T1 - Welcome and Theme Introduction

Welcome to Canada’s Urban Design Forum 2026 - Capitalising Design! We’ll kick off the Forum with a brief welcome and introduction to this year’s theme, setting the stage for the conversations, ideas, and perspectives to come.

Speakers

Jana Kelemen
M.Sc.Arch., MUDS, MCIP, RPP
President, Council for Canadian Urbanism
Manager, Heritage and Urban Design, City of Hamilton

Jana Kelemen holds a Master’s Degree in Architecture from the Slovak University of Technology and a Master of Urban Design Studies from the University of Toronto. With 25 years of progressive experience in Europe and Canada, she has worked as an architect, planner, urban designer, and strategic leader.

Jana is passionate about fostering multidisciplinary collaboration and dialogue and has led comprehensive, visionary projects. She believes that urban design is fundamental to creating resilient, inclusive, and livable cities.

Jana is the President of the Council for Canadian Urbanism (CanU). She is also a Registered Professional Planner (RPP) with the Ontario Professional Planners Institute (OPPI) and a member of the Canadian Institute of Planners (CIP).

Ute Maya-Giambattista
B.Arch, MPI, MCIP, RPP, LEED AP
Past President, Council for Canadian Urbanism
Principal, Urban Design, O2 Planning + Design Inc.

As an urban designer and planner, Ute approaches her work with the understanding that design can be a powerful tool for creating healthy places and communities while being aware of the complexities of urban spaces and the potential of infrastructure to transform the vitality of a place. Integral to all her management and design work is her commitment to the integration of social, economic, and environmentally sustainable practices from the early stages of the process. With more than 22 years of practice, Ute’s experience working for public and private clients in Canada, the United States, Russia and China includes municipal lead secondary and tertiary plans as well as site, master and community planning developments ranging in size from 4 to 4,000 hectares.

Ute is a member of the Ontario Professional Planners Institute and the Canadian Institute of Planners. Ute is the past President of the Council for Canadian Urbanism, a member of the City of Vaughan Design Review Panel, a member of the Province of Ontario provincially appointed AODA Design of Public Spaces Standards Development committee, a board member of Toronto’s Design Industry Advisory Committee, a member of the PISG group at OPPI and the past chair of the Women’s Leadership Initiative Allies in Action sub-committee at the Urban Land Institute.

Marcia Wallace
General Manager of Planning, Development and Building Services, City of Ottawa

Marcia Wallace is the General Manager of Planning, Development and Building Services with the City of Ottawa. Her portfolio supports Ottawa’s growth and city-building priorities across transportation planning, heritage, urban design, land use planning, building code services, permits, and approvals. Drawing on extensive leadership experience at the provincial and municipal levels, she is driving innovation and continuous improvement in development processes within the complex and evolving context of housing construction and land economics.

Marcia has significant expertise in developing and implementing regulations, policies, and programs related to infrastructure, the environment, energy, and land use planning. Before joining the City of Ottawa, she served as Chief Administrative Officer for Prince Edward County. She also spent more than 20 years with the Province of Ontario, including as Assistant Deputy Minister with the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing.

Marcia holds a Ph.D. in Urban Planning from the University of Waterloo. She is a Registered Professional Planner (RPP) with the Ontario Professional Planners Institute (OPPI) and a member of the Canadian Institute of Planners (CIP).