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ynda Macdonald, L OALA, OPPI, RCIP, Director, Community Planning, Toronto and East York District, has retired after more than 30 years with the City of Toronto. As a planner, manager, and then director of Community Planning, Lynda’s career at the City kept her close to Fort York. A graduate of the University of Guelph, Courtesy of Don Loucks Lynda started her career as a consulting landscape architect. She joined the former City of Toronto in 1989, becoming a planning manager in 1998 and director in 2017. She has been instrumental to many projects across the City including Secondary Plans for the Central Waterfront, the Fort York Neighbourhood, the Railway Lands, King Spadina, CityPlan ‘91 and TOcore as well as planning for Rail Deck Park. As Director, Community Planning, Toronto and East York District, she has overseen a team responsible for all development applications and planning studies in central Toronto, balancing unprecedented growth with the need to
provide amenities and services to residents, workers and visitors to the City. Lynda has always led and inspired her team through her passion for city building and worked closely with the director team, her colleagues in other divisions, community stakeholders and the development industry. Throughout her career, she has put the public interest and the environment first. Lynda has been a friend to the Friends of Fort York throughout her career. As the representative of Toronto Planning, Lynda first worked closely with the Toronto Historical Board (responsible for the fort prior to amalgamation) and the Friends who, together with City Planning, organized a design charrette for the Fort York neighbourhood. The subsequent report influenced the Fort York neighbourhood public realm, and established the Friends of Fort York as a respected participant in the development and growth of the area, a role that continues. As planning manager, south district, Lynda oversaw the transformation of the fort environs from industry and rail yards to the vibrant community we know today. Lynda’s volunteer work has included co-leading the Beaches Community Tree Planting Project and being a founding member of the 10,000 Trees for the Rouge Valley project celebrating its 30th year in 2019. She intends to continue to pursue her passion for the environment and work with the Canadian Society of Landscape Architects in her new appointment as vice chair of the College of Fellows. We congratulate Lynda on her remarkable career, and wish her the very best in her well-deserved retirement.
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