Since 1994, Kristina Salin has been working in landscape architecture, planning, facilitation, and project management in urban design, tourism and resort development. Projects have involved many stakeholder sectors, and both private and public interests including large and small-scale operations.
In her current position with McElhanney as a Team Lead for the Landscape Architecture Division in British Columbia, Kristina overseas a wide variety of land development projects, parks and streetscapes, design guidelines and downtown vitalization and urban design projects. In her current position, Kristina oversees a team of designers and junior landscape architects and is a mentor for BCSLA interns.
Prior to joining McElhanney, Kristina owned and operated ANKA Landscape Architecture and completed parks, trails and open space designs, visual landscape and asset inventory work, residential design, multi-family projects, and agricultural plan and official community plan creation and policy updates.
As a Registered Professional Planner with CIP and PIBC, for the Squamish-Lillooet Regional District (SLRD), Kristina managed long range planning projects including the Integrated Sustainability Plan, Regional Growth Strategy and Agricultural Area Plans and reviews regionally significant development proposals and zoning amendments. While in a planning role for the Resort Municipality of Whistler (RMOW), Kristina managed projects advancing tourism and sustainability which included residential and commercial developments, a wellness spa facility and elements of the Whistler Olympic Village.
As Mountain Overlay Manager for the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, Kristina managed the construction and associated infrastructure of multiple Whistler venues for the 2010 Winter Olympic Games, including the Mountain Media Centre located at the Whistler Conference Centre.
Over the years, Ms. Patterson has worked with a number of leading landscape architecture firms in Canada and the United States. Kristina’s work with Martha Schwartz Inc. in Massachusetts helped win an ASLA Award for the Mesa Arts and Entertainment Centre in Arizona. With the Waterfield Design Group, Kristina worked on design elements for the famed Boston “Big Dig” Central Artery Project, University of Massachusetts campus upgrades, and streetscape revitalization projects in the coastal destination towns of Cohasset, Gloucester and in Dennisport on Cape Cod. Kristina’s work in Canada includes civic projects with PFS Inc., environmental design and visual landscape inventories with leading landscape architects in Vancouver, BC and several national and international mountain resort base area designs while employed by prominent mountain resort planning companies.
Kristina has focused much of her professional work in resort planning toward increasing sustainable tourism capacities in resort communities. Tourism planning projects include research, tourism assessment and feasibility studies in ecotourism, heritage tourism, hotel development and strategic planning for tourism operators.
During Kristina’s masters’ studies at The GW School of Business, her team secured First Place in the 2008 Case Study Competition with a strategic plan focused on the State of Virginia Wine Tourism Industry. While studying Landscape Architecture, Kristina received a foreign study scholarship to Latvia where she prepared a conservation and development master plan for the Baltic seaside resort community of Jurmala.
Education
2008 Masters in Business Administration (Sustainable Tourism Destination Management) from The George Washington University School of Business, Washington, DC (MTA)
1994 Honours Bachelor Degree in Landscape Architecture, University of Guelph, Guelph, Canada (BLA)
1993 Bachelor of Arts, Philosophy, University of Guelph, Guelph, Canada (BA)
2006 PG Cert. Eco+ Adventure Tourism Management, Sir Stanford Fleming College, Halliburton, Canada
Professional Affiliations
Registered Landscape Architect, British Columbia Society of Landscape Architects + Canadian Society of Landscape Architects
Registered Professional Planner, British Columbia Institute of Planners+ Canadian Institute of Planners
Volunteer & Board Appointments
2021- Present Pemberton Advisory Design Panel, Pemberton BC
2019- Present Whistler Waldorf School PAC and Treasurer BC
2018- 2021 Squamish Advisory Design Panel, Squamish BC
2019- Present Pemberton Advisory Land Use Commission, Pemberton BC
2016-2018 RMOW Advisory Design Panel, Whistler BC
2015 Steering Committee, Congress for New Urbanism
2015 Director, Whistler Children’s Centre Board, Whistler BC
2013 Vice Chair, Pemberton Cultural Round Table, Pemberton BC
2009-2015 Chair, Pemberton Advisory Design Panel, Pemberton BC
2006 Whistler Adaptive Ski Program, Certified Adaptive Ski Instructor