keisha is an urban planner, researcher and writer based in toronto, ontario, canada.

born and raised in co-operative housing in the downtown neighbourhood of cabbagetown, she holds an honours bachelor of arts (hons. b.a.) in political science and urban studies with high distinction and a master of science in planning (mscpl), both from the university of toronto.

keisha st. louis-mcburnie’s undergraduate research focused on processes of neighbourhood change, public and private infrastructure disparities, and the function of asset-based community development in local neighbourhoods, including moss park, st. james town, regent park and little jamaica. today, keisha researches reparative approaches to planning that are advanced through alternative, value-driven models for equitable economic and social development, and community wealth building strategies for historically dispossessed communities.

as an undergraduate student, she was a recipient of a diversity scholarship from the co-operative housing federation of toronto (chft). in 2019 and 2020 respectively, keisha was also awarded a joseph armand bombardier canada graduate scholarship—master’s (cgs-m) by the social sciences and humanities research council (sshrc), as well as an ontario graduate scholarship (ogs) by the university of toronto’s department of geography and planning as a graduate student.

keisha is a former member of the ontario professional planners institute (oppi)’s anti-black racism in planning task force. SHE WAS AWARDED A CANADIAN INSTITUTE OF PLANNERS (CIP) PRESIDENT’S AWARD in 2021 FOR BEING A GRADUATE STUDENT WHO HAS DEMONSTRATED AN OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION TO THE FUTURE OF THE PLANNING PROFESSION. in 2023, keisha was also the recipient of oppi’s inaugural planon emerging leadership award, which celebrates future leaders of tomorrow. keisha is currently a lead strategist at monumental projects, a social purpose consulting firm based in toronto working to advance equitable city-building and urban development across canada.

project earthseed: coming soon…

teaching

“pla1516h f special topics: planning and designing for community power”
- department of geography and planning at the university of toronto (2024)

“urd1202h f/s selected topics in urban design: planning and designing for community power”
- daniels faculty of architecture, landscape and design at the university of toronto (2022-2024)

media features

“how the affordable housing crisis takes a turn”
- west end phoenix (mar 2023)

“new downtown councillors will have a tough job from day one – managing development”
- the local (oct 2022)

“the city says it’s trying to save little jamaica. so, why is it letting developers tear it down?”
- toronto star (oct 2021)

“what it will really take to rename toronto’s dundas street”
- maclean’s (sept 2021)

“how to fix toronto’s housing affordability crisis? four urban planning students share their solutions”
- toronto star (june 2020)

“meet u of t student city-builders who are shaping toronto’s future”
- university of toronto news (dec 2018)

“u of t students travel the world as sidewalk fellows to help shape the city’s waterfront vision”
- university of toronto news (aug 2018)

“young leaders demand more than ‘status quo’ budget at toronto city hall”
- toronto star (dec 2017)

writing

“growing in place framework: preventing black displacement in neighbourhoods across toronto”
- city of toronto, confronting anti-black racism unit and community development unit / black planners and urbanists association (may 2024)

“comparing notes: anti-displacement organizing from little jamaica to chinatown”
- university of toronto, school of cities affordable housing challenge project (nov 2022)

“building in the material world”
- spacing, published in magazine issue 60 (sept 2022)

“regent park: a progress report”
- spacing / metcalf foundation (dec 2021)

“bootstraps and institutions: growing canada’s co-operative housing sector in the age of the national housing strategy” (available upon request)
- university of toronto, department of geography and planning (april 2021)

“the work of crisis framing: claims of social justice obscuring a history and, likely future, of uneven investment in moss park, toronto”
- journal of urban affairs (jan 2021)

“place-keeping in little jamaica: commercial displacement prevention strategies”
- university of toronto, department of geography and planning / black urbanism TORONTO (dec 2020)

“coming clean on regent park’s social development plan”
- SPACING (SEPT 2020), published in magazine issue 55 (dec 2020)

“farewell, regent park”
- spacing (sept 2020)

“1182 & 1221 king street west: another chapter in the fight against gentrification and the neoliberal city in south parkdale”
- dencity: the undergraduate journal of urban studies at the university of toronto (april 2019)

“sidewalk toronto fellows report”
- sidewalk labs and waterfront toronto (oct 2018)