Jennifer Keesmaat, Toronto’s outspoken chief urban planner, has announced she is leaving her position with the city.
Keesmaat, who has held the role for five years, will leave Sept. 29 to “pursue other interests,” the city said.
“It’s been an honour to work with Mayor Tory, Council, City staff and my remarkable team in the City Planning division over the last five years," she said in an official news release sent out by the city Monday afternoon. “I promised myself that after five years in public service I would review my future options. I look forward to new challenges in the important business of city building now enriched by invaluable lessons, new friends and colleagues acquired while serving the people of our great city, Toronto."
Keesmat has been a longtime champion of “walkable cities,” where density and planning for communities would be a priority.
She is credited with leading her team in creating TOCore, the city’s first comprehensive plan for downtown as well as a transit network plan that was approved by council. She has been involved in plans for a King Street transit pilot project, the Scarborough subway extension, SmartTrack, the downtown relief line, and both the waterfront LRT and the Eglinton Crosstown LRT.
"I want to personally thank Jennifer for her tremendous passion, leadership and innovation in driving forward a number of major projects for the city as we continue to move Toronto toward becoming a more livable, affordable and functional city," said Mayor John Tory. "Jennifer has used her platform and voice as chief planner to help guide council's efforts to build a better city for all Torontonians and I wish her all the best in the next phase of her career."
Keesmaat has always made her vision public, penning columns for major newspapers, holding roundtables that integrated social media and were broadcast on TV and making numerous public appearances to explain her stance on the issues.
Both Toronto Life and Macleans magazines have named her as one of the most important and influential people in the city.
Her outspoken nature has brought some controversy though.
She has advocated for politicians to listen to the expertise of urban planners, rather than have planners simply carry out the will of council.
She notably clashed with Tory over the future of the Gardiner Expressway when she spoke out in favour of removing the eastern portion of the aging roadway. Tory had been pushing for a “hybrid” solution that would see only the elevated portion, east of the Don River, removed. Keesmaat was said to have received a “talking to.” Tory’s stance was eventually approved by council.
