Comprised of Canada’s leaders in architecture, landscape design, engineering and planning, the Waterfront Design Review Panel is an independent advisory body that guides and informs the revitalization of Toronto’s waterfront.

The Panel’s mission is to set new design standards across the waterfront and help Toronto achieve worldwide recognition as a centre of creativity and good design.

The Panel provides input and advice on both public projects, such as parks, bridges and other infrastructure, as well as private buildings, including residential, commercial and retail structures.

It meets monthly and provides input at four key stages of a project’s design process. At each stage, the Panel votes to determine whether

the project has support, conditional support or non-support. If the Panel supports a project, then the project moves onto the next phase. Projects with conditional support or non-support must consider the Panel’s feedback and return to the Panel at a later date for further review.

The Panel is an independent body to guide and inform the revitalization of the Toronto waterfront. The Panel is advisory to Waterfront Toronto, and is in no way intended to replace the City of Toronto's regulatory approval process.

The mission of the Panel is to provide objective, professional advice to designers, developers and governments to ensure that high-quality design is a critical consideration for all of the development on Toronto’s waterfront. The Panel is expected to contribute to a culture of quality by raising the bar for builders and architects, and by maintaining a high standard of design excellence which results in a better built environment for everyone.

Bruce Kuwabara, chair
Partner, Kuwabara Payne McKenna Blumberg Architects

George Baird
Partner, Baird Sampson Neuert Architects

Paul J. Bedford
Urban Mentor and Retired Chief Planner, City of Toronto

Claude Cormier
Principal, Claude Cormier + Associés 

Brigitte Shim
Partner, Shim-Sutcliffe Architects

Betsy Williamson
Partner, WILLIAMSONWILLIAMSON Inc.,

Jane Wolff
Associate Professor
Director, Master of Landscape Architecture Program
University of Toronto John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape, and Design

Donald Schmitt
Architect and Principal, Diamond and Schmitt Architects Inc.

Pat Hanson
Founding Partner, gh3

Gerry A. Faubert
Managing Principal, Integral Group