Imagine an Urban Designer building the Future of our Cities

International Women's Day

March 15, 2024

Imagine an urban designer building the future of our cities

What qualities or characteristics come to mind? What factors might have influenced your perception of this person?

To Celine Li, Urban Designer at B+H, a leader in urban design should be a critical thinker and creative problem solver.

An urban designer should challenge conventional planning approaches to break the status quo and integrating the unique characteristics of each site into thoughtful, place-based solutions.

Above all, they should have a deep commitment to humanity and the environment, shaping sustainable and resilient communities and cities for the future.

What is something a well-designed building/space can’t exist without?

A good space is like a connector, connecting people, nature, and everything around it. Seeing people fully immerse themselves in space and use it creatively is always inspiring. Anything that triggers this interaction doesn’t have to be physical, it could be sound, smell, light, colour, or collective memories.

 

What would you say to your younger self when you were an architecture student or earlier in your career?

Open to invite, embrace the unknown, try and try hard. Expand your knowledge and build up skills while doing things you are not familiar with.
“Open to invite, embrace the unknown, try and try hard. Expand your knowledge and build up skills while doing things you are not familiar with.”

What is your favourite part of working at B+H?

I like the opportunities to work on a variety of unique projects with multiple disciplines, whether it’s landscape design or urban design, community consultation or research. There was a time when I was doing research for indigenous projects, every day I was absorbing tons of articles and films illustrating the local indigenous culture and the bond between people to nature, and that process felt like a spiritual retreat, I was so fortunate to be part of it. There are also tons of opportunities to learn from talented colleagues across the studios via work-in-progress sharing sessions, professional development, etc. Oh, and our office culture is also engaging!
 
 

What makes a successful team?

Passion toward shared goals and proactive communication.

To us, Celine is the perfect example of an urban designer building the future of our cities.

When you hear the phrase “Imagine an urban designer building the future of our cities,” what did the person you imagined look like? What traits did they have?

This International Women’s Day, we encourage everyone to explore what influences these initial impressions and celebrate the diverse leaders who embody these qualities.