As we approach the end of a great and sunny summer, I am reflecting on how 2011 has been another successful year for ULI Toronto.  Our membership levels are up again (over 500 members, with approximately 30% of these young leaders), and we continue to evolve from a ULI District Council that runs excellent and well attended programs to a District Council that also actively embraces ULI’s mission of creating sustainable and better communities.

On the programming front, our annual and popular fireside chat, a Rare Evening with Ed Sonshine, took place in June, with approximately 200 attendees.  Ed was interviewed by his colleague and friend, Fred Waks, and with his usual candour and humour, provided insights into his career experiences and the Riocan success story.  The previous month, over 150 young leaders attended a YLG workshop dealing with Development Trends in the GTA.  Thanks to moderator Les Klein, and speakers Brennan Carroll, Lorna Day, Steve Diamond, Robert Glover and Steven Wong for an informative discussion.  In July, our YLG members gave back to the community and had a fun evening planting trees at the Evergreen Brickworks.  Also in July, over 450 young leaders from ULI, Corenet and GEMS gathered at the Ultra Supper Club Rooftop for the YLG summer social.

I am especially pleased to report that ULI Toronto convened its first Technical Assistance Panel (TAP) this year.  ULI National and our sister district councils in the United States have a long history of running TAPS programs, where ULI members devote their time and expertise to land use issues in a Region.  Our first TAPS program, undertaken in conjunction with the City of Toronto and Metrolinx, looked at ways to revitalize the Weston Road Village as part of the City’s Weston 2021 initiative.  It started with a design charette undertaken by the City on May 4 and 5, and the TAPS panel then conducted its work and analysis on May 31 and June 1.  The results of its analysis were presented to the community at the end of June, and we look forward to the release of the final TAPS report in the fall.  I want to thank the City and Metrolinx for the significant staff resources they brought to the process and for engaging the ULI TAPS panel in their planning for the area; the ULI members for devoting their time and expertise (Mark Guslits, HOK; Remo Agostino, Daniels; Brad Caco, Trinity Developments; Mark Conway, Barry Lyon Consultants; Norman Hibbert, MMM Group; Mark Patrin, Milborne Real Estate; Linda Warth, Lanterra; Mark Johnson, Earth Development; Christina Giannone, FRAM; and Paul Bedford), YLG volunteers who helped with the logistics (Natalie Boodram, MMM Group; Hilary Vaillancourt, Architectural Conservancy; Adam Zendel, York University; Vincent Lo, Rotman School of Business and Anestasia Malina, Schulich School of Business); Nicole Swerhun, who moderated and facilitated the two day TAPS process, and finally, Robert Freedman and Jamie Christie of our Executive Committee and Alexandra Rybak, our District Council Co-ordinator, for all their time and efforts.

Engaging in community outreach through TAPS programs and other initiatives supports ULI’s mission to provide leadership in the responsible use of land and in creating and sustaining thriving communities.  We look forward to undertaking more TAPS programs in the future, and we are also planning to launch a community grant program this fall, which will aim to provide urban planning and development support to community-led projects.

Our ongoing programming and community outreach activities are only possible through the continued support of our active members, and our generous sponsors.  I would like to recognize and thank our continuing sponsors: HOK Canada, Cadillac Fairview, Morguard Investments, Oxford Properties, Stikeman Elliot, BLG Canada, Concord Adex, Davies Howe, Goodmans, Great Gulf Homes, Perimeter Development, PWC, and Toronto Real Estate Board.

Enjoy the rest of your summer, and we look forward to seeing you at our fall programs, which will include a program on October 5 on Large Scale Redevelopment Projects in the GTA, and our annual Emerging Trends breakfast on November 1.

Mark Noskiewicz
Chair, ULI Toronto