About Us

Profile

Gladki Planning Associates (GPA) provides a full range of planning services for private and public sector clients. Our mission is to lay the foundations for vibrant built environments and successful communities. We do this by developing practical solutions for sustainable land use planning, urban regeneration, employment land policy, affordable housing, community improvement, and development approvals.

Our award winning practice is shaped by a commitment to our core principles: Quality, Innovation, Value and Collaboration.

Quality

We believe that successful planning begins with vision and clarity of purpose. But in order to achieve bold plans, details matter. We pay careful attention to detail, always with an eye to effective implementation, to ensure that plans and policies have their full impact.

Innovation

We understand the regulatory context for planning and are committed to identifying opportunities for innovation. Status quo approaches should not limit the potential of our communities. We view it as our job to identify new and better ways of doing things.

Value

We know that clients require the best possible product within the budgetary limits of a project. Our commitment is to work within those limits to provide high quality results in a timely and effective manner.

Collaboration

We design creative, collaborative and inclusive approaches to engage participants from diverse communities in decision-making processes. This includes residents, policymakers and other stakeholders.

Guided by these principles, we have developed strong expertise managing multidisciplinary teams on complex projects with multiple stakeholders. Our principals and staff have extensive experience applying this approach to projects in Ontario, other parts of Canada and abroad. Our award winning practice is shaped by a commitment to our core principles: quality, innovation, value and collaboration.

Services

Develop indicators and assessment frameworks for evaluating programs, projects and policies. 

Provide expert testimony at the Ontario Municipal Board and represent clients at the Committee of Adjustment.

Develop approaches to fostering sustainable and healthy communities through a better understanding of the social, ecological and economic impacts of the built environment.

Make recommendations on how planning policies and tools can be crafted and employed to best achieve objectives.

Engage with diverse communities and stakeholders to enrich the understanding of local issues, collect feedback and establish a basis for ongoing collaboration

Support development applications through the preparation of planning rationales and studies, as well as our understanding of the approvals process (including minor variance, rezoning, and official plan amendments).

Develop plans and policies to guide growth and change in specific communities at a variety of scales: site, neighbourhood, municipality and region.

Our Commitment to Social Equity

At Gladki Planning Associates:

We are committed to achieving inclusive and equitable outcomes through our planning work.

We are committed to elevating accountability in planning and governance.

We are committed to reconciliation with the Indigenous communities in meaningful ways recognizing their historic role as stewards and inhabitants of the land.

We are committed to being an unrelenting advocate for social justice and equity.

We are committed to taking a proactive approach in recognizing, engaging and collaborating with historically marginalized, underserved and vulnerable populations.

We are committed to continuous learning, recognition and dismantling of barriers and discrimination perpetuated by land use planning and policy based on race, religion, nationality, language, socio-economic status, gender identity or sexual orientation.

We will use foresight and experience in recognizing and challenging patterns and processes that contribute to increasing disparity and discrimination towards marginalized groups.

Awards

2021 Canadian Institute of Planners, Award of Excellence

Reimagining the Mall, City of Mississauga

2011 Ontario Professional Planners Institute, Excellence in Planning Award (Urban / Community Design)

Lower Don Lands Precinct Plan

2009 City of Toronto Urban Design Award

Lawrence Heights Neighbourhood Master Plan

2007 American Planning Association, Daniel Burnham Award

Places to Grow, Province of Ontario

2007 Canadian Society of Landscape Architecture, National Honour

Grand Parade/Province House Public Lands Plan, Halifax

2003 Canadian Institute of Planners, Award of Excellence

Regent Park Master Plan

2015 Ontario Professional Planners Institute, Excellence in Planning Award (Community Planning & Development Studies/Reports)

Active City: Designing for Health

2015 Ontario Professional Planners Institute and the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Ontario, Healthy Communities Award

Active City: Designing for Health

2005 Ontario Professional Planners Institute, Award of Excellence

Regent Park Urban Design Guidelines

2005 City of Toronto Award of Excellence in Urban Design

West Don Lands Precinct Plan

2005 Congress for the New Urbanism, Charter Award of Excellence

East Bayfront Precinct Plan

Clients

We work for municipalities, public agencies, developers, property owners, non-profit organizations,
and business improvement areas (BIAs).

Partners

We are team players! Many of our projects require an interdisciplinary approach and we regularly collaborate with our colleagues in planning, architecture, engineering, landscape architecture, academia, graphic design, management consulting, and evaluation.