Waterfront Toronto Welcomes Four New Members to its Waterfront Design Review Panel

Earlier this year, Waterfront Toronto issued a Call for New Members to join our Waterfront Design Review Panel. We’re thrilled to announce the addition of four new members who will join our panel of experts this September: Janna Levitt, Partner, LGA Architectural Partners; Nina-Marie Lister, Principal, Plandform; Jeff Ranson, Executive Director, Toronto 2030 District; and Eric Turcotte, Partner, Urban Strategies Inc.

An independent advisory body that guides and informs the revitalization of Toronto’s waterfront, the Panel provides objective, professional advice to Waterfront Toronto and/or City of Toronto Planning staff about proposed public and private developments within the Designated Waterfront Area. The role of the Panel is to advocate for the highest quality outcomes for the citizens of Toronto on their waterfront.  Established in 2005, the Panel has become a renowned forum for advancing excellence in design and city-building.

Janna Levitt is an architect and co-founder of LGA Architectural Partners (formerly Levitt Goodman Architects). Ms. Levitt brings to the Panel her views on architecture as an essential tool for creating living, working, and learning environments that improve people's lives. Much of her work as an architect and educator has explored design's role in bringing together and enhancing diverse communities.  Ms. Levitt is an Adjunct Professor at the University of Waterloo School of Architecture and Dalhousie University School of Architecture. She also lectures widely on architecture and the arts, and is an active jury member and panellist on architectural and urban design issues across the country.

Nina-Marie Lister, a Registered Professional Planner (MCIP, RPP) trained in ecolo gy, environmental science and landscape planning, is the founding principal of PLANDFORM, a creative studio practice working at the nexus of landscape, ecology, and urbanism. Ms. Lister is currently Graduate Program Director and Associate Professor in the School of Urban and Regional Planning at Ryerson University in Toronto. In 2017, Ms. Lister was nominated among Planetizen’s Most Influential Urbanists.

For the last fifteen years, Jeff Ranson has become one of Canada’s leading specialists in market transformation strategy for sustainable urban development. Mr. Ranson currently serves as the Executive Director of the Toronto 2030 District, catalyzing action in Downtown Toronto to achieve our 2030 greenhouse gas reduction goals and he sits on the International 2030 District Network Board of Directors. Additionally, Mr. Ranson acts as Manager of Education for Sustainable Buildings Canada and runs a private consulting practice focused on capacity building and strategic planning for sustainable development, urban climate change mitigation and resilience.
 

Urban Designer, Architect, and Planner Eric Turcotte is a partner at Urban Strategies Inc. with over 20 years of experience in Canada, the United States and Europe.  Mr. Turcotte’s areas of expertise include downtown revitalization plans, redevelopment of inner city neighbourhoods, large scale institutional and corporate master plans, and urban design guidelines. Mr. Turcotte is a founding member of the Council for Canadian Urbanism (CanU) and regularly lectures on urban design, architecture and planning issues.

We’re excited to welcome all four members to our Panel and we look forward to having their perspectives and expertise help shape Toronto’s waterfront revitalization. 

To learn more about the Waterfront Design Review Panel and to read member bios, please click here.