At PeopleDem property we believe in celebrating our community by spotlighting black excellence in property. Today we are celebrating Karen Daye.
Karen is a chartered town planner for the London Borough of Bromley, with over 27 years of experience across all areas of development management and planning appeals within a local government setting. She is also a Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) General Assembly member, Appeals and Enforcement Manager, mentor, Steering Group member of the BAME Planners Network, and trustee of the Stephen Lawrence Day Foundation (SLDF). She has a sound working knowledge of planning procedures and legislation and remains keenly abreast of evolving policy and practice within the profession. Her particular strength lies in planning appeals, an area in which she has specialised for over 12 years. During this time, she has applied her planning judgement to an extensive range of complex and major planning appeals. She also regularly appears as an expert witness at planning inquiries and informal hearings and prepares complex planning statements.
Karen originally dreamed of becoming an Olympic athlete before developing an interest in law, thanks in part to the glamorous 1990s television show L.A. Law. Around the same time, she became interested in architecture and environmental issues, particularly the growing focus on the ozone layer.
When Karen discovered urban planning, everything clicked. It brought together her interests in the environment, law and society. Planning is incredibly powerful because it shapes where and how people live and work, as well as the quality of the environment around them. For Karen, it is deeply fulfilling, although often challenging, as it requires balancing competing interests that directly affect people's lives.
Karen went on to study urban and environmental studies at the University of Greenwich before completing a postgraduate diploma in town planning at London South Bank University. In an interview reflecting on this period, she explained that studying in the 1990s gave her a solid grounding in planning law, the history of planning and community engagement. However, the courses were quite theoretical and offered limited insight into the day-to-day realities of being a planner.
Karen began her career at Bromley as a fresh graduate, where she was given opportunities to explore different areas of planning, including policy, ecology, urban design, enforcement and appeals. She still remembers having her first professional report returned with a note describing it as “too flowery”. The academic side of her education had not fully prepared her for the fast-paced, practical world of planning. Her early days were relatively gentle, and she spent months working on small extensions and learning the ropes before moving on to larger projects. In comparison, new planners today are often given greater responsibilities much more quickly.
Karen began her career in planning policy before moving into development management and later specialising in appeals. This rounded experience gave her a solid grounding in both the art and science of planning. Having qualified as a town planner in 2000, she gained wide-ranging experience in development management, dealing with complex and strategic applications. She has remained at Bromley throughout her career, working her way up through the organisation from planning assistant to senior planner and then principal planner. Through years of hard work and by developing her leadership skills, she progressed to become a team leader. As an Appeals Team Leader, she worked across a range of complex and major planning appeals, regularly appearing as an expert witness at planning inquiries and informal hearings.
Local government planning is demanding, and Karen's leadership style reflects the importance of collaboration and fairness. She involves her team in decision-making and encourages collaboration, particularly when working under pressure. For her, effective leadership means balancing strategic vision with operational delivery. Karen is open about her weaknesses and encourages others to recognise and play to their strengths. She believes leadership is not about always being popular but about making consistent and fair decisions. Over time, this consistency earns respect and trust.
After more than a decade and a half of experience in planning appeals, Karen progressed to become Appeals and Enforcement Manager. Reflecting on her experience at Bromley, she said, “Bromley is a great place to work, with a supportive, experienced team and leadership that trusts me to take the reins. Now, I enjoy mentoring new planners and watching them grow from handling minor extensions to major applications. The balance of trust, challenge, and flexibility, especially while juggling motherhood, has kept me committed.”
Throughout her career, Karen has experienced appeals she has won against the odds and worked on projects that have given her that spring in her step, including cases that have contributed to the development of case law. However, what she is proudest of today is her legacy: the mentoring and guidance she can offer others. Karen still sometimes experiences feelings of imposter syndrome, but when people reach out to her for advice, it reminds her of how far she has come and how much she can give back.
An example of Karen's commitment to the profession was her time as Co-Chair of the RTPI London Region. In an interview, she explained her motivation for taking on the role and the importance of giving back to the planning community.
“For many years, I couldn't engage much with the RTPI due to family commitments, being a mother and caring for my parents. But I love planning. Planning can create huge social value, whether through major regeneration schemes like Battersea Power Station or something as modest as a rear extension that improves a family's life.
“As Co-Chair, I delivered several CPD events, including one with MHCLG on the digitalisation of planning, and a mock planning inquiry. Bringing public and private sectors together was invaluable. The role gave me the chance to connect London's planners, encourage learning, and give back to the profession that's given me so much.”
Through this role, Karen also worked on the Planning Excellence Awards. These awards celebrate achievements across the planning profession, from local plans and development projects to ecology, heritage, digital planning, planning consultancies, specialist planning teams and Young Planner of the Year, among many other categories.
Karen believes that planning is often unfairly criticised, making these awards vital in recognising the hard work and innovation taking place across the profession. Judging the awards is an inspiring experience, particularly when she sees the level of responsibility that inspirational young planners now take on compared with when she first started her career.
In addition to her professional responsibilities, Karen is passionate about promoting diversity and supporting emerging talent in the planning profession. She is an active mentor, a dedicated member of the RTPI General Assembly, and a Steering Group member of the BAME Planners Network. She is also a trustee of the Stephen Lawrence Day Foundation, which exists to inspire a more equal and inclusive society and foster opportunities for marginalised young people across the UK.
Part of the BAME Planners Network's mission is to raise the profile of ethnic minorities in planning. Last year's annual awards, kindly sponsored by Stonehouse, celebrated emerging “rising stars” in the profession.
When Karen first started working in planning, it took nearly six years before she met another Black planning professional. For her, seeing people who look like you represented in the profession is powerful because it builds confidence and a sense of belonging. The BAME Planners Network has helped create that sense of connection and support, allowing people to feel seen and encouraged. Karen believes everyone deserves that foundation to thrive.
Karen has also shared a story that illustrates the importance of representation and the influence it can have on a person's career.
“A lecturer I hadn't spoken to for decades reached out to me last week on LinkedIn. I was so surprised that he had remembered me that I immediately connected. It later transpired that he hadn't actually remembered me; he'd just happened across my profile. But I had remembered him. He'd left a lasting impression as one of the first influential Black planning professionals and academics I had known. Unbeknown to him, during my time at university, he became a career role model who spurred that industrious young Black woman in me to go out and make my mark in the planning world.”
Through her conversations and lived experience, Karen understands that Black people considering a career in planning, as well as those who are new to the profession, value seeing Black planners represented. She believes the importance of this representation should not be underestimated.
Seeing professionals like Karen can encourage more Black people to enter the planning profession, where we can support and influence planning decisions within their communities. As planning decisions become increasingly complex and finely balanced, having a diverse range of planning professionals contributes to a richer diversity of thought when identifying and solving problems. It is an aim that the profession should continue to strive towards.
For those who belong to an ethnic majority, Karen's experiences also raise an important question: is being surrounded by people who look like you something you have ever given a second thought to? If not, why might that be? Could it be because representation is so familiar that it is taken for granted?
Being part of the BAME Planners Network Steering Group has given Karen a space to be inspired by people such as Ransford Steward and incoming RTPI President Helen Fadipe, who have graciously taken her under their wing. She admits that she sometimes wonders how having such role models during the early stages of her working life might have influenced her career trajectory.
Now, as a mid-career planner rather than a student, Karen sees it as her responsibility, as a Black woman, to become a more visible and active role model. She is committed to attracting, encouraging and supporting more Black people, particularly Black women, into the planning profession. It is a responsibility she takes seriously and one she feels great fondness for. She hopes that articles such as this will help keep Black people at all levels of the planning profession visible and support them in fulfilling their potential.
It has been an honour to share Karen Daye's story, from mentoring emerging talent to championing equity in city spaces and creating opportunities for young people from underrepresented backgrounds. She is an inspiration to many young Black girls, showing them that there is a place for them in planning. We look forward to seeing how she continues to give back to the profession and shape the landscape of the capital.
