User:Kyla Oliveros/sandbox

Biography
Olafiyin Taiwo MRTPI is a British-Nigerian Town Planner committed to improving the quality of life and experiences of communities through creating sustainable, resilient and inclusive cities and human settlements.

She is a champion of sustainable urbanisation - advocating for multidisciplinary and cross-sectoral partnership, multilevel governance commitment, collaborative partnership, multigenerational engagement to enable innovation, maximise the opportunities and mitigate the challenges of sustainable urbanisation towards practical impact and benefits for all.

Olafiyin is the Chair (1) of the Commonwealth Association of Planners Young Planners Network. She provided an inspiring and effective leadership for the network, ensuring volunteer potential is developed and maximised. She developed a robust and appropriate governance for the network to ensure the ambitious strategic plans to achieve vision and mission whilst ensuring young planners and young people are at the heart of every discussion, decision and activity of the built and natural environment professions.

Olafiyin is the founder of Life Brooks International (2), an international charitable organisation committed to bringing hope and transforming the lives of deprived communities particularly children, and young people in urban areas and cities (3).

Olafiyin is the co-founder of BAME Planners Network(4) a friendly platform for Black Asian and Minority Ethnic groups within the planning profession in the United Kingdom and Ireland (5).

​As an International Planner, She is the co-chair of the UN-Habitat Planners for Climate Action (6), member of the General Assembly (7) and International Committee (8) of the Royal Town Planning Institute and founding member of the Commonwealth Youth for Sustainable Urbanisation (9). She is the Minute Secretary and Domain (Governance) Expert of Wales Net Zero 2035 Challenge Group (13), a working group set up following the Welsh Government and Plaid Cymru signed Cooperation Agreement (14) to work together on a range of policy areas. Within the theme ‘A Greener Wales to Tackle Climate Change and the Nature Emergency’, a commitment was made to “Commission independent advice to examine potential pathways to net zero by 2035 – the current target date is 2050. They will look at the impact on society and sectors of our economy and how any adverse effects may be mitigated, including how the costs and benefits are shared fairly. The expert advice will consider pathways to achieve net zero by 2035, that are compatible with the ambitions of both the goals and ways of working of the Well-being for Future Generations (WFG) Act (2015) (15).

Early Life and Education
Olafiyin Taiwo (Full Yoruba name: Olafiyinfoluwa Oluwatosin) was born in Ibadan. She earned her bachelor’s degree in European Studies - Russian Language at the University of Ibadan in 2009. During her undergraduate studies, she represented Nigeria at the 21st Governing Council (10) of the UN-Habitat where she contributed to the drafting of the UN-Habitat Resolution 21/06 which, among other things, requested the Executive Director to establish the Opportunities Fund for Urban Youth-led Development (11). She then represented the global youth at the UN-Habitat United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime Expert Group Meeting on Policing Urban Spaces in partnership with the Nigerian Police Force and contributed to the International Handbook on Policing Urban Spaces (12). She completed her first Master’s Degree in International Law and International Relations at University of Kent and another master’s degree in Urban Regeneration and Development at The University of Manchester.

Career
Commonwealth Association of Planners Young Planners Network

In March 2020, Olafiyin was appointed the Young Planners’ Coordinator of the Commonwealth Association of Planners (17). She succeeded Viral Desai. As the Young Planners’ Coordinator, Olafiyin created opportunities for young planners to formally represent their representative Professional Planning Institutes from across The Commonwealth through the establishment of an Executive Committee. She became the chair of the Young Planners Network following the creation of the committee which had over 21 representatives as the founding members of the Executive Committee.

In July 2023, She launched the CAP Young Planners Network’s flagship programme - Cities by Citizen.

Current Affiliations
Founder, Life Brooks International

Chair, Commonwealth Association of Planners – Young Planners Network

Board member, Paradigm Leadership Support Initiative

Co-chair, Education and Capacity Building, UN-Habitat Initiative Planners for Climate Action

Minute Secretary and Domain (Governance) Expert, Wales Net Zero 2035 Challenge Group (Welsh Government and Parliament)

Co-founder, BAME Planners Network

Memberships and fellowships

Member of the Royal Town Planning Institute - elected 2020

Member of the International Society of City and Regional Planners (ISOCARP) - elected 2023

Past Roles
Member, Planning Education Review Board, Royal Town Planning Institute. 2022 - 2023

Steering Committee Member, BAME Planners Network. 2020 - 2023

CAP Representative - UN Habitat World Urban Campaign Steering Committee. 2019 - 2020

CAP Representative - Habitat Professional Forum. 2019 -2020 (16)

Communications Lead, Women in Planning 2019 -2020

Member, Expert Group on Policing Urban Spaces, UN-Habitat. 2007

AWARDS and Honours

The Planner Magazine – Woman of Influence 2022

The Planner Magazine – Woman of Influence 2021

RTPI President Special Award 2021

Reference

 * 1) https://www.commonwealth-planners.org/new-leader-of-cap-yps
 * 2) https://www.lbrooks.org/
 * 3) https://bdcollective.co.uk/partners/life-brooks-international/
 * 4) https://www.bameplanners.org/
 * 5) https://www.vercida.com/uk/features/bame-planners-network-at-royal-town-planning-institute
 * 6) https://www.planners4climateaction.org/about-us
 * 7) https://www.rtpi.org.uk/blog/2023/march/olafiyin-taiwo-gender-mainstreaming-is-key-to-creating-cities-that-work-for-everyone/
 * 8) https://www.rtpi.org.uk/about-the-rtpi/governance/get-involved-with-our-committees/rtpi-corporate-committees/standing-committees/international-committee/
 * 9) https://thecommonwealth.org/news/young-people-passion-sustainable-development-urged-join-new-commonwealth-network
 * 10) https://unhabitat.org/governing-council
 * 11) https://staging.unhabitat.org/content.asp?cid=6104&catid=531&typeid=3
 * 12) https://staging.unhabitat.org/content.asp?cid=7275&catid=7&typeid=5&subMenuId=0
 * 13) https://netzero2035.wales/about/members/
 * 14) https://www.gov.wales/sites/default/files/publications/2021-11/cooperation-agreement-2021.pdf
 * 15) https://www.gov.wales/sites/default/files/publications/2021-10/well-being-future-generations-wales-act-2015-the-essentials-2021.pdf
 * 16) https://unhabitat.org/habitat-professionals-forum-hpf-statement-on-covid-19-pandemic
 * 17) https://www.commonwealth-planners.org/new-leader-of-cap-yps