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One of Calgary’s top bureaucrats is departing his role to take on a similar position with Vancouver.
Josh White, who has been Calgary’s co-chief planner and director of regional and city planning since 2022, was recently appointed as Vancouver’s new general manager of planning, urban design and sustainability. According to a city of Vancouver news release, he will begin his new role in May.
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White has worked for Calgary’s municipal government since 2019. He started as the director of approvals coordination with planning and development, before becoming director of growth strategies in 2021.
In his current role, White helped develop Calgary’s housing strategy — a seven-year blueprint that city council adopted last September to address the ongoing housing crisis.
“White brings a range of public and private sector experience to his new role in Vancouver,” the City of Vancouver’s release states. “In his most recent role as Director, City and Regional Planning and Co-Chief Planner at the City of Calgary, he stewarded the adoption of a new housing strategy in collaboration with partners and led the creation of a simpler and more effective planning policy and regulation.
“During a period of extraordinary population growth for the city, White also oversaw strategic growth, growth funding and financing, and infrastructure planning for the municipality.”
Before working for the city’s administrative team, White served as former mayor Naheed Nenshi’s senior policy adviser from 2010 to 2015. He then worked as a manager for Dream Unlimited — which manages, develops and owns real estate assets — from 2015 to 2019.
Before moving to Calgary to join Nenshi’s staff, White worked as an urban planner in the private sector in Toronto for two years.
The City of Calgary thanked White for his services, adding they’ll soon announce an acting director to replace him.
“We would like to thank Josh White for his years of service, and his contributions at the City of Calgary,” the city said on Thursday. “We wish him all the best in his new role as general manager (for) planning, urban design and sustainability at the City of Vancouver.”
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