In this episode, Eleanor Mohammed and Peter Spearey join our host Stephen to discuss the Edmonton Design Awards, great examples of urban design and its importance to building great public spaces. Learn about the jury process, philosophy and goals of Edmonton Design Week and how our guests see it evolving over time. 

Biographies: 
Peter Spearey
Peter is an award-winning landscape architect and urban designer with over twenty-five years experience exploring how thoughtful design can shape engaging, authentic and sustainable places. Peter’s practice merges placemaking and sustainable urbanism through a creative and collaborative approach to design.

Peter has worked in both the private and public sector on a wide range of community planning, landscape architecture, urban design and environmental graphic design assignments across Western and Northern Canada. Since 2016, Peter has served as Lead Urban Designer for the City of Edmonton. In this role, Peter has been responsible for delivering the City’s urban design program, including the development of urban design policy and strategy, providing reviews of development applications and City infrastructure projects, overseeing the Edmonton Design Committee, and planning and hosting the biennial Edmonton Urban Design Awards. 
At the end of November, Peter will be leaving the City of Edmonton to take on the position of Chief Urban Designer for the City of Calgary.

Eleanor Mohammed

Eleanor Mohammed, RPP, FCIP, EP, MTCP, is a globally recognized Urban Planner with over two
decades of leadership in the public, private, and non-profit sectors. A Partner at DIALOG, she
advances transformative solutions in urban governance and land use planning. Currently the
Chair of the UN-Habitat Professionals Forum and a Board Director at Canada’s National Capital
Commission, she drives local and global initiatives in sustainable city-building and climate
resilience. A former President of the Commonwealth Association of Planners and the Canadian
Institute of Planners, she has spearheaded diverse projects from sustainable development
advocacy to professional capacity building and multilateral international engagement. She was
recognized on the Royal Town Planning Institute’s (U.K.) International Women of Influence list
and is a passionate professional who is a sought-after keynote at international events. Eleanor
holds a Master of Arts with Distinction in Town and Country Planning from the University of the
West of England (U.K.) and an Honours Bachelor