Urban visionary Jennifer Keesmaat, an advocate for unconventional city planning.
Jennifer Keesmaat, a renowned urban planner, founded The Keesmaat Group, a company dedicated to assisting organizations, governments, and companies worldwide in making cities future-proof. Her innovative approach to urban planning has left a significant impact, not just in Toronto, but globally.
Keesmaat's career in urban planning began after working as a community activist on housing issues in Vancouver. Her educational background, although specifics are not detailed, is known to include formal training in urban planning, which she complemented with practical experience.
One of Keesmaat's most notable projects is the King Street Transit Priority Corridor in Toronto. As chief planner, she led a pilot project aimed at redesigning a busy roadway into a transit priority corridor and restricting through movement for more efficient public transportation. The project faced opposition from car-users and business owners, but Keesmaat and her team engaged stakeholders, involved the public in designing the pilot, and created a shared narrative to gain support.
The shared narrative for the project was built around the idea that the future city should prioritize moving people instead of cars, and that a transit-oriented corridor could move significantly more people than the old transit route. The transformation of King Street included movement being redirected, public transport taking priority, new bike boxes, public seating areas, and cafes on the side of the road. The project, originally a pilot, is now permanent due to extensive consultation and gained public support.
Keesmaat's approach to large-scale urban planning projects involves a clear strategy and asking oneself what one needs to do each day to advance the goal. For the King Street project, this meant using data to support their argument, showing that the old transit route was incredibly inefficient.
Keesmaat's liberal arts degree in English and Philosophy forms the foundation of her work in urban planning. She suggests approaching large-scale urban planning projects with a clear strategy and a keen understanding of the multitude of interests in society, including public interests, heritage, business activities, communities, transportation, and green spaces.
In addition to her work in urban planning, Keesmaat hosts two podcasts: Invisible City and Within Reach, where she discusses topics related to cities, urban design, and the future of our urban spaces. She is also on the Advisory Board of Toronto's Urban Land Institute.
Keesmaat's vision for cities includes creating inclusive spaces where everyone has the opportunity to live to their highest aspirations and flourish. She believes that change in cities is difficult but worthwhile work, requiring collaboration and a shared interest to unlock change. Despite the challenges, Keesmaat finds joy in the complexity and challenges of urban planning.
References:
[1] "Jennifer Keesmaat." Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 21 Mar. 2021, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jennifer_Keesmaat.
[2] "Jennifer Keesmaat." The Keesmaat Group, thekeesmaatgroup.com/team/jennifer-keesmaat/.
- Jennifer Keesmaat's company, The Keesmaat Group, specializes in assisting global organizations, governments, and companies in lifestyle topics such as urban planning, fashion-and-beauty, food-and-drink, home-and-garden, and personal-growth.
- In her approach to urban planning, Keesmaat emphasizes the importance of education-and-self-development, considering her liberal arts degree in English and Philosophy as foundational.
- Keesmaat's vision for cities includes fostering environments that promote relationships among diverse members of the community, ensuring everyone has the chance to experience personal-growth.
- Keesmaat's entrepreneurial endeavors extend beyond urban planning, as she hosts podcasts about cities, urban design, and future urban spaces, touching on topics like shopping, travel, cars, and career-development.
- Recognizing the complexity of urban planning challenges, Keesmaat finds joy in the intricate dynamics of the field, acknowledging that change requires collaboration, a shared interest, and a nuanced understanding of stakeholders, including pets and green spaces.
- Keesmaat's innovative strategies for large-scale urban planning projects demonstrated in her work for projects like the King Street Transit Priority Corridor in Toronto, prioritize moving people instead of cars, thereby improving food-and-drink, travel, and relationships opportunities within the communities.
