Paul Bedford, Urban Mentor and Chief Planner Emeritus, City of Toronto

Since his appointment as Chief City Planner in 1996, Paul Bedford has focused his energy on the development of new planning values, policies and processes to guide the next generation of city building in Canada's largest city. As the architect of "the Kings" renaissance, the driving force behind Toronto's groundbreaking new Official Plan and unanimous City Council approval of the Central Waterfront Principles Plan, he challenged everyone to embrace new ways to think, act and plan.

In April 2004, Bedford retired from the City of Toronto after 31 years of public service to the people of Toronto and eight mayors. He is very active in shaping the new urban policy agenda at all levels of government.

Since his retirement he was appointed an Adjunct Professor at the
University of Toronto, and Ryerson University Planning Schools and to the Toronto Waterfront Revitalization Corporation's first Urban Design Review Panel.

He has also been appointed to the National Capital Commission Planning Advisory Committee in Ottawa and is a Senior Associate of the Canadian Urban Institute in Toronto.

Bedford continues to mentor young planners, writing a regular column for the Ontario Planning Journal and participating in international urban events.