte, Ross Raftery, has been shortlisted for the Royal Town Planning Institute’s (RTPI) Young Planner of the Year award.

Ross, who achieved a First Class Honours Degree in City and Regional Planning (BSc 2006) and an MSc Urban and Regional Development (2014) will find out if he has won the prize at a ceremony in central London on 24 April 2019.

The RTPI Awards for Planning Excellence reward outstanding achievement in the field of planning and recognise quality performance and practice across a range of different categories.

Ross joined Deloitte as a Graduate Planner in September 2014 where he has been able to develop, enhance and complement his academic skills with practical application and experience. He has recently taken on new responsibilities as Deloitte Real Estates’ innovation lead.

Responding to the announcement of the shortlist, Ross said: “I’m incredibly pleased to have been shortlisted by the RTPI for Young Planner of the Year 2019. The knowledge and experiences I gained at Cardiff University, including a placement year at the Vale of Glamorgan Council, have enabled me to maximise the wide range of opportunities I have been offered at Deloitte.”

Professor Paul Milbourne, Head of the School of Geography and Planning, added: “We’re always keen to hear about alumni achievements and Ross’ shortlisting as Young Planner of the Year, a testament to his hard work and talent, is news worth celebrating.

“Our degree programmes are designed to challenge our students thinking, encourage them to question the status quo, and stimulate the creativity to help solve some of the major social, economic, development and planning challenges of the 21^st century. The aim is to produce graduates with the skills, knowledge, confidence and curiosity to excel, and effect positive change, in their chosen fields. Ross is a shining example of this and I would like to congratulate him on his well-deserved success and wish him the best of luck at the awards presentation in April!”

The BSc City and Regional Planning programme is no longer available at the School. It was replaced with BSc Urban Planning and Development.