About us
What is neurodiversity in planning?
We are a network led by planning professionals that shares guidance on how to consider neurodiversity when designing places, engaging with communities and managing projects.
We also discuss how individuals and organisations can best support and empower neurodivergent town planners within the profession. We will do this through sharing experiences, collaboration, developing toolkits and guidance, supporting events, producing digital content, and other activities.
Our aim
Our aim is to increase understanding among town planners of neurodiversity and its importance to planning decisions, research, policy and practice.
Our objectives
- Ensure Planners know there is support for neurodiversity and inspire advocacy.
- Inform systematic change to embed neurodiversity into how we work and learn; engage with communities; and design inclusive places.
- Support wider initiatives and collaborate to promote equality, diversity, inclusion and accessibility in the Planning profession.
Network leaders
Matthew became part of the joint leadership of the network after having led a presentation on ‘Planning for All’ at the RTPI National Young Planner’s Conference in 2022 alongside network co-founder Keeley Mitchell. Prior to his first town planning role in 2016, Matthew completed higher education courses in BSc Psychology and PGDip Audiology, demonstrating and developing his interest in understanding the diverse needs of people, particularly in relation to health issues and differences in the way people function best. He has had local authority, developer and consultancy based planning roles and currently works for Arcadis UK Consulting Limited in a hybrid role as a social value and town planning consultant. Through the network and his other endeavours, he applies his health and town planning based knowledge to help promote awareness and best practice in addressing neurodiversity and the needs of all.
Jennifer co-founded the network in 2020 to grow conversations about neurodiversity within Town Planning and the Built Environment sector. She believes project teams can do more to recognise our “information and sensory processing differences” from the start of development projects, within project plans, briefs and communication strategies. In this way, we can reduce pressure on individuals to have to self-advocate; bring more voices into the design process; and ensure that the places we create are more inclusive for all. She is currently Head of Meridian Water Regeneration for Enfield Council.
Atefeh is a Senior Strategic Planner at AtkinsRéalis and a Chartered Member of the RTPI. Atefeh is passionate about inclusivity, accessibility and availability of urban opportunities to all and co-founded the network to help promote neuro-inclusive place-making and design. Atefeh capitalises on her lived experience as an Autistic individual to identify issues facing neurodivergent people in accessing urban opportunities. She’s interested in creating living spaces and public realm that integrate principles of inclusive design, sensory landscaping and biophilic design and supports opportunities that improve everyone’s experience and participation in urban spaces.
After completing a BA Geography degree at King’s College London, Mollie pursued a MSc in Spatial Planning at the Bartlett School of Planning, University College London. Mollie started her first planning role at the beginning of 2020 and has a strong breadth of experience working in the private sector. As a planning consultant at Stanfords, the last remaining weekly livestock market in East Anglia, Mollie’s day-to-day work lies within the agricultural sector and countryside development. Diagnosed with ASD in 2022, Mollie has undertaken personal research into all things neurodiversity and how this is juxtaposed with the planning sector.