On day 4 of our International Women’s Day celebrations, we talk to two members of our transport planning team: Associate Catriona Swanson in our Manchester office and Senior Consultant Jane Overton in our Birmingham office.
They share their career paths and achievements and urge more women to consider jobs in transport planning and active travel.
Catriona Swanson
What was your career path, how did you get to where you are today?
My undergraduate degree was in Geography and then I went on to do a Masters in Town Planning, specialising in regeneration. I joined Salford City Council’s planning and regeneration team in 2008 just before austerity kicked in and worked there for nearly 11 years. I was really lucky to work on a really wide range of projects from small public realm schemes through to commissioning masterplans and producing regeneration strategies.
After moving closer to my workplace in 2012 I started walking and cycling to work and developed an interest in active travel. I put myself forward to lead on walking and cycling schemes and gradually carved out a niche for myself, becoming the Council’s lead on walking and cycling. I managed to increase the quality and ambition quite dramatically over a short space of time, winning several awards. I also worked really hard to raise the level of political will and upskill the wider team.
In May 2019 I left Salford to join Arup where I established an active travel team in the North West and Yorkshire region, again helping to upskill colleagues and embed the principles of good design across different disciplines. I worked on a number of really interesting projects at Arup including proposals for major corridors and low traffic neighbourhoods.
At the start of February (2021) I joined PJA as an Associate. I’ve been a big fan of PJA since I commissioned them when I was at Salford City Council to produce a cycle network plan for the city. The quality of the work completely exceeded my expectations and I used the plan to underpin a lot of the really ambitious schemes I secured funding for. I’ve always thought of PJA as being one of (if not the) leading active travel consultancies so, when they opened a Manchester office, I jumped at the chance to join and help Chris Sibthorpe establish the office.
What do you think is your greatest achievement within your career to date?
I have been lucky enough to work on a lot of projects that I’ve been really proud of but nothing matches seeing your schemes actually built.
There are two schemes in Salford that I’m particularly proud of working on. Firstly, seeing the realisation of the regeneration strategy for Irlam Station including the refurbishment of the station house from a shell of a building used as a chicken coup to a beautiful café and community hub. Secondly, leading on the delivery of Salford’s traffic-free network which has so far won three awards including the National Transport Award for excellence in cycling and walking. The buzz of seeing the paths packed with people of all ages walking, running and cycling is second to none.
What is the most important message you want to send out to young women thinking about their careers?
That they should definitely consider a career in transport planning and particularly active travel. The profession is, unfortunately, still quite male dominated which inevitably means that the needs of women are not always considered. This is particularly the case in active travel where it is so important to understand issues around personal safety that affect women disproportionally.
It is really important that more women enter the profession so that we can address these issues and ensure we’re designing good places and transport that meets the needs of everyone.
As a woman working in a male-dominated field I generally feel treated as an equal and that my skills and experience are respected – and that’s definitely the case at PJA. However, I am frequently the only woman in meetings and have, at times in my career, felt that male colleagues were given preferential treatment and greater opportunities for career progression. However, I wouldn’t want this to put young women off joining the profession – there are great opportunities, and the work is incredibly interesting and rewarding.
Jane Overton
What was your career path, how did you get to where you are today?
When I was at school there wasn’t ever one subject I was particularly interested in more than others, so I found it really hard to pick GCSE and A Level choices. I decided to keep my options open and go for a range of subjects, which ultimately led me to studying for a Human Geography degree at Durham University.
In my search for graduate jobs, I initially applied for various roles in the retail sector, because this was the only work experience I had. After attending several job interviews, I realised that I wasn’t passionate enough about the job to make it a career. I then started looking for jobs that used Geographical Information Systems (GIS), as this was something I really enjoyed using and learning about throughout school/university.
This was then I came across transport planning. I’d never heard about the discipline of transport planning before, but in addition to the use of GIS, what drew me to the field was the broad skillset it encompasses and ability to have a positive impact on the lives of others. Five and a half years later, I’ve worked at two consultancy firms and wouldn’t look back on my decision to be a transport planner at all!
What do you think is your greatest achievement within your career to date?
I can’t pinpoint one thing, or project, that is my greatest achievement, instead I’d say it’s finding a career that I genuinely enjoy, where every day is different and knowing that the work that I do has the potential to make a tangible positive impact on people’s lives, the environment and wider society.
What is the most important message you want to send out to young women thinking about their careers?
Don’t worry about not knowing what career path you want to follow – there is something out there for everyone! If there is a particular skill you’re good at, or you have specific area of interest, do some research about what careers are available, and speak to others about your options. Work experience can be invaluable when you’re exploring different career paths, so I’d definitely recommend seeking this out whilst at school/college/university.
I think it’s also important to step out of your comfort zone when thinking about career choices – not only could this lead to a successful and enjoyable career, but also allow you to build resilience, gain new skills, broaden your perspective and boost your confidence!
