the business challenge

Toronto had the talent, creativity, and civic ambition to lead on people-first urbanism — but lacked a unified platform to showcase it to the world. Canada’s placemaking community was vibrant yet fragmented, with practitioners, policymakers, and developers working in parallel rather than in concert.

The opportunity was clear:

Unite local and global leaders to accelerate collaboration and shared learning.

Position Toronto as a world-class laboratory for inclusive, experience-driven urban innovation.

Demonstrate how creative partnerships across culture, real estate, and civic life can build cities of belonging and resilience.

The challenge was to design a summit that not only discussed the future of cities — but made that future tangible through real experiences on Toronto’s streets, squares, and laneways.

the solution

The Global Placemaking Summit brought together over 400 practitioners, civic leaders, and cultural producers from around the world for an immersive multi-day experience in Toronto.

Through a blend of keynotes, panels, walking tours, and live activations, the summit transformed Toronto into a living lab for ideas — showcasing local success stories and global best practices in real time.

The summit’s programming strategy was designed to:

Bridge global thought leadership with local context, creating a two-way knowledge exchange.

Inspire new models of public-private collaboration across real estate, culture, and civic infrastructure.

Activate diverse spaces across the city — from laneways to public squares — demonstrating the “power of place” in action.

Create inclusive experiences that foregrounded community voices, Indigenous perspectives, and next-generation urban leadership.

the resultS

Positioned Toronto as a global capital for people-first urban innovation, attracting delegates from 30+ countries.

Sparked new collaborations between civic institutions, property owners, and creative entrepreneurs.

Generated significant media coverage and thought leadership content, expanding the visibility of Canada’s placemaking movement.

Cemented PlacemakingX and Placemaking Canada as global conveners and catalysts for equitable, joyful cities.

Set the foundation for ongoing legacy programming and regional placemaking initiatives across Canada.

our role

As one of the main organizers and curators, Marcello Cabezas was instrumental in shaping the summit’s strategic vision and execution:

Led partnership development and stakeholder alignment across civic, cultural, and private sectors.

Co-curated content themes and programming architecture with PlacemakingX and Placemaking Canada.

Produced a series of flagship events that embodied the summit’s core values of inclusion, creativity, and belonging — while spotlighting Toronto’s world-class placemaking achievements on a global stage.

Acted as Toronto’s cultural bridge — ensuring international delegates experienced the city’s authentic energy and creative DNA.

Facilitated media, sponsorship, and community engagement strategies that maximized impact and legacy.