Harvard Wisdom and the Future of City-Building - with Dr. David Gordon

What shapes the way cities grow, evolve, and inspire those who live within them? Few people can answer that question better than Dr. David Gordon, one of Canada’s most respected urban planners and a leading authority on city-building.

In this episode of Umber Talks, host Shaun Denis, sits down with Dr. Gordon, a professor at Queen’s University, Harvard-trained scholar, and acclaimed author of Town and Crown: An Illustrated History of Canada’s Capital. Over the course of his career, Dr. Gordon has worked on major urban projects in Toronto, mentored generations of planners, and produced research that has reshaped how we understand suburban growth across Canada and beyond.

From the streets of Ottawa to the classrooms of Harvard, Dr. Gordon’s story bridges academia and practice, offering a rare look into the art and science of how cities take shape.

Key Takeaways:

• The hidden forces that define how our cities are planned and experienced.
• What Ottawa’s past reveals about the future of Canadian urban design.
• How the intersection of policy, architecture, and real estate drives community evolution.

Whether you’re a real estate professional, developer, or simply someone fascinated by how cities work, this episode offers a masterclass in understanding the urban fabric that surrounds us,and the vision required to build what comes next.