Messy Cities: Plan Less, Include More

16:30 - 17:00

La Centrale

There is a widespread obsession with wanting to plan and control every centimetre of our cities, mistaking geometric order for collective well-being. Zahra Ebrahim, a Canadian urban planner and co-founder of the practice Monumental, takes to the stage at Utopian Hours to challenge this perspective.

Co-editor of the book Messy Cities: Why We Can’t Plan Everything (2025), Ebrahim analyses “scrappiness”: the informal adaptability and spontaneous creativity that emerge in neighbourhoods when top-down planning gives way to citizen initiative. Through Monumental, she translates this thesis into concrete actions, such as FutureBUILDS, the incubator that accelerates the representation of BIPOC developers in the property sector. An invitation to embrace complexity and co-design truly inclusive neighbourhoods.

Toronto

Zahra Ebrahim Co-Founder

Monumental

Zahra Ebrahim is the Co-Founder of Monumental. She is a seasoned leader and advocate with two decades of experience bringing communities to the center of decision making. Central to her work is supporting governments at all levels to redesign systems and services essential to the public’s wellbeing, with the goal of making cities work for residents who face the most acute barriers. Zahra is currently an Urbanist-in-Residence at the University of Toronto’s School of Cities, and an Adjunct Professor at the Daniels School of Architecture. Zahra is currently the Vice-Chair of the Toronto Arts Council, and has served on a range of local and national boards focused on driving positive social outcomes. She is the co-editor of the book Messy Cities, and her newest book, women, walking was recently published by Coach House Books in September 2026.

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