Rishqa Brown

Professionally registered Town Planner with over 4 years of experience delivering land use and development management, strategic spatial planning, planning policy and multi-stakeholder engagement across South African and the United Kingdom. I am also engaged in a number of grassroots organisations and activities aimed at community empowerment. My experience spans across planning consultancy, NGO spaces, urban research and community-based planning initiatives.

I am passionate about creating integrated and spatially just cities.

Candidate Urban Planner at NM & Associates Planners & Designers (2025-08 – Present)

Project-based contract working on Hartleyvale Sports Precinct Contextual Framework, Land Use and Development Applications, and Public Spaces Project.

• Prepared, wrote up and motivated for land use and development applications in the Cape Metropolitan and Stellenbosch Municipality to support planning approvals
• Prepared site development and other plans in AutoCAD
• Contributed to the development of a contextual framework and concept plan for the Hartleyvale Sports Precinct to provide an integrated, accessible public sports space
• Conducted analysis of legislation, policy and the implications for the site; conducted site visits and site analysis; unpacked use and management agreements; identified opportunities and constraints to intensifying the site; unpacked frameworks; assisted with the concept plan development including the design, use and management thereof; attended stakeholder engagement sessions; wrote up report sections and edited the framework for submission
• Reviewed, assessed and wrote up case studies and assessment frameworks to motivate for public space investment
• Conducted detailed site visit assessments of various public spaces across the Cape Metropolitan to inform the contextual analysis

Town Planning Consultant (Land Use and Development) at Capita Public Services (2023-03 – 2025-05)

Left due to Department Closure. Supported 8 different local planning authorities/municipalities simultaneously across the United Kingdom assisting them in regulating all types of land use and building development.

• Assessed planning applications and building plans on behalf of local planning authorities
• Reviewed applications for erections and extensions of dwellings, commercial buildings, mixed-use developments and protected heritage buildings, subdivisions of land, land consolidations, rezoning, changes of use of buildings and safeguarding protected Green Belt and conservation lands, amongst others
• Reviewed, understood and implemented local and national policies/plans
• Assessed all planning applications and ensured plans were in line with the requirements set out by the local planning authorities (municipalities)
• Suggested amendments to building plans and proposals to better comply with legislation and protect the spatial fabric of the area
• Engaged with agents, applicants and other built environment professionals
• Wrote up reports, made recommendations for approval or refusal of the development and drafted planning conditions

Researcher (Promoted from Intern) at Isandla Institute (2022-01 – 2023-03)

Worked on the SPRINT (Safer Places: Resilient Institutions and Neighbourhood Together) project focused on institutionalising area-based approaches to urban safety and crime and violence prevention in various government policies, programmes and practices. As a two person team with project lead, worked with a number of government departments and civil society organisations to embed and champion crime prevention strategies.

• Conducted South African policy and plans research and analysis
• Reviewed, summarised and analysed relevant secondary literature
• Advocated, both written and verbally, for area-based approaches to urban planning and design with a safety lens to various government departments and civil society organisations
• Wrote, developed and contributed to knowledge products (including organisational policy submissions, reports, published learning briefs, institutional documents, blogs, social media posts and newsletters)
• Presented at both in-person and virtual events and workshops to representatives of government and civil society organisations
• Implemented and assisted with logistical tasks related to project activities and events

Masters Degree in City and Regional Planning – University of Cape Town (2016 – 2021)

Bachelor of City Planning (Honours) in City Planning – University of Cape Town (2016 – 2020)

Bachelor of Social Science in Environmental & Geographical Science and Psychology – University of Cape Town (2016 – 2019)