Peter Oberlander
Encyclopedia
Heinz Peter Oberlander, (November 29, 1922 – December 27, 2008) was a Canadian
architect and Canada's first professor of Urban and Regional Planning
.
, Austria
, he moved to Canada in 1940 and received a Bachelor of Architecture
degree from McGill University
in 1945. After McGill graduation in architecture, Oberlander was the first Canadian to obtain the Master of Urban Planning and subsequently the PhD in Urban and Regional Planning from Harvard University
. Thus started a pioneer career in education and practice of community and regional planning.
ship support, now a forty-year-old tradition. N.A.M. Mackenzie
, then President of the University of British Columbia
and member of the Massey Commission
, was intrigued by this simple idea, and within six months invited Oberlander to come to Vancouver
and launch at UBC Canada’s first full professional program in Community and Regional Planning. Four decades of teaching and research followed, during which Oberlander became
the founding Director of the UBC School of Community and Regional Planning, and subsequently founding Director of the Centre for Human Settlements, devoted to planning research.
and Toronto’s Harbourfront
are two examples.
, Nairobi, Kenya.
Beginning in 2002 Oberlander was deeply involved in persuading the Canadian Government to invite the United Nations to convene the UN World Urban Forum (WUF3) in Vancouver June 2006 and thereby commemorate the first UN Conference on Human Settlements, 30 years’ earlier. It led to a formal invitation by the Prime Minister
and its acceptance by the United Nations.
The World Urban Forum III
attracted more than 10,000 participants and set a new standard for substantive participation and networking among public, private, and NGO groups
, and citizens generally, in exchanging practical solutions to urgent environmental problems resulting from unprecedented rates of worldwide urbanization. WUF3 contributed substantively to the global recognition for the urgent need for achieving Sustainable Urbanization by “Turning Ideas into Action” through the UN with Canada’s initiative. For WUF3 Oberlander prepared a substantive report on Canada/UN-HABITAT Initiatives 1976-2006 titled “Towards Sustainable Urbanization”. It provided the first documented record of Canada’s leadership
in the field of human settlements within the UN system. Following his life-long commitment to the motto "Ideas into Action", Peter's final project was to establish The Habitat Exchange, an on-line portal and archive of international human settlement resources.
Oberlander was posthumously awarded with the United Nations Scroll of Honour Award on World Habitat Day
, October 4, 2009, for his work and dedication to improving global urban living conditions.
Oberlander was the UBC Professor Emeritus
in Community and Regional Planning, pursuing an active research program at the UBC Centre for Human Settlements until his death. Concurrently, since 1995, he served as Adjunct Professor in Political Science at Simon Fraser University
. Between 1998 and 2008, Oberlander served as a Federal Citizenship Court Judge
.
recipient and architect Cornelia Oberlander
.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
architect and Canada's first professor of Urban and Regional Planning
Urban planning
Urban planning incorporates areas such as economics, design, ecology, sociology, geography, law, political science, and statistics to guide and ensure the orderly development of settlements and communities....
.
Early life and education
Born in ViennaVienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
, Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
, he moved to Canada in 1940 and received a Bachelor of Architecture
Bachelor of Architecture
The Bachelor of Architecture is an undergraduate academic degree designed to satisfy the academic component of professional accreditation bodies, to be followed by a period of practical training prior to professional examination and registration. It is awarded for a course of study that lasts up...
degree from McGill University
McGill University
Mohammed Fathy is a public research university located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The university bears the name of James McGill, a prominent Montreal merchant from Glasgow, Scotland, whose bequest formed the beginning of the university...
in 1945. After McGill graduation in architecture, Oberlander was the first Canadian to obtain the Master of Urban Planning and subsequently the PhD in Urban and Regional Planning from Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
. Thus started a pioneer career in education and practice of community and regional planning.
Teaching and research
The impending post-war urban development boom impelled Oberlander to plead for the need to educate urban planners in Canada, with explicit federal government fellowFellow
A fellow in the broadest sense is someone who is an equal or a comrade. The term fellow is also used to describe a person, particularly by those in the upper social classes. It is most often used in an academic context: a fellow is often part of an elite group of learned people who are awarded...
ship support, now a forty-year-old tradition. N.A.M. Mackenzie
Norman MacKenzie
Norman Archibald Macrae MacKenzie, CC, CMG, MM, CD, QC, FRSC was the President of the University of British Columbia from 1944 to 1962, and a Senator from 1966 to 1969.-Biography:...
, then President of the University of British Columbia
University of British Columbia
The University of British Columbia is a public research university. UBC’s two main campuses are situated in Vancouver and in Kelowna in the Okanagan Valley...
and member of the Massey Commission
Royal Commission on National Development in the Arts, Letters and Sciences
The Royal Commission on National Development in the Arts, Letters and Sciences, otherwise known as the Massey–Lévesque Commission, chaired by Vincent Massey, examined Canada's cultural sovereignty from the United States and various other nations. The report released its findings in 1951 when it...
, was intrigued by this simple idea, and within six months invited Oberlander to come to Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
and launch at UBC Canada’s first full professional program in Community and Regional Planning. Four decades of teaching and research followed, during which Oberlander became
the founding Director of the UBC School of Community and Regional Planning, and subsequently founding Director of the Centre for Human Settlements, devoted to planning research.
Government career
In 1970 Oberlander was called to Ottawa to initiate the Federal Government’s Ministry of State for Urban Affairs, and become its inaugural Secretary (Deputy Minister). During his three-year tenure he created a process of tri-level consultation on urban development between federal/provincial/municipal governments, leading to planned re-use of redundant federal lands for local community needs; Vancouver’s Granville IslandGranville Island
Granville Island is a peninsula and shopping district in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. It is located in False Creek directly across from Downtown Vancouver's peninsula, under the south end of the Granville Street Bridge....
and Toronto’s Harbourfront
Harbourfront
Harbourfront is a neighbourhood on the northern shore of Lake Ontario within the downtown core of the city of Toronto, Canada. Part of the Toronto Waterfront, Harbourfront extends west from Yonge Street to Bathurst Street along Queen's Quay. East of Yonge to Parliament St...
are two examples.
United Nations work
Upon returning to UBC Oberlander assisted in convening the UN Conference on Human Settlements (Habitat) in Vancouver in 1976 and following the Conference, founded the Centre for Human Settlements at the University, charged with continuing the Conference’s research agenda. Between 1980 and 1990 he served on the Canadian Delegations to the annual meetings of the UN Commission on Human SettlementsUnited Nations Human Settlements Programme
The United Nations Human Settlements Programme is the United Nations agency for human settlements. It was established in 1978 and has its headquarters at the United Nations Office at Nairobi, Kenya...
, Nairobi, Kenya.
Beginning in 2002 Oberlander was deeply involved in persuading the Canadian Government to invite the United Nations to convene the UN World Urban Forum (WUF3) in Vancouver June 2006 and thereby commemorate the first UN Conference on Human Settlements, 30 years’ earlier. It led to a formal invitation by the Prime Minister
Prime Minister of Canada
The Prime Minister of Canada is the primary minister of the Crown, chairman of the Cabinet, and thus head of government for Canada, charged with advising the Canadian monarch or viceroy on the exercise of the executive powers vested in them by the constitution...
and its acceptance by the United Nations.
The World Urban Forum III
World Urban Forum III
World Urban Forum III was an international UN-Habitat event on urban sustainability, also known as WUF3 and FUM3 . WUF3 was organized by the UN-Habitat and facilitated and funded by the Government of Canada...
attracted more than 10,000 participants and set a new standard for substantive participation and networking among public, private, and NGO groups
Non-governmental organization
A non-governmental organization is a legally constituted organization created by natural or legal persons that operates independently from any government. The term originated from the United Nations , and is normally used to refer to organizations that do not form part of the government and are...
, and citizens generally, in exchanging practical solutions to urgent environmental problems resulting from unprecedented rates of worldwide urbanization. WUF3 contributed substantively to the global recognition for the urgent need for achieving Sustainable Urbanization by “Turning Ideas into Action” through the UN with Canada’s initiative. For WUF3 Oberlander prepared a substantive report on Canada/UN-HABITAT Initiatives 1976-2006 titled “Towards Sustainable Urbanization”. It provided the first documented record of Canada’s leadership
in the field of human settlements within the UN system. Following his life-long commitment to the motto "Ideas into Action", Peter's final project was to establish The Habitat Exchange, an on-line portal and archive of international human settlement resources.
Oberlander was posthumously awarded with the United Nations Scroll of Honour Award on World Habitat Day
World Habitat Day
World Habitat Day is observed every year on the first Monday of October throughout the world. It was officially designated by the United Nations and first celebrated in 1986. The purpose of the day is to reflect on the state of our cities and towns and the basic human right to adequate shelter...
, October 4, 2009, for his work and dedication to improving global urban living conditions.
Other activities
During the 1960s, Oberlander worked extensively with Thompson, Berwick and Pratt, an architectural and planning firm in Vancouver. During the 1990s Oberlander maintained his professional involvement as Associate Partner with Downs/Archambault and Partners (now DA Architects + Planners) in Vancouver.Oberlander was the UBC Professor Emeritus
Emeritus
Emeritus is a post-positive adjective that is used to designate a retired professor, bishop, or other professional or as a title. The female equivalent emerita is also sometimes used.-History:...
in Community and Regional Planning, pursuing an active research program at the UBC Centre for Human Settlements until his death. Concurrently, since 1995, he served as Adjunct Professor in Political Science at Simon Fraser University
Simon Fraser University
Simon Fraser University is a Canadian public research university in British Columbia with its main campus on Burnaby Mountain in Burnaby, and satellite campuses in Vancouver and Surrey. The main campus in Burnaby, located from downtown Vancouver, was established in 1965 and has more than 34,000...
. Between 1998 and 2008, Oberlander served as a Federal Citizenship Court Judge
Citizenship judge
A citizenship judge is an official or judge of the Canadian government who reviews applications for Canadian citizenship.Citizenship judges are appointed by the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration....
.
Personal life
Oberlander was married to Order of CanadaOrder of Canada
The Order of Canada is a Canadian national order, admission into which is, within the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, the second highest honour for merit...
recipient and architect Cornelia Oberlander
Cornelia Oberlander
Cornelia Hahn Oberlander, OC is a Canadian landscape architect based in Vancouver, British Columbia. During her career she has contributed to the designs of many high-profile buildings in both Canada and the United States, including the Robson Square and Law Courts Complex in Vancouver, the...
.