Ideas Forum: Advocating for a Better City

Changing Toronto’s built environment is challenging, requiring time, money, and collaboration. Yet many individuals and organizations are driving progress through advocacy, research, and design. The ‘Ideas Forum: Advocating for a Better City’ showcases their efforts through dynamic presentations and discussion.

Making change is difficult, especially when it comes to improving our built environment. Projects often span years or decades, requiring millions of dollars, complex coordination, and precious resources to come to fruition. It’s no wonder then that making change requires patience and determination. With all of these challenges, advocating for change can sometimes feel like a daunting task, but in Toronto we are fortunate to count on many individuals, organizations, and groups that are doing just that: raising their voices and doing the work that leads to big changes and a better city for all.

Whether it’s researchers bridging the gap between academia and policy, non-profit groups engaging previously excluded stakeholders, or design practices advocating for the value of our built legacy, these Torontonians are showing us that a better future for our city is possible if we speak up and work together. ‘Ideas Forum: Advocating for a Better City’ features five fast-paced presentations (20 slides shown for 20 seconds each) exploring different approaches and case studies of advocacy in Toronto’s built environment. The presentations will be followed by a moderated Q&A. 

Speakers

Michelle Gay is an artist, designer and researcher. She holds a Master of Fine Arts from the NSCAD University and a Master of Information from University of Toronto. She has been an urban planning activist in the City of Toronto, in the West Queen West area, for decades, lobbying for affordable live and workspaces for creative work, for public and community spaces, and for urban design that considers people and place as important as profit. She teaches in the Interdisciplinary Media Art and Design program at OCAD University and is currently doing research in the Environmental and Urban Change program at York University.

Nina-Marie Lister is Professor in the School of Urban Planning at Toronto Metropolitan University where she founded and directs the Ecological Design Lab. A Senior Fellow of Massey College, and Visiting Professor of Landscape Architecture at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design, Lister holds the John R. Bracken Fellowship in Landscape Architecture. As a licensed planner and landscape ecologist, Lister’s lab connects people and nature in our cities. Her research is funded by the federal government and is published widely, with a focus on green infrastructure design for climate resilience, biodiversity, and human wellbeing. A recipient of the Canadian Green Building Council’s excellence and leadership award, Lister was nominated among Planetizen’s Most Influential Urbanists, and was awarded the Margolese National Prize for design in 2021.

Michael Longfield first joined what was then known as the Toronto Cyclists Union in 2010 as a dues-paying member, motivated by frustration after Toronto’s newly elected mayor, Rob Ford, declared that “war on the car is over” during his induction ceremony that also derided “all the pinkos out there that ride bicycles.” A decade later he served as the organization’s Acting Executive Director, guiding Cycle Toronto through a period that saw a historic expansion of Toronto’s cycling network during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. Returning to the staff team in 2022, he was appointed Executive Director in 2023.

Wesley Lincoln Reibeling is a Toronto-based cultural strategist, writer and interdisciplinary artist working at the intersection of design, urbanism, parks and public space. His practice bridges art, community engagement and citybuilding, exploring how storytelling, collaboration and creative process can shape more caring, equitable cities. Wesley is the Manager of Toronto Networks and Partnerships at Park People, supporting community and city partnerships across the park system. He sits on the boards of Community & Cultural Spaces Trust and Urban Minds, co-leads The Public Great, a collective focused on equitable development and cultural activation, and is part of the Steering Committee for Jane’s Walk Toronto and Global. Rooted in queer placemaking and social practice, his work is about helping cities listen, connect and care for the people who make them.

Brian Rudy is a Partner at Moriyama Teshima Architects whose practice centres on public and cultural work, adaptive reuse, and sustainable design. With three decades in the profession, he has guided such projects as the Canadian War Museum in Ottawa, Etihad Museum in Dubai, Waterloo Region Museum, and Place des Arts in Sudbury. His advocacy for the Ontario Science Centre was focused on preserving the cultural history of this Centennial landmark, along with the uniqueness of its Toronto ravine setting. Brian is a member of the Ontario Museum Association and the Canadian Association of Science Centres, an OAA architect, and a RAIC Fellow.

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This talk is eligible for 1.5 OAA Structured Learning Hours. When registering, please include your full name as registered with the OAA to ensure your certificate of participation is credited properly. Please also include an email address you check frequently to ensure you receive your certificate in a timely manner.

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‘Ideas Forum: Advocating for a Better City’ is organized by DesignTO in partnership with the Toronto Society of Architects. The DesignTO Festival is supported by the Government of Ontario and the City of Toronto.

About DesignTO

DesignTO is a charitable arts organization celebrating 16 years of designing a sustainable, just, and joyful future. From January 23-February 1, 2026, the DesignTO Festival features 100+ free events and exhibitions across Toronto, showcasing hundreds of artists and designers. As Canada’s largest annual design festival, DesignTO has welcomed over 1 million attendees, reached 2.6 billion people through media, supported 7,000+ artists and designers, and generated $159 million in tourism impact since 2011.

About the Toronto Society of Architects

Established in 1887, the Toronto Society of Architects (TSA) is a non-profit and volunteer-led organization dedicated to bringing people together to discuss, learn and explore around our shared passion for the built environment. They are committed to the betterment of our city, playing an important advocacy role throughout Toronto’s history through a wide range of programs that foster welcoming and inclusive forums for debate and the exchange of ideas, stimulating critical thinking about the design and building issues of our time.