Christopher De Sousa & Bob Blazevski

De Sousa, Ph.D., MCIP, RPP, is Professor and Associate Director of Urban and Regional Planning at Toronto Metropolitan University. He received his BA, M. Sc. Pl., and Ph. D. from the University of Toronto. His research focuses on brownfield redevelopment and sustainability in Canada and the US. He has authored numerous journal articles and two books, including Sustainable Brownfields Development: Building a Sustainable Future on Sites of Our Polluting Past. De Sousa is the past President of the Canadian Brownfields Network, a member of the US Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry Brownfields/Land Reuse Health Initiative, chair of the Canadian Brownie Awards, and a member of TMU’s Center for Urban Research and Land Development.

Bob has built his 30+ year career leading teams that have secured municipal approvals for over 60 major land development projects in the GTA. After holding positions with several of the industry’s foremost developers, Bob joined DiamondCorp when it formed in 2008. Today, he manages daily operations for the firm and is responsible for executive decision-making. Bob is a major advocate for social and professional responsibility in the development industry, having served on committees with the Toronto Region Board of Trade, BILD, and the Urban Land Institute. Bob also takes great pride in supporting the Toronto Metropolitan University School of Urban and Regional Planning professional field placement program, a student apprenticeship program.