Born in 1946 and brought up in Cupar, Fife, I was educated at the local school - 
At the reception, hosted by Sarah Boyack MSP (a former town planner), guests heard from Ann Skippers, President of the RTPI and Stewart Stevenson MSP, Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Climate Change, whose great uncle in 1928 hosted the meeting in Edinburgh at which it was decided to set up a permanent Scottish Branch of the Institute.
“Scotland has a proud history of town planning, from Edinburgh’s New Town to the pioneering vision of New Lanark and more recently the regeneration of the Gorbals. It is the birthplace of the widely-recognised father of town planning, Sir Patrick Geddes and his legacy lives on today in the range of innovative projects led by planners underway across Scotland.
Eighty years ago the Scottish planning profession came together to found the Scottish branch of the Royal Town Planning Institute, recognising Scotland’s separate and unique system of land tenure, legislation and local and national character. Its members have shaped the fabric of Scotland’s built environment, culture and character over the past eighty years and I’m delighted to celebrate the achievements of the RTPI in Scotland, and to look forward to an exciting future where planners are leading in shaping Scotland’s development.”
Stewart Stevenson MSP, Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Climate Change said:
"I was delighted to discover my family connection with the origins of the Royal Town Planning Institute in Scotland. Planning has achieved much for Scotland over the past 80 years. Our reforms of the planning system are designed to ensure that we have a planning system which is fit for purpose in the 21st century. The Scottish Government wants to see planning playing a key role in addressing the contemporary challenges of economic recovery, sustainable development and climate change."
