Past Urban Affairs Forums and Public Discussions
The following is a list of Urban Affairs Forums and public discussions presented by TSA dating back to 2007. In 2015, TSA began a program to film and archive our Public Affairs Forums and public discussions for online viewing. For those events which have been documented, please follow the links below to view them on our Vimeo Channel!
March 2021 | Meeting the 2030 Challenge: One Step at a Time (Part 2: Air), organized by the University of Toronto’s Daniels Student Chapter of the Ontario Building Envelope Council (OBEC) with support from the Toronto Society of Architects
SPEAKERS | Sandra Dedesko (Harvard University), Jelena Madzarevic (EllisDon), Andy Thomson (Thomson Architecture Inc.)
MODERATOR | Bomani Khemet (Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape and Design, University of Toronto)
January 2021 | Does Canada Need a National Architecture Policy? Organized by the TSA as part of the 2021 DesignTO Festival
SPEAKERS |(Megan Torza, DTAH, Toronto Society of Architects), Deborah Wang (DesignTO), Catherine Nasmith (Catherine Nasmith Architect, Architecture Conservancy of Ontario, Toronto Branch), Kristy Shortall (Northcrest Development, ULI Toronto), Toon Dreessen (Architects DCA, Rise for Architecture)
November 2020 | Meeting the 2030 Challenge: One Step at a Time (Part 1), organized by the University of Toronto’s Daniels Student Chapter of the Ontario Building Envelope Council (OBEC) with support from the Toronto Society of Architects
SPEAKERS | Luka Matutinovic (Purpose Building), Mark Gaglione (EllisDon), Alex Speigel (Windmill Developments)
MODERATOR | Dr. Ted Kesik (Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape and Design, University of Toronto)
January 2020 | TSA Urban Affairs Forum: Addressing the Climate Crisis, presented as part of DesignTO
SPEAKERS | Dr. Ted Kesik (Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape and Design, University of Toronto), Doug Webber (Purpose Building), Theresa Warnaar (KingSett Capital)
June 2019 | TSA Urban Affairs Forum: Housing Affordability and the Missing Middle
SPEAKERS | Andrew Batay-Csorba (Batay-Csorba Architects), Annabel Vaughan (ERA), Drew Sinclair (SvN), Gil Meslin (Artscape), Councillor Gord Perks (Ward Parkdale-High Park), Helena Grdadolnik (Workshop Architecture), Mauricio Quirós Pacheco (John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape, and Design, Moderator)
February 2019 | TSA Urban Affairs Forum in partnership with ACO Toronto Chapter: Ontario Place – Building On Our Legacy
SPEAKERS | Carolyn King (Mocassin Identifier Project), George Baird (Baird Sampson Neuert), Michael McClelland (ERA), Philip Hastings (Gow Hastings Architects)
January 2019 | TSA at DesignTO: Studio Swine, copresented with Harbourfront Centre
SPEAKERS | Alexander Groves, Azusa Murakami
OCTOBER 2018 | TSA Urban Affairs Forum in partnership with ACO Toronto Chapter: Death and the City
SPEAKERS | Gee Chung (ACO Toronto), Nicole Hanson (Environmental Planner), Adam Bunch (Toronto Book of the Dead)
MAY 2018 | TSA at Doors Open Toronto: What’s the story here? – a panel discussion on architecture, film and the city
MODERATOR | Maria Denegri
PANELISTS | Carol Phillips (Moriyama + Teshima Architects), Drew Mandel (Drew Mandel Architects), Elisa Sauve (Production Designer), Jay Pooley (Production Designer and Lecturer, John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape and Design)
APRIL 2018 | TSA Urban Affairs Forum: Superarchitecture
SPEAKERS | Terri Peters, Meg Graham (Superkul), Robin Guenther (Perkins+Will), Terry Montgomery (Montgomery Sisam), Stephen Verderber (University of Toronto), Kelly Doran (MASS Design Group)
JANUARY 2018 | TSA Urban Affairs Forum: The Future of Work: The Body, The Building, The City
SPEAKERS | Angelika Seeschaaf Veres and Koby Barhad (Radical Norms / OCAD), Vanessa Fong (Vanessa Fong Architect), Lorna Day (Director of Urban Design, City of Toronto)
SEPTEMBER 2017 | TSA Urban Affairs Forum: Architecture and Public Art
MODERATOR | Brad Golden
PANELISTS | Ana-Francisca de la Mora (IBI Group), Laura Berazadi (Metrolinx), Paul Raff (Paul Raff Studio)
MAY 2017 | TSA at Doors Open Toronto : What is Canadian Architecture
MODERATOR | Beth Kapusta
PANELISTS | A.J. Diamond, Omar Gandhi, Valerie Gow, Murray Legge, Susan Scott, Pierre Thibault
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MARCH 2017 | TSA Urban Affairs Forum : New Design & Technology Synergies Forum
PANELISTS | Mark Cichy (DIALOG), Mania Meibodi (ETH, Zurich), Renn Scott (Ryerson Fashion Zone), Tom Bessai (DFZ / Denegri Bessai Studio)
In partnership with Ryerson University’s Design Fabrication Zone
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JANUARY 2017 | TSA at TO DO: Designing for Inclusivity MODERATOR | Joe Lobko (DTAH)
PANELISTS | Robert Allen (MJMA), Andrea Lacalamita (InContext Videos), Raja Moussaoui (InContext Videos), Andrea Oppedisano (City of Toronto)
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MAY 2016 | TSA at Doors Open Toronto – TSA Architects’ Talk: Architecture is Art?
MODERATOR | Michael Awad, B.Arch., M.Arch., M.U.D.
PANELISTS | Christie Pearson, B.E.S., B.Arch., M.Arch., OAA | Paul Raff, Principal Paul Raff Studio | Kim Storey, B.Arch, OAA, MRAIC | Rohan Walters, B.Arch., Spaces by Rohan | Betsy Williamson, B.A., M.Arch., OAA, FRAIC, Williamson Williamson
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JANUARY 2016 | TSA Urban Affairs Forum: Generosity by Design (presented as part of the Toronto Design Offsite Festival)
MODERATOR | Carol Phillips, Principal, Moriyama & Teshima Architects
PANELISTS | Robert Allsopp, Partner, DTAH | David Sisam, Founding Principal, Montgomery Sisam Architects | Philip Evans, Principal, ERA Architects | Helena Grdadolnik, Associate Director
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NOVEMBER 2015 | TSA Urban Affairs Forum: Designing Toronto’s Parks (presented in conjunction with the City of Toronto and OALA)
MODERATOR | Antonio Gomez-Palacio, Founding Partner, Dialog
PANELISTS | Dave Harvey, Executive Director, Park People | Michael McLelland, Founding Partner ERA Architects | Alex Mut, Supervisor, Capital Projects Parks Forestry and Recreation, City of Toronto | Adam Nicklin, Principal and co-founder, PUBLIC WORK | Janet Rosenberg, Janet Rosenberg and Studio
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MAY 2015 | TSA Urban Affairs Forum: Toronto Island Airport Forum Expansion Design Considerations
MODERATOR | Antonio Gomez-Palacio, Founding Partner, Dialog
INTRODUCTORY REMARKS | Ken Greenberg, Principal, Greenberg Consultants Inc | Robert Deleuce, President and CEO, Porter Airlines
PANELISTS | Ken Greenberg | Robert Deleuce | Bruno Weber, Associate, KPBM Architects | Svetlana Lavrentieva, Senior Associate, Scott Torrance Landscape Architect Inc | Ute Maya-Giambattista, Principal, SGL Planning and Design Inc
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APRIL 2015 | TSA Urban Affairs Forum: Healthy Cities
MODERATOR | Antonio Gomez-Palacio, Founding Partner, Dialog
INTRODUCTION | David Sisam, Founding Principal, Montgomery Sisam Architects
PANELISTS | David McKeown, MD, City of Toronto Medical Officer of Health | Gillian Booth, MD, Scientist, Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute | Stephen Verderber, Professor and Associate Dean for Research, John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture Landscape and Design
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APRIL 2015 | TSA Urban Affairs Forum: New City of Toronto Low-Rise Guidelines (presented in conjunction with the City of Toronto)
MODERATOR | Richard Witt, OAA, MRAIC, Past TSA Chair
PRESENTATIONS | Harold Madi, Director of Urban Planning, City of Toronto | Diana Birchall, Program Manager Urban Design, City of Toronto
GUESTS | Prishram Jain, Head Architect & Project Manager, TACT | Sean Lawrence, Founding Partner, Kohn Partnership Architects Inc | Gianpiero Pugliese, Founding Principal, AUDAX Architecture | Sasa Radulovic, Principal, 5468796 Architecture
MAY 2014 | A Conversation with Harold Madi
MODERATOR | Richard Witt, OAA, MRAIC, Past TSA Co-Chair
GUEST | Harold Madi, Director of Urban Design, City of Toronto
View this Forum on YouTube!
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NOVEMBER 2013 | Unlocking the Avenues: Wood Construction
MODERATOR | Richard Witt, OAA, MRAIC, TSA Co-Chair
GUESTS | Steven Street, Technical Director, Wood Works | David Moses, P. Eng., Moses structural Engineers Inc. | Marco VanderMaas, Design Director, Quadrangle Architects | Paul Bedford, FCIP, RPP, Adjunct Professor, Urban & Regional Planning, University of Toronto
OCTOBER 2013 | World Fairs
MODERATOR | Ian Chodikoff, Fora Strategic Planning
GUESTS | Councillor Kristyn Wong-Tam, City of Toronto | Carmen Sylvain, Borealis Infrastructure, senior strategic advisor | David Roberts PhD, Urban Studies Department at the Univeristy of Toronto, professor | Doron Meinhard, Hariri Pontarini Architects, associate
SEPTEMBER 2013 | TSA Ideas Forum: Emerging Voices
GUESTS | Reigo & Bauer, Workshop Architecture, OMAS, Studio Kimiis, nkA, Partisans, Denegri Bessai Studio, blackLAB architects, Studio Junction
APRIL 2013 | Creating A More Walkable Toronto
MODERATOR | Heather Dubbeldam, TSA Co-Chair
GUESTS | Stephen Buckley, City of Toronto Transportation Services, general manager | Sam Schwartz, Sam Schwartz Engineering, “Gridlock Sam”
NOVEMBER 2012 | Design Competitions
MODERATOR | Antonio Gomez-Palacio, TSA Executive
GUESTS | Ed Nicolucci, City of Mississauga, architect and urban designer | Caroline Dubuc, Bureau du design at the City of Montreal, design commissioner | Mayzar Mortazavi, TAS DesignBuild, principal | Sam Crignano, Cityzen Development Group, president | Andrea Calla, Tridel Group, executive
OCTOBER 2012 | Ontario Place Revitalization
MODERATOR | Joe Lobko, TSA Executive
GUESTS | John Tory, Ontario Place Revitalization Minister’s Advisory Panel, chair | Pina Petricone, Ontario Place Revitalization Minister’s Advisory Panel, member | Rich Godfrey, Infrastructure Ontario, VP
MAY 2012 | Transit Architecture
MODERATOR | Antonio Gomez-Palacio, TSA Executive
GUESTS | Richard Stevens, SGA-IBI Group Architects, architect | Eric Turcotte, Urban Strategies, architect and urban planner | Jim Berry, HMM, architect | Chris McCarthy, SNC Lavalin Transportation Division, director | Dylan Reid, Spacing Magazine, senior editor
FEBRUARY 2012 | Winning at the Political Process
MODERATOR | Antonio Gomez-Palacio, TSA Executive
GUESTS | Jennifer Keesmaat, DIALOG, Urban Planner | Councillor Peter Milczyn, City of Toronto, City Councillor | Bob Doumani, Aird and Berlis, Development Lawyer | Councillor Adam Vaughan, City of Toronto, City Councillor | Gary Wright, City of Toronto, Chief Planner
JANUARY 2012 | Official Plan Review Forum
MODERATOR | Joe Lobko, Partner, DTAH
GUESTS | Corwin Cambray, Senior Planner, City of Toronto | Paul Bain, Project Manager, Official Plan Review, City of Toronto
NOVEMBER 2011 | Where is the design advocacy?
MODERATORS | Phil Goodfellow & Antonio Gomez-Palacio, Toronto Society of Architects
GUESTS | Elana Horowitz, Toronto Coalition for Active Transportation | Cynthia Wilkey, Chair, West Don Lands Committee | Peter Zimmerman, Freed Developments | Dr. Rafael Gomez, Centre for Industrial Relations and Human Resources & Woodsworth College, University of Toronto
OCTOBER 2011 | Refocusing on Main Streets: A model of mixed used development
MODERATOR | Calvin Brook, Prinicipal, Brook McIlroy
GUESTS | Robert Spanier, Senior Vice President, Live Work Learn Play | Shane Fenton Vice President & Principal, Reserve Properties Ltd| Babak Eslahjou Principal, Core Architects
APRIL 2011 | Toronto’s Tall Buildings: Visions of High Streets, Types and Performance Standards for Our Communities
MODERATOR | Richard Witt, Co-Chair, Toronto Society of Architects
GUESTS | Robert Freedman, Director – Urban Design, City of Toronto
Gregg Lintern, Director – City Planning, City of Toronto
Helen Bulat, City Planning, City of Toronto
Frank Lewinberg, Partner, Urban Strategies Inc.
David Pontarini, Partner, Hariri Pontarini Architects
Carl Blanchaer, Principal, WZMH Architects
Ian Theaker, Sustainability Consultant
FEBRUARY 2011 | The Media-cracy of Design
MODERATOR | David Michael Lamb, CBC Radio World Report
GUESTS | Christopher Hume, Architecture Critic and Urban Issues Columnist, Toronto Star
John Bentley Mays, Independent Visual Art and Architecture Critic
Matthew Blackett, Publisher and Creative Director,Spacing Magazine
Alex Bozikovic, Journalist and Critic on Architecture and Design
NOVEMBER 2010 | Waterfront Toronto Urban Design Forum: A City in Transition
MODERATOR | Susan Lewin, TSA Vice Chair
GUESTS | Angus Crankston, Project Manager, Waterfront Section, City Planning, City of Toronto
Christopher Glaisek, Vice President, Planning + Design + Central Waterfront Development
Antonio Gomez-Palacio, Principal, Dialog
Robert Goyeche, RDH Architects Inc (Architects for the Port Lands Sports Centre)
JUNE 2010 | The Future of Tall Buildings in Toronto
MODERATOR | Richard Witt, TSA Treasurer
GUESTS |James Parakh, Senior Urban Designer, City Planning Division, City of Toronto
Barry Charnish, Senior Principal, Halcrow Yolles, and Canadian Representative to the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat
Carl Blanchaer, Principal, WZMH Architects
Ian Theaker, Senior Sustainability Consultant, Halsall Associates Ltd.
MARCH 2010 | Toronto 2015 – Pan Am Games
MODERATOR | Drew Sinclair, TSA Executive
GUESTS | John van Nostrand, Principal, regionalArchitects
Robert Johnson, Principal and National Sport Practice Leader, Cannon Design
Meg Davis, Vice President of Development for the West Don Lands, Waterfront Toronto
Dale Taylor, Urban Economist, P3 Specialist
OCTOBER 2009 | Architects and the Triple Bottom Line: Delivering value in the new economy
MODERATOR | Arlene Gould – Strategic Director, Design Industry Advisory Committee (DIAC)
GUESTS | Michael Hlinka – Metro Morning, CBC
Dermot Sweeny – Principal, &Co (Sweeney Sterling Finlayson)
Alan Vihant – Concord Adex Developments
MAY 2009 | Regent Park Revitalization – the past, the master plan, and the development phase
MODERATOR | Phil Goodfellow – TSA Vice Chair
GUESTS | Ken Greenberg – Urban Planner, Greenberg Consultants Inc.
Peter Clewes – Principal, architectsAlliance
Mark Guslits – Chief Development Officer, Toronto Community Housing
APRIL 2009 | Landscape Infrastructure as Renewal – Ecologically, Socially & Economically
MODERATOR | Phil Goodfellow – TSA Vice Chair
GUESTS | Diana Gerrard – Partner, gh3
Charles Waldheim – Director, Master of Landscape Program, John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape & Design, University of Toronto
Mark Bekkering – Toronto Environment Office
MARCH 2009 | Design Review in the GTA
MODERATOR | Phil Goodfellow – TSA Vice Chair
GUESTS | Bruce Kuwabara – Chair, Waterfront Toronto Design Review Panel
Sharon Mittmann – Urban Designer, Mississauga Design Review Panel
Robert Freedman – Director of Urban Design, City of Toronto
Ralph Giannone – City of Toronto Design Review Panel
FEBRUARY 2009 | Green By Design
MODERATOR | Heather Dubbeldam – TSA Vice Chair
GUESTS | Susan Lewin – TSA Vice Chair, CaGBC – GTA Chapter, principal & Director of Sustainable Strategies, CS&P Architects
Carolyn Moss – Principal, Moss Sund Architects
Colin Viebrock – Principal, Green Garage
Arlene Gould – Strategic Director, Design Industry Advisory Committee
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OCTOBER 2008 | Site Plan Control, proposed amendments, City of Toronto
MODERATOR | Phil Goodfellow – TSA Vice Chair
GUESTS | Corwin Cambray – Senior Planner, City Planning Division, City of Toronto
Leo Desorcy – Program Manager, City Planning Division, City of Toronto
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JUNE 2008 | Food in the City – A discussion assessing the health of the city through examining the cycles of its food – the growth sourcing production, buying, selling, cooking, eating of food in the City
MODERATOR | Phil Goodfellow – TSA Vice Chair
GUESTS | Chris Hardwicke – Associate &co
Kathryn Scharf – Program Director, STOP Community Food Centre
Lauren Baker – PhD Candidate, Faculty of Environmental Studies, York University
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MAY 2008 | City Transit – Transit City: How will the growth of our transit system affect the streetscape development of urban space?
MODERATOR | Matthew Blackett – Spacing Magazine
GUESTS | Adam Giambrone – City Councillor & Head of the TTC, City of Toronto
Alex Spiegel – President, One Development Corp.
Roger du Toit – Principal, DTAH
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APRIL 2008 | Past, Present, and Future of our Brownfields
MODERATOR | Joe Lobko – Principal, du Toit Allsopp Hillier | du Toit Architects Ltd
GUESTS | Ken Greenberg – Principal, Greenberg Consultants Inc
Jeffrey Seider – Principal of MKI, Senior Economic & Strategic Planning Policy Advisor
Robert Freedman – Director of Urban Design, City of Toronto
Paul Bedford – Member of Metrolinx, former Chief Planner for the City of Toronto
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MARCH 2008 | Open Spaces & the Walkable City
MODERATOR | Scott Sørli – Sørli Associates
GUESTS | Daniel Egan – City of Toronto’s “Walkable Strategy”
Chris Hardwicke – Urban Designer, &co
Antoine Belaieff – Metrolinx
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FEBRUARY 2008 | Concrete Toronto – Looking at our City
MODERATOR | Michael McClelland – ERA Architects
GUESTS | Adrian Blackwell – Assistant Professor, al&d
David Bowick – Principal, Blackwell Bowick Partnership
Ian Chodikoff – Editor, Canadian Architect magazine
Marsha Kelmans – Urban Designer, City of Toronto
Shawn Micallef – writer / Associate Editor, Spacing Magazine / co-founder of [murmur]
Graeme Stewart – ERA Architects
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NOVEMBER 2007 | Sustainable Transportation: Engineer as City Builder
MODERATOR | Alun Lloyd – BA Group
GUESTS | Gary Welsh – General Manager of Transportation Services, City of Toronto
John Hillier – Prinipal, DTAH
Richard Gilbert – Author of Transportation Revolutions, University of Toronto
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OCTOBER 2007 | Improving Planning, NOW!
MODERATOR | Joe Lobko – Principal, du Toit Allsopp Hillier | du Toit Architects Ltd
GUESTS | Adam Vaughan – City Councillor
David Jackson – Cityscape Development Corp
Scott James – Community Activist
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JUNE 2007 | Design Matters
GUESTS | Robert Ouellette – Reading Toronto and Forum Bureau
Arlene Gold – Strategic Director, Design Industry Advisory Committee (DIAC)
Scott Christie – Principal, Pylon Design
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MAY 2007 | Green Architecture
GUESTS | David Sisam – Partner, Montgomery Sisam Architects
Keith Stewart – World Wildlife Fund, Toronto Office
Larry Brydon – Vice Chair, Toronto chapter CaGBC and Senior Account Executive, Ozz Corporation
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APRIL 2007 | Landscape Urbanism
MODERATOR | David Leinster – Planning Partnership
GUESTS | Elyse Parker – City of Toronto
Lisa Rapoport – Principal, Plant Architect
Peter North – University of Toronto
Eric Pedersen – City of Toronto
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MARCH 2007 | Heritage
MODERATOR | Michael McClelland – E.R.A. Architects
GUESTS | Dinu Bombaru – ICOMOS International
Mark Robert – Heritage Toronto
Tim Jones – Artscape
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FEBRUARY 2007 | Shaping Communities
GUESTS | Charles Campbell – Queen West Triangle/Active 18 Steering Committee
Tania Bortolotto – TWRC Design Review Panel
Rafael Gomez – Stripmalls of Scarborough
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