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A small multiplex that is approved relatively quickly in one Canadian municipality can become a years-long challenge in another. While communities across Canada are increasingly turning to adaptive reuse, infill, and urban regeneration to address housing needs, the realities of implementation often vary significantly from one jurisdiction to the next.

 Building on themes explored in CIP's on-demand course, Unlocking Housing Supply Through Adaptive Reuse, Infill & Regeneration, this webinar brings together planning practitioners from Ontario and Alberta to share lessons from the front lines of housing delivery. Through real-world examples and candid discussion, participants will explore the opportunities, barriers, and planning considerations that shape housing projects, from small-scale infill and adaptive reuse initiatives to larger regeneration and redevelopment efforts.

This is more than a policy overview. It is a practitioner-focused conversation about what it actually takes to move projects forward, navigating approvals, addressing community concerns, working through political realities, collaborating with stakeholders, and finding solutions in increasingly complex planning environments. Participants will gain practical insights into what is working, where challenges persist, and how planners can help unlock housing opportunities in communities across Canada.

The session will also provide an opportunity for participants to engage with peers, exchange ideas, and connect through CIP's Housing Community of Practice.

 During this webinar, participants will:

• Explore how adaptive reuse, infill, and urban regeneration are being used to support housing delivery in Canadian communities.
• Compare experiences and approaches from different municipal and provincial contexts.
• Examine the planner's role in advancing retrofit and redevelopment projects from concept through approvals and implementation.
• Identify practical strategies for navigating regulatory barriers, community concerns, and political challenges.
• Learn from real-world practitioner experiences and lessons that can be applied in their own communities.

Moderator:

Arlene Etchen, Communications Consultant

Arlene Etchen has been working as a recognized knowledge mobilization and communications professional in the planning, housing, and energy sectors for over 15 years. Throughout her career, Arlene has applied her expertise by undertaking research, delivering lectures, and authoring articles involving topics such as sustainable affordable housing, secondary suites, accessibility, and aging-in-place. She has had the opportunity to deliver presentations nationally, and in Belgium, Scotland, and Ireland.

Arlene’s passion for housing and sustainability extends beyond her professional endeavors, to her volunteer work with the Institute without Boundaries (Brookfield Sustainability Institute), the York Region Water Conservation Council and the Earth Day Hometown Heroes initiative, recognizing leaders in sustainability.

 

Speakers:

Shadi Adab RPP, MCIP, Associate and Senior Urban Designer, MHBC

Shadi Adab is an Associate and Senior Urban Designer with 20 years of experience leading a wide range of residential and mixed-use planning and design projects. Her work spans mid-rise and tall buildings, infill housing, and multi-block master planning studies. She is known for integrating built-form analysis, planning policy interpretation, and design implementation to produce realistic, context-sensitive housing solutions across diverse site conditions.

Shadi has extensive experience collaborating with multidisciplinary consultant teams, clients, municipal staff, and community members. She is highly skilled at translating complex planning and design concepts into clear, visual, and accessible materials for both professional and public audiences. Her work regularly addresses key housing issues, including intensification strategies, built-form transitions, open-space frameworks, and the practical relationship between policy directions and development feasibility.

In addition to her project work, Shadi plays an active role in internal training and professional development within her firm. She has developed structured materials to support staff learning, provided guidance on planning and design principles, and mentored junior and intermediate colleagues throughout her career. Her commitment to collaboration, design quality, and capacity building shapes her approach to urban design and planning.

Shadi brings a strong practitioner perspective grounded in real-world experience delivering housing projects.

Chelsey Jersak RPP, MCIP, Founder and Strategic Director of Situate

I’m an urban planner and entrepreneur working at the intersection of city building, strategy, and approvals. I’m the founder of Situate, a dynamic consultancy that helps real estate entrepreneurs navigate infill and urban redevelopment strategy and approvals. We manage projects of all types and scales—from rezonings and permits to subdivision and appeals—for people building something new in existing parts of the city.

I’m also the cofounder of Wello, a housing company that builds homes for friendly neighbours—designed to make sharing space, costs, and connection easier.

Over the past two decades, I’ve worked across the public and private sectors to shape planning policy and regulation and bring urban redevelopment projects to life. I’m a Registered Professional Planner and a member of the Canadian Institute of Planners. From 2017 to 2025, I served on the board of the Infill Development in Edmonton Association (IDEA), including four years as President—supporting infill advocacy and industry leadership during a critical period of growth and change. My writing has appeared in publications including Municipal World, Plan Canada, Curb Magazine, and The Yards, and I’ve spoken at conferences across Western Canada on zoning, infill, and city-building.