Biography: New federal appointment to Waterfront Toronto Board of Directors announced

Naama Blonder

Naama Blonder is a registered architect, urban planner and urban designer dedicated to redefining what good housing looks like in today’s growing cities. As the co-founder and Principal of Smart Density, she brings together architecture, planning and urban design to create innovative solutions that support housing affordability and inclusive neighbourhoods. Her work focuses on the relationship between housing, density, mobility, and the public realm, at the scale of large urban sites and growing neighbourhoods, challenging conventional approaches to growth.

Ms. Blonder has received numerous awards for her work, including four Ontario Association of Architects (OAA) SHIFT Awards and the OAA Best Emerging Practice Award in 2022. In 2023, she was selected for the Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) Women of Influence program, followed by the Ontario Professional Planners Institute (OPPI) PlanON Public Education Award in 2024 and the City of Toronto Urban Design Award in 2025. In 2026, she received the Building Industry and Land Development (BILD) Under 40 Leadership Award.

In addition to her professional practice, Ms. Blonder has co-authored the book ‘Building Charm’ and contributed to research, education and public policy on housing and urban design. She authored The City-Builder’s Guide to Building the Missing Middle, which also formed the basis of a special course she led at the University of Toronto. She has also lectured at the School of Architecture at the University of Waterloo and volunteered as an advisor on the City of Toronto’s Expanding Housing Options in Neighbourhoods initiative.

She is known for her clear and informed approach, effectively engaging both the public and industry stakeholders to demonstrate how well-designed housing can create stronger communities, improve affordability and strengthen connections to public transit and urban amenities and everyday life.