Events
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Events ★
Have an idea for an event you’d love to see? Want to share your thoughts on something we’ve hosted so far this year? We’d love to hear from you! Please fill out our General Event Interest Survey! All thoughts and ideas are welcome!
Merch Design Competition - SUBMISSIONS DUE
Calling all designers!! We're looking for some talented GAPSS members (and anyone else) to submit their design ideas for our next round of merch in the upcoming year. You could have YOUR design on our hoodies, tote bags, tshirts and more. If you're interested, please click the link in our bio and fill out the submission form by November 13th at 11:59 pm. We're excited to see your amazing designs!!
*Note: Designs will be chosen by popular vote in a competition.
Arc Card Decorating
Take a break from studying and come hang in the GAPSS Room (Tory 3-87). Decorate your arc card, if you please!
It will be chill vibes with arts and crafts. All are welcome! Card sleeves and supplies will be provided, but feel free to bring supplies if you want to make your card look extra special.
Where: GAPSS Room (Tory 3-87)
When: November 18, 12:00 pm to 3:00 pm
Celebration of Planning
The annual University of Alberta Celebration of Planning Program Fundraiser will be held on November 9th this year. The event provides scholarships for students in the School of Urban and Regional Planning. Enjoy a night of food, networking, and presentations from councillor Anne Stevenson, the Executive Director of the Downtown Business Association, and Senior VP of Qualico Properties. Ticket is required.
1st & 2nd Year Meet Up
CALLING ALL FIRST AND SECOND YEAR HUMAN GEOGRAPHY AND PLANNING STUDENTS!
Come meet, mingle, and make new friends in your program at the Geography and Planning First and Second Year Meet-Up! Join your fellow geography and planning students for an evening of fun, games, snacks, and making new friends! Activities will include social tables for chatting, board/card game tables for some friendly competition, and a Geoguesser session to test your geography-identifying skills! Food will be potluck style — pick up your favourite store-bought and packaged snacks, food, and drinks to share with everyone! Plus-ones are welcome! Don’t forget to register
Where: UCOMM 1-090
When: November 4, 2026. 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM
Heritage Places Strategy Launch
The City of Edmonton has just completed its new Heritage Places Strategy. It reflects a shift already underway in how Edmonton understands heritage: that our story has always been bigger than our buildings. The new strategy broadens the City's heritage work to include natural heritage, Indigenous heritage, and community and cultural heritage, alongside the built heritage the City is best known for.
To mark the launch, the City of Edmonton and the Edmonton Heritage Council are co-hosting Evolving Heritage - Working together on Heritage Places in Edmonton.
When: Tuesday, November 3rd. Doors at 6:30pm, Event from 7:00 - 9:00pm.
Where: Stanley Milner Library’s Muttart Theatre
Veronica O. Davis: Inclusive Transportation
Transportation expert Veronica O. Davis shines a light on the inequitable and often destructive practice of transportation planning and engineering. She calls for new thinking and more diverse leadership to create transportation networks that connect people to jobs, education, opportunities, and to each other. Make sure to get your tickets!
WHEN: October 28, 7pm
WHERE: CCIS North Lecture Theatres
Workshop: Inclusive Transportation with Veronica O. Davis
This workshop will be an opportunity to learn from an industry leader about how we design and build our transportation networks with equity in mind. In addition to an address geared towards transportation nerds, there will be time for Q&A and breakout discussions and activities.
WHEN: October 28, 9am-1pm
WHERE: Henry Marshall Tory Building
132 Avenue Bike Tour
Join us for a bike tour along 132 Avenue this Sunday, October 25th! Two of our Planning classmates, Eli and Ben, will be leading a tour along Edmonton’s premier active infrastructure project. You can take a thorough look at the implementation of street design best practices, and enjoy a leisurely ride along with your fellow bike lane enthusiasts. Use this Google Form to register… come along, it’s free!
WHEN: October 25, 1pm
WHERE: Meet at Belvedere Park
careerWORKS
Don’t miss the early bird deadline to register for the careerWORKS Career Development Conference! Registration before October 9 includes a full day of career development sessions, lunch, LinkedIn Profile Headshots, swag and more! The careerWORKS Conference is open to undergraduate students in Arts and Business. We hope to see you on Saturday, October 24, 2026 for this fully in-person event that is only offered every 2 years - don't miss out!
COST: Early Bird (until October 9): $20. If you have financial concerns, please contact: artsbizcareerconf@ualberta.ca
WHEN: Saturday, October 24 | 9 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
WHERE: Kipnes Health Research Academy (KHRA)
GAPSS Bar Night!!!!
Join us for GAPSS Bar Night and have a wonderful evening of chatting, dancing, and making new friends with like-minded folks!
Undergraduate and graduate students welcome. This event is open to everyone, so please bring friends, family, or partners who’d like to hang out with goated geographers and planners! Tickets are $7 and will get you a 1 oz pre-paid highball and priority entry, both until 11 pm. Use this Google Form to purchase tickets.
WHEN: Oct 23, 9pm
WHERE: The Pint Whyte
APPI - Tour, Eat & the Future of Mary Burlie Park
This program includes components of Christine's famous Chinatown walking and food tour of local businesses, coupled with a short informative session on the Future of Mary Burlie Park in Edmonton's Chinatown that will be presented by Mary Burlie's Granddaughter, Tanika Burlie herself who is a Community Engagement Director, The Mary Burlie "Black Angel" Society – The Friends of Mary Burlie Park. Tickets are $10 for students
WHEN: October 23, 3-6pm
WHERE: Meet at Van Loc
CIP the Road to Registered Professional Planner
Aspiring and current RPP candidates seeking certification as Registered Professional Planners (RPPs) in Canada are invited to join us on a journey through the certification process. In this presentation, we’ll explore the pathways to becoming an RPP. With a focus on both the accredited degree pathway and Prior Learning Assessment Recognition (PLAR) pathway. From the requirements for admission through to obtaining you RPP designation to the final exam, we’ll demystify the certification process. Whether you’re a fresh graduate, or seasoned planner working in Canada, this session will provide valuable insights into obtaining your RPP designation. Join us as we pave your path toward excellence in planning!
Register for The Road to Registered Professional Planner
WHEN: October 22, 10:00 AM (12:00 PM EST)
CIP-PSTF Bursary Applications Close
2026 CIP-PSTF bursary applications are open. Awards of $3,000 and $5,000 are available to eligible full-time students in accredited Canadian planning programs who are CIP Student members and need financial assistance.
Deadline: October 18, 2026 at 3:00 p.m. ET. Review the options and apply.
APPI and CPAA Networking Event
Every year the department hosts a networking event with the Alberta Professional Planners Institute (APPI) and the Community Planning Association of Alberta (CPAA). It’s a wonderful and popular event where there will be a group of experienced professional planners chatting with students about the job market and their experiences. Typically they rotate practicing planners through tables of students so there are lots of opportunities for conversation.
October 15. 5-7 pm. In the Planning Studio (Tory 3-57). Food (pizza) and refreshment provided by APPI and CPAA. Save the date!
Building Infill: A Modular Housing Future
As part of Edmonton Design Week: Building Infill: A Modular Housing Future, taking place on October 14 from 6:00–8:00 PM at the Muttart Theatre.
The event will bring together professionals and community members to explore modular housing, infill development, and the opportunities and challenges of building more housing in our communities.
We’d love to have you join us for the evening. If you’re interested in attending, please RSVP through the link below (it's free, yipee!). Feel free to also share the event with anyone in your network who may be interested.
So You Wanna be an Architect?
This presentation is about the nuts and bolts of practice, including an exploration of how buildings are made and the professionals behind them. The presentation will aid students in understanding the necessary skills and prerequisites to becoming a licensed architect. Free attendance but registration is required.
What Happens Next? Referendum Panel
Join us for our upcoming What Happens Next? panel discussion exploring different perspectives on the Alberta Referendum questions from Keith Wilson, Jason Kenney, and Marie L. Gordon, AOE KC. The goal of the evening is not to tell students how to vote, but to give you an opportunity to hear different perspectives, understand the arguments being made, and critically analyze the referendum questions for yourselves before you cast your vote on October 19.
Tickets are $10 (plus fees) for U of A Staff and Alumni, and free for current students on UASU Perks!
Please note that this is a CLOSED CAMPUS SHOW, and is not available to the general public. This event is only open to students, staff, and alumni of the University of Alberta with proof of a valid ONEcard. No refunds will be issued for failure to produce a ONEcard.
NOW // The Evolution of Edmonton Infill
MADE (Media Architecture Design Edmonton) and IDEA (Infill Development in Edmonton Association) are hosting an event on infill design. It’s free but you have to register. This event is on infill from the 80s to now. There will be a follow-up event on ’next’ during Edmonton Design week.
Week Without Driving
This year, Paths for People is hosting the Week Without Driving in Edmonton, and we’d love to help you and your colleagues participate!
Week Without Driving is not about forcing yourself not to not drive, it's about taking the time to understand what it's like for those who cannot drive in our community. Whether you go all-in for the week or try one drive-free trip, it’s a worthwhile experience.
From October 1 - 8, 2026, we invite you to join us and reflect on our transportation system and how we can make it more accessible for everyone. Learn more and pledge to participate here!
Already a nondriver? We welcome you to sign up and participate too, sharing your daily reflections with our easy engagement tool and showing your support for this special awareness campaign.
GAPSS Fall Annual General Meeting
To kick off the 2026-2027 year, GAPSS will be hosting its Fall Annual General Meeting on September 24th from 6-8 pm at Tory 3-57, aka the Planning Studio. This event is a great way to learn about GAPSS, our events for the year, our Exec Team, and how to get involved through our subcommittees. You can also expect to meet fellow GAPSS'ers and even members of the Planning and Human Geography Faculties at the U of A!
Oh, and did we mention free food and (non-alc) drinks?
We hope to see you there!!
EAS Welcome Back Event
On September 18th there will be a Welcome Event for all staff, postdocs, grad and undergrad students (2nd year and above) in Tory 3-36 at 5pm. The event is catered and non-alcoholic beverages will be provided, come meet some new faces and reconnect with old friends.
Inaugural APPI Planning History Webinar: Postwar Architect Planners in Alberta
*This is promoted event. Event is NOT hosted by GAPSS!*
Join us for a special webinar celebrating the 65th anniversary of the Alberta Professional Planners Institute!
You may be a fan of mid-century modern design, but how much do you know about mid-century modern planning? Learn more in this first annual APPI Planning History Webinar. Presenters David Gordon (Queen’s University), Erik Backstrom (APPI president), Wayne Jackson (former APPI president), and Sasha Tsenkova (University of Calgary) will set the historical context and highlight the role of architect planners in establishing the planning profession in Alberta after the Second World War.
The session will be held online over Zoom. Register here: https://members.albertaplanners.com/mpower/event/landing.action?id=64
Housing Forward: 2026 Prairies Affordable Housing Summit
*This is promoted event. Event is NOT hosted by GAPSS!*
Housing Forward: 2026 Prairies Affordable Housing Summit is the first City of Edmonton-hosted, prairie-wide gathering focused specifically on practical delivery of affordable and non-market housing solutions. Convened by the City of Edmonton, the Summit brings together municipalities, developers, housing providers, planners, Indigenous housing leaders, and funders from across Western Canada.
Learn more about the event with the above link!
Join natIgnite 2026 – Interdisciplinary Competition
*This is promoted event. Event is NOT hosted by GAPSS!*
When: May 8–10, 2026
Where: 8th Floor, Donadeo Innovation Centre for Engineering (DICE), University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB
Who: Open to participants from all disciplines: tech, science, business, arts, health, engineering, and more!
Theme: Accessibility
This year’s event explores how products, systems, and organizations can be designed to be more usable, inclusive, and equitable. From physical and digital systems to internal processes and business operations, teams will build solutions that expand access rather than limit it.
Register here: nat.ltd/natignite
Application Deadline: April 17, 2026
Planners as Consultants: The Business Side of Planning
*This is promoted event. Event is NOT hosted by GAPSS!*
Planners are trained to analyze policy, land use and community needs, but few receive guidance on the practical realities of running a consulting practice. In this workshop, the facilitator will draw on her experience as owner of a successful 30-person consulting firm to address the business skills you need to thrive as a consultant or firm owner. Real-world case studies, candid insights and hands-on exercises will illustrate the learning and equip you with tools you can use.
Wed April 15 – 11 am to 1pm Pacific Time (12:00 pm - 2:00 pm MST)
Online Synchronous
Student Fee: $45 – Add to Cart at online registration link and use promo code: PLANURP
GAPSS Year End Student Showcase
The Year-End Student Showcase is a low-stakes way to showcase your best work to industry professionals, professors, and fellow students. Last year, 74 students presented projects!
Date: Thursday, April 9, 2026; from 4:00 to 6:00 PM
Venue: University Commons Atrium (UCOMM), University of Alberta
Planning and Human Geography grad and undergrad students are eligible to participate as presenters.
Projects do not need to be completed at the time of registration.
fill out this form if you'd like to present something!
Projects can be from any class/term, or year and should be in a presentable format. Printing costs for posters will be reimbursed/subsidized!
Students are welcome to attend as guests if they don’t bring a project, as the Showcase will also function as an informal networking event.
Email gapss@ualberta.ca if you have any questions at all.
SEE YOU THERE!
GAPSS Winter AGM
Join us for our semi-annual general meeting, where we will propose constitutional changes, as well as announce the new exec team winners!
Dinner will be provided!
Location: Tory 3-57 (Planning Studio)
GAPSS Voting Period
Cast your votes to elect the executive committee for the 2026-2027 academic school year!
To learn more about our nominees, head to our Student Life tab > Elections.
The voting period runs from March 30 - April 2 at 4:00 pm. Winners will be announced at our Winter AGM on Thursday, April 2 @ 5:00pm in Tory 3-57. All are welcome and food will be provided!
Please note that you must be a GAPSS member to vote. Membership sign-ups are paused during the voting period.
Follow the voting link here!: https://campus.hellorubric.com/election?electionId=775
EAS Grad Banquet
Everyone within the EAS department is invited to celebrate this phenomenal group of undergrads!
The banquet will be taking place on Saturday, March 28th, starting at 5:30 pm in Dinwoodie Lounge (SUB).
Tickets to the banquet will be $35 and can be paid with an e-transfer or cash. Instructions for each can be found below.
To pay via e-transfer, please fill out the 2026 EAS Graduation Banquet Ticket form. Instructions are included in the form. Once your e-transfer is received, you must pick up your ticket in either the P.S. Warren (CCIS 2-034) or GAPSS (Tory 3-87) clubroom. However, please note that ticket pick up will begin on Wednesday, March 11th!
If you'd prefer to pay cash, you will have to do so in person at the P.S. Warren (CCIS 2-034) when a Grad Committee member is present. Once again, ticket pick up will only start on Wednesday, March 11th.
Even if you are not graduating, a professor, or a friend, you are still welcome (and encouraged) to attend! Ticket sales will close Friday, March 20th at 11:59 pm. Make sure you buy them now before you forget!
GAPSS Election Forum
Learn about all the potential candidate platforms and why you should vote for them! Come with questions, open to all students, but only GAPSS members can vote (become one here)
Location: Tory 3-57 (Planning Studio)
ATLAS Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) Lunch-Hour
*This is promoted event. Event is NOT hosted by GAPSS!*
Instead of having lunch alone (or no lunch at all), this is a chance to take a break from work, socialize, and engage in discussions with other students from the department in a relaxed and welcoming environment!
When: Every two weeks, on Thursdays
Time: 12:30–1:30 p.m.
Where: ESB 3-01 (EAS lunchroom)
What’s provided: Sweet treats, coffee, and tea
Junior Study Room
Every Wednesday at 5 pm till whenever. Join the 1st and 2nd years in the GAPSS Room, do some studying or not. Located in the GAPSS Room (Tory 3 - 87).
GAPSS Bowling Night!
Join us for the third annual GAPSS Bowling social at Plaza Bowling Co. for some classic Canadian five-pin fun!
For $15, enjoy 2 hours of bowling, shoe rental, pizza, and priceless camaraderie with your Geography and Planning classmates (total bargain). Additionally, Plaza offers an assortment of snacks, local craft beer, ciders, wine, and non-alcoholic beverages for purchase, and a unique and wonderful bowling atmosphere. All are welcome, so please feel free to invite friends, family, and partners along!
Event Timing: March 20th, 2026 - 8:00 pm to 10:00 pm
Location: Plaza Bowling Co. - 10418 118 Ave NW
Tickets are $15! Get yours here!
Did you know: Geographers and Planners are 50% more likely to hit a strike when they take public or active transit to the alley.
Did you know: People who fact-check fun facts throw gutter balls 100% of the time.