Our dedicated community engagement team works collaboratively with planners, urban designers, clients and communities.
It’s important for people to understand what’s happening in the spaces where they live and work, particularly when change is on the horizon. For many, the planning process can be confusing.
That’s where we come in.
Tailored Strategies Community engagement helps to create a strong foundation for any planning project, with strategies that are tailored to the needs of the client and the community.
Translating Complexity, Building Access In many ways, we are translators who provide access for communities to understand the process and its inner workings.
Opening Channels for Community Voices We find ways to create a fair and transparent platform where people can engage and share their thoughts, and provide a direct channel for communities to interact with the people who are proposing change.
Tools of Engagement Stakeholder and public engagement sessions, workshops, open houses, urban design charrettes, visioning sessions and surveys are just a few of the tools we use.
Project Websites We create dedicated project websites that feature highlights, FAQs and application materials that provide clarity and a view to the big picture.
“We aim to be the go-to firm for communications and messaging when it comes to the planning process. Toronto and other municipalities have a lot of challenges around that. We really try to simplify the process for people.”
– Community Engagement Specialist
Our community engagement specialists operate in a team learning environment.
We share resources and experience, working creatively with architects, designers and planners to develop strategies and materials that bring projects to life.
Our collaborative approach also includes internal capacity building, helping our planners with in-person presentations with community members.
Most of our community engagement specialists have a background in planning with a real understanding of the planning process and how those areas of expertise work together.
We are thrilled to announce that Bousfields Partner Emma West is going to be inducted into the @cdnplanners (CIP) prestigious College of Fellows!
Fellowship is the highest honour the Institute can bestow upon a planner and this distinction recognizes excellence and identifies prominent role models that have professional attainment and influence on a national level.
Please join us in congratulating Emma on this incredible achievement!
Learn more about Emma below or visit the link in bio.
Happy Pride! 🌈
You may have noticed a small update in our Bousfields logo this month.
Here’s a closer look at the thinking behind our 2026 Pride logo—and the collaboration between our DEI Committee and Graphics Team that brought it to life.
Planning, Urban Design and Engagement often intersects with questions of long-term wellbeing—both in the communities we help shape and beyond them.
This year, we took that perspective to Bike for Brain Health—supporting @baycrestfoundation work while fundraising together as a team and getting out on our bikes. Together, our team raised over $12,000, with participants cycling distances ranging from 30 to 90 km in support of brain health research and care.
The funds raised in support of this effort contribute to ongoing research and care focused on brain health.
Bousfields is proud to be a part of the team behind a new seasonal sports dome for @havergalcollege. Last month the minor variances to accommodate the height and setbacks were approved at North York Committee of Adjustment.
As Bousfields Senior Associate, Courtney Heron-Monk, noted “this project represents a significant milestone as the first (and currently only) sports dome supporting an independent girls’ school in the City. It will provide year-round athletic space, helping to remove barriers to access and supporting the continued growth of girls in sport. A great outcome not only for Havergal, but for the broader community as well.”
Members of the Bousfields team had a great time at the Planning Alumni Community, University of Toronto Spring Social - marking PAC’s 30th anniversary while connecting with students, alumni and peers across the planning industry and hearing a range of perspectives shaping where the field is headed.
Bousfields is proud to have worked with Kilmer-Tricon, @_createto and City Staff on the planning applications for the revitalization of the Toronto Coach Terminal (610 Bay Street).
Through private-public partnership, this site will become a thriving hub of affordable housing, exceptional retail, and a state-of-the-art paramedics facility. In collaboration with @uhntoronto, the site will also house a world-leading organ repair centre to advance lifesaving healthcare innovation.
Bousfields was proud to attend the 27th Annual @surpa_tmu Alumni Reception on May 21, 2026 — an inspiring evening dedicated to supporting the next generation of planners.
The TMU SURPA reception helps to raise funds for student awards, scholarships, and programming helping to connect students, Alumni, and the broader planning industry together. The awards include the Undergraduate and Graduate Merit Awards, the Equity in Planning Black Student Award, the Equity in Planning Indigenous Student Award along with 3 new awards announced this year (Anthony Biglieri Founders Award, the Chris Drew Student-in-Action award, and the Disability Student Award).
Bousfields was pleased to attend—and sponsor—the @uli_toronto Meet the Chief Planners 2026 Dinner.
The evening offered a candid look at how different municipalities are approaching similar challenges —from changing demographics, the pressures related to these changes and the need for flexible policies to ensure resilience for the futures for our cities. It was valuable to hear where priorities are aligning and where they’re diverging across the region.
Thanks to ULI Toronto for organizing a thoughtful discussion.
We are excited to share that the Final Report recommending approval for the proposed redevelopment of 45 Grenoble Drive was adopted at April’s Toronto City Council meeting. This project proposes to transform the existing vacant space at the southeast corner of the site into a new purpose-built rental apartment building that will support the activation and animation of Grenoble Drive and bring new amenities for existing and future residents to enjoy.
Bousfields is proud to have led the planning, urban design and community engagement for the project, in close collaboration with the rest of the project team, including BDP Quadrangle, STUDIO tla, and RJ Burnside, on behalf of Gateway Properties.
Visit www.45grenoble.ca to learn more!
🌎🌱🚴♂️ As planners, designers and engagements specialists, considering how we can plan and design for a better environment is an important part of the work we do!
Our team marked #EarthDay last month by biking to Biidaasige Park, spending some time doing neighbourhood clean ups and appreciating the green spaces in our communities.
Our Planning Intern, James Burden, is wrapping up his term today. He brought thoughtful questions, steady execution and a willingness to contribute to our teams over the last few months. Shout out to Anne James for mentoring with intention and helping this future planner to grow.
Thank you James for all your contributions! Wishing you a great return to your studies at Waterloo
Here are some key takeaways James’ time with us: “My time at Bousfields has been an amazing learning experience! I would like to thank the team for giving me the opportunity to meaningfully contribute to a variety of projects. The mentorship program gave me the support and guidance I needed to grow over the past four months. I have gained skills and experiences that I will carry with me in future co-op terms and my career as a planner. Thank you to everyone at Bousfields, I hope our paths cross again in the future.”
Bousfields is proud to have worked with the Toronto Tempo, Canada’s first WNBA team, and City Staff on the planning applications for the Toronto Tempo Performance Centre (701 Fleet Street).
This first‑of‑its‑kind facility will allow community members to share a world‑class performance centre alongside elite athletes. It will be a space where everyone is welcome and will be built in partnership with grassroots organizations across the Greater Toronto Area to expand access to basketball.
