F4 - Canadian Urbanism Coast to Coast & Closing Reception

A presentation of the latest examples of good urban design from Coast to Coast, presented in Pecha Kucha style. Leading urbanists will present best practices and award-winning projects from BC, the Prairies, Ontario, Quebec, Atlantic, and Northern Canada. Join us for this perennial favorite!

Open to all! Join us for Cocktails & Refreshments! Location: 3 Brasseurs - Sparks (240 Sparks St., Ottawa, ON K1P 6C9)

Speakers

Moderator: David Gordon
FCIP, RPP, AICP
Professor, School of Urban and Regional Planning at Queen’s University

David Gordon FCIP RPP AICP is Professor in the School of Urban and Regional Planning at Queen’s University. He received the D.Des. from the Harvard GSD. David was SURP director for over a decade and has taught at McGill, Ryerson, Toronto, Riga, Western Australia, Harvard, and Pennsylvania, where he was a Fulbright Scholar. Recent books include The Canadian Suburbs Atlas (2023); Town and Crown: An Illustrated History of Canada’s Capital (2015) and Planning Canadian Communities (2021). His latest research addresses planning histories, capital cities, waterfronts and compares the design of Canadian, Australian, and American suburbs.

Atlantic – Sarah Anderson
RPP, MCIP
Director, Planning and Development, City of Moncton, New Brunswick
Treasurer, Council for Canadian Urbanism

Sarah’s breadth of experience ranges from planning and place-making in a rural municipal context, to conservation planning and regional policy analysis at the provincial level, and development planning in a rapidly urbanizing city. Sarah is the newly appointed Director of Planning and Development for the City of Moncton. In her new role, she oversees strategic direction and operational management for both the Planning and Building Inspection divisions. Sarah is committed to shaping Moncton’s future through thoughtful development and sustainable urban strategies, contributing to the city's continued growth and vibrancy. A registered professional planner with the Canadian Institute of Planners, Sarah sits as a Board of Director with the Council for Canadian Urbanism, and she sits as a jury member for the Halifax Urban Design Awards.

Quebec – Criag Sklenar
Principal, Urban Design, Arcadis
Board Member, Council for Canadian Urbanism

Craig is a masterful storyteller who transforms visions into vibrant realities. As an urban designer, he doesn’t just see the big picture—he understands the intricate layers of context, foresight, and purpose that shape every project’s narrative. By weaving together the voices of clients and stakeholders, Craig creates designs that inspire and deliver practical results, no matter the scale of the story.

With a passion for all things transit-oriented, Craig specializes in turning infrastructure into opportunity. Whether reimagining entire transit corridors or enhancing a rider’s experience at a station, his extensive North American expertise has helped cities unlock the transformative potential of transit-oriented communities. His work blends the precision of transportation planning with the art of placemaking, balancing development potential, community design, and seamless governmental approvals. Craig’s designs don’t just connect places—they build thriving, connected futures for the communities he serves.

Ontario GTA – Brent Raymond
OALA, FCSLA, ASLA, MCIP, RPP
Partner, DTAH (Toronto)

Brent Raymond is a landscape architect and planner whose primary interests are related to cities and collaborative problem solving. He has worked throughout North America with over 25 years of experience in a range of project types including built form, public realm, and transportation. He was inducted into the Canadian Society of Landscape Architects College of Fellows in 2021. Brent has directed several significant projects with a focus on placemaking and sustainability, deftly communicating the role of transportation and infrastructure as fundamental components of urban design and how they can become more adaptable and resilient.

Brent and his firm have contributed to the evolution of Toronto’ waterfront for over 50 years. The past two decades, DTAH (with their joint venture partner West 8) have completed several major public realm efforts following their winning submission for the 2006 Central Waterfront Innovative Design Competition, led by Waterfront Toronto.

Ontario West/Hamilton –Katherine Perrot
PhD, RPP, MCIP
Assistant Professor, School of Planning, University of Waterloo
Board Member, Council for Canadian Urbanism

Katherine Perrott is an award-winning practitioner, researcher, and educator. As a professional planning consultant in Ontario and Atlantic Canada, she worked across the urban to rural spectrum on projects ranging from climate change action plans to site plan applications.

She has taught urban planning at the University of Toronto, York University, and Dalhousie University. She is currently an Assistant Professor at the University of Waterloo’s School of Planning, where she teaches urban design and planning to both undergrads and master’s students.

Katherine is a curiosity-driven researcher, with projects spanning topics from suburban reinvention and high-rise living to image-generating AI. The throughline is density, asking how to better plan for, visualize, and live well in densifying, increasingly complex communities.

Prairies – Tyson McShane
RPP, MCIP
Manager of Long Range Planning, City of Saskatoon

Tyson McShane is a professional planner who is currently the Manager of Saskatoon’s Long Range Planning Section. He has a background in policy development and neighbourhood design, having previously worked for Saskatoon’s land developer, Saskatoon Land which saw him leading the design and development a 650 acre neighbourhood. His current role has seen him overseeing the development of large-scale Sector Plans for the City of Saskatoon, supervising the development of a new natural areas planning framework, and maintaining and overseeing the implementation of Saskatoon’s Official Community Plan.

Alberta - Geoff Dyer
MEDes. (Urban Design), CNUa
Partner, Urban Design Lead, CIMA+(B&A Studios)
Vice President, Council for Canadian Urbanism

Geoff is an accomplished hands-on urban designer with over 25 years of experience who crafted and now leads the CIMA+ (B&A Studios) Urban Design Studio in Calgary and Project Director with CIMA+. Geoff earned his Masters degree in Urban Design from the University of Calgary in 2003 and has since then served as a lead urban designer for over 20 years, building an expertise that allows him to design at a range of scales and across disciplines. Geoff is an expert in the design and implementation of walkable, mixed use urbanism having previously founded PlaceMakers Canada, served as a partner and lead urban designer for PlaceMakers llc that worked throughout North America, and served as the Director of Design and later CEO of the Downtown Development Authority in Lafayette, Louisiana. A regular educator, lecturer, and writer on sustainable urbanism and urban design, Geoff is a fellow and regular lecturer for the Urban Guild, the Congress for the New Urbanism include a two-time chair of the prestigious Charter Awards, and served in the faculty for the PlaceMakers SmartCode Workshop series and Andrés Duany’s Citybuilding Exchange. Geoff currently serves as VP on the CANU board.

BC – Josh White
General Manager, Planning, Urban Design, and Sustainability, City of Vancouver

Josh White joined the City in May 2024. In his previous role as Director, City and Regional Planning and Co-Chief Planner at the City of Calgary, he stewarded the adoption of a new housing strategy in collaboration with partners and led the creation of a simpler and more effective planning policy and regulation. During a period of extraordinary population growth for the city, Josh also oversaw strategic growth, growth funding and financing, and infrastructure planning for the municipality. In his tenure at the City of Calgary, he also initiated and led the significant transformation of the development approvals system, which resulted in improved planning outcomes, benchmarked as among the most efficient in Canada.

He holds a master’s degree in urban and regional planning from Queen's University, and began his career in the private sector.

Josh’s experience lends itself well to working collaboratively with partners on key challenges, including streamlining land-use permitting, housing supply and affordability. He leads the important work the Planning, Urban Design and Sustainability department does to manage Vancouver’s growth and transformation through intentional and innovative city building, which is the foundation of a sustainable, livable and inclusive city.