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Arup x CanU 2026 Speaker Series

Cross Country Check-Up

The Good, The Bad, The Ugly

- Urban Design in Canada

CanU and Arup are hosting Cross Country Check‑Up: The Good, The Bad, The Ugly – Urban Design in Canada, a national speaker series examining the opportunities, achievements, and ongoing challenges shaping urban design and development across the country. The series aims to surface practical, scalable solutions that can strengthen project outcomes in communities of all sizes and contexts.

 

With an emphasis on diverse perspectives and critical issues influencing the future of Canadian urban design, the program will bring together leading voices from municipal government, development, consulting, academia, and related fields. Sessions will be held across four cities—Calgary, Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver—creating a platform for rich, regionally informed dialogue. Participation in the series offers an opportunity to help frame meaningful discussions and contribute to a collective effort to elevate urban design practice nationwide.

Agenda

  • 5:00 PM — Refreshments, Informal networking

  • 6:00 PM — Welcome & Panel Discussion

  • 7:00 PM — Open Discussion to contribute to a collective effort to elevate urban design practice nationwide

  • 7:30 PM — Closing remarks and networking

*Same agenda for Vancouver just shifted an hour for venue availability

Toronto  |  April 23​ (Thursday)  |  5-8:30pm

Arup Toronto Office (8/F), 121 Bloor St E, Suite 900, Toronto, ON M4W 3M5

Moderators

Mark Guslits

Mark Guslits & Associates Inc

Principal

Ute Maya Giambattista

O2 Planning and Design

Principal, Urban Designer

Panelists

Jeff Ranson

Northcrest Developments

Director, Responsible Development

Julie DiLorenzo

Mirabella Development Corporation

President

Pat Hanson

GH3

Founding Principal and Creative Director

Nasim Adab

City of Toronto

Program Manager, Urban Design, Toronto and East York District

Calgary  |  April 23 (Thursday)​  |  5-8:30pm

Arup Calgary Office (16/F), 685 Centre Street SW, Suite 1670, Calgary, AB, T2G 1S5

Moderators

Eric Schertzer

Arup

Associate, Cities, Planning & Design

Matt Kanpik

O2 Planning and Design

Senior Associate, Urban Design

Panelists

Peter Spearey

City of Calgary

Chief Urban Designer

Boris Karn

CivicWorks

Associate & Senior Urban Planner

Susan Carter

DIALOG

Partner, Designer, Doctor of Design (Candidate)

Alkarim Devani

MDDL/RNDSQR

Co-founder

Montreal  |  April 30 (Thursday)​  |  5-8:30pm

Arup Montreal Office (Unit 3270), 1 Place Ville-Marie, Montreal, Quebec H3B 3Y2

Moderator

Pierre St-Cyr

Urbaniste

Urban Planner

Panelists

Carlos Acosta

Arrondissement de Mercier–Hochelaga-Maisonneuve

Chef de division, Urbanisme

Mélanie Robitaille

Rachel Julien

Vice-présidente directrice générale

Peter Soland

Civiliti

Founding Partner

Marco Chitti

Chercheur associé, Marron Institute of Urban Management de l'Université de New York

Ancien chercheur postdoctoral du FRQSC, l’Université McGill

Vancouver  |  April 30​ (Thursday)  |  6-9:30pm

Bill Reid Gallery, 639 Hornby St, Vancouver, BC V6C 2G3

Moderator & Panelist

Brent Toderian

Toderian Urbanworks Inc.

Founder and Principal

Panelists

Inge Roecker

Founding Principal - AIR studio

Associate Professor - UBC SALA

Josh White

City of Vancouver

General Manager, Planning, Urban Design, and Sustainability

Margot Long

PWL Partnership Landscape Architects Inc.

Partner

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