Planners balance the needs of many to create impactful, intentional communities for us all, and for V3 Planner Courtney Nguyen, bringing it all together suits all her many skillsets. Learn how her desire to dig into new tools, tech, and challenges ignited a fulfilling career with endless possibility.
Do one thing every day that scares you
Like so many kids, Courtney wasn’t sure what she wanted to be when she grew up. Though architecture and design intrigued her, looking at just one building at a time wasn’t enough: she longed for a wider lens. During a high school summer camp, a mentor suggested Courtney look into urban planning, and she was quickly drawn to the study of how people interact with spaces and build healthy, happy communities.
“Planners help socially engineer spaces people can enjoy; I really like that aspect. Creating spaces that make sense is challenging yet rewarding.”
Courtney earned her Bachelor of Arts in Urban & Regional Planning from the University of Alberta. During her degree, she worked for local municipalities and non-profits, but her responsibilities weren’t satisfying her desire to make a real impact. A former coworker had made the switch to V3 and urged Courtney to apply.
“I wanted more diversity and challenge in my work. V3’s Planning team combines so many different skill sets; I knew I could learn a lot, both technically and creatively. They always say you should do the things that scare you so I pushed myself to change—I’m so glad I did.”
SketchUp to level up
When Courtney joined the team in 2023, her wish for variety came true. She’s constantly switching between skillsets, whether that’s helping write policy documents or interviewing subject-matter experts for research. Planners rely on community feedback to better inform their decisions, so Courtney does everything she can to make the engagement process as smooth and productive as possible.
“Planning is very nuanced and can be hard to grasp. Our team works to make information accessible by turning complicated concepts into easy-to-understand graphics, maps, and supporting materials. We want to help people understand what’s possible for their communities, so we’re always looking for the best way to do that.”
One of Courtney’s first projects at V3 quickly put her talents on display; she designed communication materials for the Main Street Lac La Biche revitalization. Close collaboration with the client helped everyone feel united in working towards the same goals.
“I have a soft spot for this project because after seeing the handouts and signage I designed out in real life was really exciting. I felt like I was part of their team, working together to make something great.”
This experience helped kick off a quest to continue learning industry tools such as SketchUp, Adobe Creative Suite, and AutoCad.
“Even though we’re already really busy, I just love getting to do more. More exposure and experience means we can capture more skills and value; I want to build myself up and learn everything I can!”
Craving the next challenge
Courtney’s insatiable curiosity carries into her personal life, where her love of learning and trying new things extends to sampling new restaurants, playing new sports like pickleball, and mastering crafts like diamond painting. International travel is her passion; two of her favorite trips involved eating pizza in Venice and connecting with relatives in Vietnam. She also loves playing with her two little Chihuahuas.
From regulations to renderings, development to design, the fast pace of Courtney’s work keeps her fueled for the future.
“Since I’ve been at V3, I’ve built up so much confidence. My team believes in me and trusts my work. I’m so happy to be on this talented team; I have a lot of good people to look up to and we’re ready to take on even more.”
Work with Courtney and V3’s Planning experts
Our Planning team is fully integrated with our civil engineering, natural resources, and surveying professionals, providing seamless insight into the full impact of planning efforts on communities. Connect with our team to learn more.