Does the next decade belong to suburbs?

The Office of the Mayor, in partnership with Spacing Magazine, invites you to join Mayor Linda Jeffrey at Lab B, in downtown Brampton, as she hosts a panel discussion with academic and industry experts in urban planning and design on the city building potential in suburbs, the 905, and Brampton.

Tickets are very limited, so reserve your spot fast!

Light snacks and refreshments will be served.

The evening will start with a reception at 6:30 pm and the panel conversation will begin at 7:15 pm and conclude at 8:30 pm.

Our Panelists:

Dr. Zhixi Zhuang is an Associate Professor at Ryerson University’s School of Urban and Regional Planning and a Registered Professional Planner practicing in Ontario, Canada. Her passion for city- and community-building has led to her extensive research on how ethnocultural diversity affects urban landscapes and municipal policies and planning. Her current research projects explore suburban ethnic place-making practices in the Greater Toronto Area and how municipalities could enhance the advantages of ethnocultural diversity for suburban retrofitting and inclusive community building.



Graham Haines brings experience working in the public, private and NGO sectors to the Ryerson City Building Institute. Prior to joining the team, he worked with the Pembina Institute, Arup, and most recently for the City of Regina as a Senior Policy Analyst in their Long-Range Planning Department. Over the course of his career, Graham has carried out research and authored reports on a wide range of urban issues including transportation economics, development charges, renewable energy policy, and climate change mitigation. He holds an M.Pl. in Urban Development and a B.ASc. in Engineering Science specializing in infrastructure engineering.



Yousaf Shah is a Consultant at Hemson Consulting Ltd. with a background in construction management and urban planning. Yousaf supports Hemson’s planning practice in demographic forecasting and planning advisory services. He has previously worked in planning policy with the City of Ottawa, development policy with the United Nations in Pakistan, and in commercial construction management in the United States.



Yousaf is a Registered Professional Planner and a LEED Accredited Professional. He has a Master of Urban Planning from McGill University, specializing in Transportation Planning, and a Bachelor of Science in Construction Management from Pratt Institute in New York City. He lived in seven countries before arriving in Canada and has decided to call Toronto home.







