Current Research
Ph.D. Geography, University of British ColumbiaMunicipal Climate Change Policy and Sustainable Development: Collaborative Approaches to Environmental Action
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Alexander Aylett
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2007 Trudeau Scholar
alexander.aylett@trudeaufoundation.net
Municipal Climate Change Policy and Sustainable Development: Collaborative Approaches to Environmental ActionProfile
Through his academic and consulting work on municipal environmental policy, Alexander Aylett has seen how cultural, political and professional barriers prevent productive cooperation between communities, planners and academics. Since 2005 Alex has been working with the International Centre for Sustainable Cities (ICSC), as well as a variety of university and municipal organizations, to help bridge these divides both in Canada and abroad. He is motivated by the belief that participatory community-based planning can help meet environmental objectives while also addressing the pressing development needs of a given community.
Alex’s work on climate change breaks conventional patterns of thinking about the issue. When it comes to global warming, people tend to think big or small: either in terms of sweeping national and international plans, or personal initiatives that focus on reducing their own individual footprint. But, he argues, a middle road, built on local inter- and intra-community cooperation has much to offer. Instead of creating ‘top down’ policy, effective collaboration between citizens and municipal governments can create plans better suited to their local contexts. In particular, at the local level it is possible to find synergies between environmental, social and economic goals. Through his work with municipal leaders and planners from around the world, he has seen how collaborative planning processes can also produce more ambitious, imaginative and appropriate sustainable development plans that spark social change that extends beyond the realm covered directly by regulation. Inspired by this approach to municipal planning and sustainable development, Alex’s research focuses on identifying the key elements needed to nurture productive collaborations at the local level.
Already convinced of the value of having a mentor, he is looking forward to the experience of having one through the Trudeau programme. “The combination of mentoring and the extraordinary networking opportunities available set the Trudeau Scholarship apart from all others,” he says. Current Residence
Vancouver, British ColumbiaLanguages
English and French (native), SpanishDegrees
- M.A. Comparative Literature, University of British Columbia
- B.A. Canadian History and English Literature, McGill University.
Current Research
Municipal Climate Change Policy: Trans-Local Spaces for Environmental Action.
The purpose of this PhD is to produce a better understanding of how municipal climate change policy can address global warming. Focusing on the role of inter-municipal organizations in fostering climate-related municipal initiatives, Mr. Aylett will work with actors in member cities of the International Centre for Sustainable Cities (ICSC). Mr. Aylett research will identify key factors that help or hinder cities' attempts to create climate change policy suited to their local context. He will also investigate the way in which these efforts facilitate individual and community participation. Key to this is an exploration of how environmental policy can work in conjunction with other local priorities, and of how these priorities differ between cities in the developed and developing world.
Past Research
- Post-Sustainability and Municipal Climate Change Programs: An Initial Overview
- Like A Slow-Motion Dinosaur - Risk Perception and the Media Portrayal of Global Warming in the Wake of Hurricane Katrina.
- Developing Discourses of Climate Change: The Asia Pacific Pact for Clean Development and Climate(AP6) and the (Re?)Definition of Climate Change and Development.
- Crossing Borders And Telling Stories: The Narratives of Immigration in Canadian Law and Literature.
Awards
- University of British Columbia: University Graduate Fellowship
- University of British Columbia: Graduate Entrance Scholarship
- Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada: Canada Graduate Scholarship - Master's
- Fonds de recherche sur la société et la culture: FCAR research grant
Social Engagement
- Consultant/Researcher, International Centre for Sustainable Cities
- Participant & Signatory, UBC Sustainability Office
- Founding Member, Workshop Coordinator AlliesUBC
- Front House Staff, Pacific Cinémathèque
- Founding Editor, The Supplément On-line Journal for UBCs Comparative Literature Program
Work Experience
- Consultant, Federation of Canadian Municipalities
- Teaching Assistant, Departments of Geography, English, and Canadian Studies (UBC)
- Head, English Language Support Service, Sauder School of Business
- Freelance Journalist, Montreal Gazette, THIS magazine, CBC Radio, & The Tyee
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