Selected Projects/Experience • Partnerships and Engagement
People Plan Toronto (PPT)
Dina co-founded and chaired a group of active and engaged residents from across the city who advocated for better urban planning and a stronger community voice in the city’s planning process. PPT partnered with residents’ associations, community and civic organizations to mount round tables, symposia and a 2010 mayoral debate focused on planning.
National Housing Collaborative (NHC)
In 2016-2017, as Project Director of the NHC, Dina helped bring together stakeholders from the entire spectrum of housing – from homelessness to social and nonprofit housing providers, to private landlords and homebuilders - to develop, research and advocate for four “pillars” of housing policy to be incorporated into the federal government’s new National Housing Strategy. The NHC also crossed the country and engaged local stakeholders to ensure its recommendations reflected the needs of housing practitioners and residents on the ground. The work of the NHC was clearly reflected in the National Housing Strategy, announced November 2017.
Jane Jacobs – Ideas that Matter
In 1997, Dina catalyzed and promoted 142 events by grassroots community organizations across Toronto during a two-week celebration of one of North America’s urban visionaries for Jane Jacobs – Ideas that Matter: a project that led to the establishment of Jane’s Walks.
Metrolinx
Dina was Metrolinx’s first Director of Community and Stakeholder Relations, from 2010-2014. In that role, she directed community relations, communications and neighbourhood engagement for the Georgetown South Project (UP Express), a $1.2B infrastructure project running through 15 neighbourhoods in the west end of Toronto. She created Metrolinx's first public meetings on accessibility. And, she led public and stakeholder engagement - including an award winning Conversation Kit - to inform the Metrolinx Investment Strategy, a plan for funding the long-term regional transportation plan, known as The Big Move. This included a robust public engagement process and partnering to host roundtables with a wide range of stakeholders across the region, from industry and business associations to community groups, nonprofit organizations, elected officials and municipal government staff.