Planning Aid Scotland has marked a year of significant milestones and community achievements at its Annual General Meeting, held in Edinburgh.

Town planning is about more than maps, buildings or development proposals. It is the process that shapes how people live, move and connect. Planning affects every aspect of daily life, from where homes are built to how people reach work, school and green space. At its best, it balances growth with heritage, environment and wellbeing.

We recently delivered our latest Community Engagement Skills Training, bringing together planners, architects, local authority officers and community development professionals from across Scotland.

For the first time in history, all five UK-based planning aid organisations have signed a joint memorandum of understanding, pledging to collaborate, exchange knowledge, and drive innovation in how communities engage with the planning system.

As part of ScotLand Futures, an initiative from the Scottish Land Commission exploring what it would mean to complete Scotland’s Land Reform journey, Planning Aid Scotland was invited to contribute a personal perspective on how the planning system and community empowerment intersect with questions of land, place and power.

We’re delighted to introduce the trainers for our next Community Engagement Skills Training in Glasgow!

After some in-depth conversations about the ‘why’, ‘how’, and ‘what’ of Planning Aid Scotland, we’re excited to share our new strategy. 

This marks a significant milestone for us at Planning Aid Scotland as we reflect on a year of collaboration and impact across Scotland.

Our Chief Executive, Johanna Boyd will be speaking at Women in Planning Central Scotland’s event tonight, 12 March 2025!

We’re thrilled to share that we’ve received official accreditation from the 4 Day Week Foundation! We made the decision to permanently adopt a four-day work week — and the results have been overwhelmingly positive.