On November 5th, 2010, the Department of Urban and Regional Planning (DURP) from the University of Hawai’i at Manoa and the American Planning Association Hawaii Chapter hosted the World Town Planning Day with awards and presentations. The theme of this 2010 edition of the World Town Planning Day was “Innovations in Planning for Livable Cities in Asia and the Pacific”.

During this event, two EWC Alumni received awards. Dr. Khaleda Rashid received the Dinell Outstanding Award and Dr. G. Shabbir Cheema shared the Planner of the Year Award with Peter Rappa.

Khaleda (OG, Urban & Region Planning, 1977-79; Assoc, EWCA/EWC 2006 Vietnam Intnl Conf, 2006; Assoc, EWCA/EWC 1970s Alumni Reunion, 2007; EWSem, EWCA Conference, 2007; OEA, EWCA Chapter Leaders Workshop, 2008) is the current Chair of the 2010 – 2011 EWCA Executive Board and is member of the Executive Committee of the EWCA Bangladesh Chapter.

Dr. G. Shabbir Cheema is Director, Asia-Pacific Governance and Democracy Initiative (AGDI) and Senior Fellow, East-West Center, Honolulu, Hawai’i. He has been a Visiting Fellow at the Harvard University’s Ash Institute for Democratic Governance and Innovation. Before joining East-West Center, Dr. Cheema was Program Director, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, United Nations (2001- 2007), the Director of Governance Division of United Nations Development Programme (1995-2001) and Principal Adviser, Urban Management (1990-95).

The Urban and Regional Planning Department at the University of Hawai’i at Manoa established the Dinell Outstanding Alumni Award in November 2007. The award, named after emeritus professor Tom Dinell of Urban and Regional Planning, goes to an outstanding planner who has graduated from the department with a master’s degree or doctorate and has demonstrated:

• Dedication to furthering the public interest, social justice and broad-based participation in planning
• Commitment to balancing the physical and social aspects of planning
• Personal leadership in planning, particularly in mentoring planners with less experience
• High degree of personal integrity and professional ethics

Links:

• Read Khaleda Rashid’s profile at the EWC Oral History Project
• Read Shabir Cheema’s profile at the EWC Oral History Project
• Learn more about the 2010 World Town Planning Day event
• Contact the EWCA Bangladesh Chapter