Lead Research Associate / Manager

Sneha Mandhan (she/her) works at the intersections of planning, urban design, architecture, design research, and community engagement. She collaborates on city building and engagement projects with Monumental Projects, People Design Co-operative, and the Department of Words and Deeds. She teaches graduate courses in urban design at the Daniels Faculty and holds a Master in City Planning from MIT, and an undergraduate degree in architecture from NIT, Bhopal.
Her work focuses on unearthing and incorporating culture into the planning and design of cities. She received her PhD in Planning at the University of Toronto, where her dissertation discover and share the stories of banquet halls as important sites of cultural celebration for the South Asian diaspora in the Greater Toronto Area.

Anh is currently pursuing her Master of Landscape Architecture at the University of Toronto. Her previous professional experience encompasses architectural design and property development roles in Vietnam, which sparked her interest in exploring sustainable solutions for the built environment that cater to the needs of local communities. Anh's research interests revolve around the intersection of nature, urban landscape, and cultural identity within the backdrop of globalization and technological advancement.

Benjamin Dunn holds a BA double major in Anthropology and Psychology from UBC and is currently pursuing his MLA at UofT.  His research, design, and community work have focused on solving problems related to food, water, and energy security in cold climate environments. Dunn has presented his research at conferences across Canada, with projects spanning the fields of cultural evolution, positive psychology, visual anthropology, and sociolinguistics. His design experience comes from positions at Verge Permaculture, Hoffman Hayes, and SpruceLab as well as independent consulting.

Jingzhe holds a Bachelor of Arts in Urban Studies from York University and a Master of Urban Design from the University of Sydney. Before starting his Landscape Architecture program at the University of Toronto, he finished his first year of the program at Cornell University. Jingzhe’s previous professional experience includes roles in large scale urban design and landscape planning for three years. Having multidisciplinary background, his interest is focusing on the application of Landscape Urbanism in improving modern urban life. He believes landscape architecture brings hope for solving urban conundrums by healing the land, reconciling contradictions, and bringing cities back to life.

Rebecca Martin (she/her/hers) holds a BA with majors in Fine Arts and English and a minor in Art History from Mount Allison University as well as an MA in Literatures of Modernity from Toronto Metropolitan University, where she has been an Associate Research Fellow at the Centre for Digital Humanities since 2018. She has published peer-reviewed papers on American historical fiction and digital humanities and her professional experience includes roles in business development in the public opinion research sector. She is currently completing an MLA at the University of Toronto where she hopes to apply her background towards designing resilient urban landscapes that foster connection to place and joy.

Luis Felipe Bendezu is currently pursuing his Master’s degree in Landscape Architecture at the University of Toronto, as a complement to his B.Arch at PUCP (Lima, Peru). His interests lie in the role of interactive architecture and responsive design to enhance daily life through landscape, social appropriation, energy and sustainability. His previous professional experiences are diverse, and include roles in project management, interior design and urban research.

Vineel Sharma is currently pursuing a Bachelors of Arts in Architectural Studies at the University of Toronto in the Specialist in Architectural Studies: Design of Architecture, Landscape, and Urbanism Stream. His research and works are largely focused on how to create places of belonging with an emphasis on inclusivity and the integration of climate awareness in design. Vineel's research interests revolve around the intersection of changing coastal climate conditions and urban landscapes, creating accessible spaces that support the development of more equitable and resilient cities in the future

Ambika Pharma has contributed towards research on climate adaption in urban landscapes, coastal resilience, and land reclamation. Her current work explores the role of big infrastructure projects and logistical landscapes in efforts towards climate resiliency. Ambika holds a degree in Environmental Design from OCAD University and a Masters in Landscape Architecture from the University of Toronto, receiving the Heather M. Reisman Gold Medal for excellence in design. Ambika is currently a designer at Reed Hilderbrand in Cambridge, MA.

Alex gradated from the Master of Landscape Architecture program at the Daniels Faculty and has previously completed an honours Bachelor of Arts degree in Human Urban Geography and Planning from the University of Toronto. Alex’s research interests are primarily focused on the intersection of urban green and open space and social capital, imagining new ways to improve urban metabolism and resiliency through landscape interventions. Her previous experience includes work with Park People and 880 Cities as an urban researcher on projects such as the Canadian City Parks Report and Toronto's King Street Pilot Project.

Ecem Sungur was a Lester B. Pearson scholar at the University of Toronto and the lead digital designer of the CLR. She is currently a UX/UI Designer  based in Vancouver, B.C. She is passionate about elevating digital products to mutual profitability through multifaceted design, adaptive strategy, and versatile skills.