News & Events
Density Bonuses: Implementation Issues in Ontario, Section 37, and British Columbia
Speaker and Moderator
David Amborski
Director, Centre for Urban Research and Land Development
Professor, School of Urban and Regional Planning
Professor David Amborski holds Master's Degrees in Economics and Urban & Regional Planning. His research and consulting interests are in the areas where urban planning interfaces with economics, especially in the field of municipal finance and land/housing markets. More specifically, he has undertaken a number of studies regarding land and housing markets as well as local government budgeting and fiscal tools including approaches to land value capture.
Professor Amborski is a member of Lambda Alpha and has served on a number of government, University and professional organization’s committees including currently being an academic advisor to the National Executive Forum on Public Property. He is currently the Academic Director of the Ryerson City Building Institute and Director of the Centre for Urban Research and Land Development at the Faculty of Community Services, Toronto Metropolitan University.
Panelists
Patrick Devine
LSUC Certified Specialist in Municipal Law
Devine Park LLP
As a founding partner of Devine Park LLP, Planning and Development Lawyers, Patrick assists landowners and developers in achieving approvals for significant development and redevelopment projects. Working with some of the country’s largest developers, property owners and institutions, he is very experienced both at the local level and on appeals before the province’s planning court, the Ontario Municipal Board. Patrick is past Chair of the Planning and Development Committee of the Board of Trade and past President of the Toronto Chapter of Lambda Alpha, an international land economics organization. In addition to being recognized by the Law Society as a Certified Specialist in Municipal Law (Land Use Planning and Development), Patrick is named as one of the most frequently recommended property development lawyers by LEXPERT and is recognized in the LEXPERT/American Lawyer Guide as one of the 500 Leading Lawyers in Canada.
John MacKenzie
Deputy City Manager, Planning and Growth Management
City of Vaughan
John MacKenzie is the Deputy City Manager, Planning and Growth Management, for the City of Vaughan. MacKenzie is responsible for the City’s Building Standards, Development Engineering and Infrastructure Planning, Development Planning, Economic Development and Culture Services, Policy Planning and Environmental Sustainability, and Parks Development Departments. From 2011 to 2014 MacKenzie was the City lead on efforts to advance and facilitate the first phase of transit oriented development projects in the Vaughan Metropolitan Centre. MacKenzie currently represents the City of Vaughan on provincial advisory Committees including the Metrolinx Planning Leaders Forum and in 2015 was appointed by the Province to serve on the Advisory Panel (the “Crombie Panel”) for the Coordinated Review of the Growth Plan, Greenbelt Plan, Oak Ridges Moraine Conservation Plan and Niagara Escarpment Plan.
From 2005 to 2011 in his role as Director of Real Estate Development and AFP Initiatives at Ontario Realty Corporation, MacKenzie led inter-disciplinary teams on land development, land use policy and infrastructure projects across Southern Ontario. This work included project management for Toronto Waterfront Revitalization projects in the West Don Lands, and land preparation and early works for several hospital redevelopment projects across the Province. During this time MacKenzie also served as an Advisory Committee Member for the Ontario Greenbelt Foundation. From 2000 to 2005 MacKenzie played a major role in preparing and implementing provincial plans and initiatives including the Oak Ridges Moraine Conservation Plan, Central Pickering Development Plan and the Greenbelt Plan.
MacKenzie holds a Masters of Science Degree in Planning from the University of Toronto and an Honours Bachelor of Arts Degree in Geography and Urban and Environmental Studies from Brock University. MacKenzie is a member of the Ontario Professional Planners Institute, Canadian Institute of Planners and the Ontario Association for Impact Assessment.
Jeff Fisher
Vice President & Senior Policy Advisor
Urban Development Institute,Vancouver, British Columbia
Jeff joined the Institute almost a decade ago as the Director of Municipal Affairs and Research, and is responsible for UDI’s relations with local governments – including the Institute’s numerous Municipal Liaison Committees. He sits on several Provincial Government committees such as the Development Finance Review Committee. At UDI, Jeff has worked on several planning and development issues, including financing growth, building policy, transit (especially as it integrates with land use), sustainability initiatives and district energy.
Prior to joining UDI, Jeff was a Senior Policy Advisor with the Association of Municipalities of Ontario. In this capacity he was involved in numerous issues including, Building Code reform, and the development of a new Ontario Municipal Act, pension governance, labour issues and emergency services. Jeff has also worked in the Legislative Assemblies of Ontario and British Columbia and the Canadian Urban Institute.
Jeff holds a Bachelors in Political Science from the University of Toronto and a Masters in Urban Regional Planning from Queen’s University. He is also a Registered Professional Planner and a member of the Canadian Institute of Planners, as well as a Certified Association Executive.
Contact info for Jeff Fisher:
Email: jfisher@udi.org
Phone: 604-661-3031
Thank you to all of our panelists and attendees for participating in this informative discussion.
Video of the Event:
If you were not able to make the event you can view the entire seminar on Ryecast.
View video of the event now >>
SPEAKER & MODERATOR:
Professor David Amborski
Director, Centre for Urban Research and Land Development (CUR)
Toronto Metropolitan University
PANELISTS:
Patrick Devine
Devine Park LLP
(PDF file) View presentation
John MacKenzie
Deputy City Manager, Planning and Growth Management
(PDF file) View presentation
Jeff Fisher
Vice President & Senior Policy Advisor
Urban Development Institute
Vancouver, B.C.
Email: jfisher@udi.org
Phone: 604-661-3031