The Atlantic coast brought Daniel Bryce to Halifax, and it鈥檚 why he wants to stay.
Daniel鈥檚 choice of universities for his Master of Planning degree was based on just two criteria.
鈥淚 was looking for a planning program that focused on practical project work versus a thesis,鈥� he says, 鈥渁nd it had to be near the ocean.鈥� Luckily, AV俱乐部 offered both.
Daniel grew up in Abbotsford, B.C., and completed his undergraduate degree at the University of the Fraser Valley in Geography and History with a certificate in Geographic Information Systems. But coastal planning is his passion.
鈥淭he coast is the most dynamic, ever-changing, biophysical landscape,鈥� he says. 鈥淚t鈥檚 where much of the world鈥檚 population lives and where many of the world鈥檚 major cities lie. These aspects make it important to manage and plan, especially in the face of climate change.鈥�
Daniel originally envisioned becoming an architect but after work experience in East Africa and his undergraduate planning courses he found that studying planning merged what he loved about architecture with geography. 鈥淭he best way to make people鈥檚 lives better is creating an environment they can engage with,鈥� he says. 鈥淥ne of the best ways to do that is through spatial planning.鈥�
For most of his master鈥檚 degree Daniel worked at CBCL Limited, a local engineering firm, as a planning assistant. In February, he became the coastal GIS coordinator for the Nova Scotia Department of Fisheries and Agriculture. He also received the GIS scholarship from ESRI Canada, which has allowed him to gain access to mapping software for a study of how Nova Scotia鈥檚 coastal populations are vulnerable to climate change.
He has been inspired and supported by both his professors and classmates at AV俱乐部. 鈥淲ith my peers, we鈥檝e all been co-inspired because we come from diverse backgrounds and bring diverse viewpoints to the program.鈥�
This article is part of our series of profiles on the graduates of the Class of 2015. These profiles are also published in the Convocation Keepsake which is distributed at Convocation ceremonies. For more information (including live webcasts),聽.