Architect & Urban Planner | Canada

Naama Blonder has a bold vision: to change what good housing can and should look like in a growing city like Toronto; with that in mind, she co-founded Smart Density. She combines the professional practices of architecture, urban planning, and urban design to bring a deeper, more realistic understanding of how cities can address housing affordability and champion inclusive neighbourhoods with more equitable access to housing. In doing so, Naama fights the stigma around housing, by informing residents and industry colleagues about the mutually beneficial outcomes of reimagining what big cities can look like: greater diversity in housing and access to public transport, with shortened commutes; improved housing costs and vacancy rates; and strengthened local economies and communities. As a volunteer, Naama sits on the City of Toronto’s “Expanding Housing Options in our Neighborhoods” committee and the board of affordable housing provider Kehilla, she has co-authored the Housing Affordability Report for the Ontario Association of Architects, and she advised on Urban Design for development applications as a member of the Design Review Panel of the City of Burlington. For her bold work, Naama has received numerous awards including the prestigious Ontario Association of Architects’ Best Emerging Practice Award in 2022.