landADAPT Webinar: Leading with Landscape: The Port Lands Flood Protection Project

Zoom Webinar

Two complementary perspectives—one from project delivery, the other from design leadership—come together to examine the Port Lands Flood Protection Project, one of the most ambitious landscape infrastructure and climate adaptation initiatives in Canada.

The Port Lands Flood Protection Project is a $1.4B landscape-led effort to protect downtown Toronto from catastrophic flooding while transforming over 30 hectares of contaminated industrial lands into a resilient, naturalized river valley system. By re‑establishing the mouth of the Don River and integrating flood protection, habitat creation, and public realm design, the project removes long‑standing development constraints while delivering new parks, ecological function, and climate resilience at a metropolitan scale.

Presented from the perspective of the project owner and delivery agent, Shannon Baker of Waterfront Toronto will explore the evolution of the project from policy constraint to built landscape infrastructure. The presentation will address the historical and regulatory context of the Port Lands, the role of landscape architecture in leading a generational flood protection initiative, and the complexities of delivering large‑scale nature‑based infrastructure on heavily contaminated land while maintaining public value, access, and long‑term resilience.

From the designer’s perspective, Herb Sweeney of Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates (MVVA) will discuss the design vision and strategies that shaped the naturalized river system and park network. Drawing on bioengineering, wetland morphology, and climate‑adaptive planting, this portion of the session will examine how analogue landscapes, species succession, and habitat connectivity informed the creation of a functioning river valley that supports biodiversity while remaining accessible and legible as public space.

Together, the presenters will reflect on how landscape architects can lead complex infrastructure projects that integrate flood protection, ecological restoration, and urban revitalization—demonstrating the critical role of landscape architecture in addressing climate change, environmental remediation, and quality of life in cities.

To learn more about the Port Lands Flood Protection Project, see the CSLA landADAPT case study.

This webinar will be held in English with real-time translation services available.

About the Presenters
Shannon Baker, OALA, CSLA, RPP served as Project Director, Parks and Public Realm for the Port Lands Flood Protection project at Waterfront Toronto. Championing design excellence in all aspects of her work, Shannon has led some of the most complex and transformative projects on the waterfront, including The Bentway Phase I and the recently opened Biidaasige Park in the Port Lands. Her work over 9 years on the Port Lands involved leading the streetscape and site wide municipal infrastructure as well as the parks and river finishes from concept design phase through to construction completion.

Herb Sweeney IV, ASLA, RLA, WEDG is a principal with Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates (MVVA). Herb is an expert in the integration of environmentally sustainable technologies and green infrastructure into landscape and urban design. Herb is the Project Team Captain for the Port Lands Flood Protection and Enabling Infrastructure Project (PLFPEIP), overseeing an integrated approach to public safety, habitat creation, public realm development, and urban connectivity.