Selma Hooley

Selma is a masterplanner and urban designer with experience across a broad range of projects, from strategic-level residential masterplans to the public realm and townscape schemes in the UK and abroad. Her skills lie in recognising the bigger picture and bringing various technical disciplines together to benefit sustainable communities.

Before joining the Spring Cohort 2023, she worked in a variety of contexts in the private sector, including a large design practice, a land development team in an engineering-led practice, and a masterplanning team. She has acted as a project manager and urban designer on many placemaking projects at various stages, from feasibility studies to outline and detailed planning applications.

Beyond her practice, she participates in the University of Westminster’s 'Ask a Mentor service' and 'Student Mentoring Scheme'.

Dacorum Borough Council

During her placement, Selma led a development programme to deliver existing town transformation and new residential development, with 11,000 new homes and 10,000 new jobs coming forward over the next 25 years on the land to the north and east of Hemel Hempstead, founded in a strong Spatial Vision. The sites were in the Green Belt, covering land in the administrative boundaries of the Boroughs of Dacorum and St Albans City and District Council. They were proposed allocations in their emerging Local Plans. Selma’s role involved leading the delivery of the update of the Framework Plan, coordinating Local Plan Regulation 18 representations review, supporting the drafting of Regulation 19 relevant policies, and leading the delivery of the HGC Strategic Design Code.