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Disruptors & Dilemmas presents: Building up: Infrastructure for good

D&D Mar 2025_event page

As cities grow at an unprecedented pace, the need for smart, sustainable infrastructure has never been greater. But true sustainability isn’t just about better materials or more efficient design—it’s about people. Infrastructure has the power to enable choice, transform communities and shape lives.  

What if we stopped building for people and started building with them? Imagine infrastructure that doesn’t just connect places but empowers the people who use it. Roads and transit systems that drive economic opportunity. Accessible public spaces that foster connection. Neighborhoods designed to make sustainable choices the easiest and most efficient for everyone. 

Join us for a bold conversation with leading experts that will challenge the way we think about infrastructure. We’ll explore how cities can move beyond traditional top-down planning and towards co-creating infrastructure with the communities it serves. We’ll dive into the intersection of sustainability, accessibility and economic empowerment—because the most transformative infrastructure isn’t just about what we build. It’s about who we build it for.  

This is a Disruptors and Dilemmas speaker series event.
This event is co-hosted by: University of Toronto Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering, Faculty of Arts & Science, Rotman School of Management and School of the Environment  

About the speakers

Marianne Hatzopoulou

Professor Marianne Hatzopoulou

Chair, Department of Civil & Mineral Engineering 

Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Transportation Decarbonization and Air Quality 

Director, Positive Zero Transport Futures 

Head of the Transportation and Air Quality research group (TRAQ) 

David Botoro

David Boroto
(EngSci 1T9)

Interim CEO, Engineers Without Borders 

 

Sarah Bertollo

Sarah Bertollo
(HBSc '05, MBA '10)

Director, Energy Evolution, Enwave Energy Corporation

Our moderator

Claire-Kennedy-Headshot-819x1024

Claire Kennedy,
(BASc ’89 Chemical Engineering, Applied Science & Engineering, Hon LLD '23)

Senior Advisor at Bennett Jones LLP

Co-chair, Defy Gravity Campaign

Proudly sponsored by U of T affinity partners:

Disruptors & Dilemmas presents: Building up: Infrastructure for good

Event Details

Venue

March 28 @ 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm

Venue

ONLINE

D&D Mar 2025_event page

As cities grow at an unprecedented pace, the need for smart, sustainable infrastructure has never been greater. But true sustainability isn’t just about better materials or more efficient design—it’s about people. Infrastructure has the power to enable choice, transform communities and shape lives.  

What if we stopped building for people and started building with them? Imagine infrastructure that doesn’t just connect places but empowers the people who use it. Roads and transit systems that drive economic opportunity. Accessible public spaces that foster connection. Neighborhoods designed to make sustainable choices the easiest and most efficient for everyone. 

Join us for a bold conversation with leading experts that will challenge the way we think about infrastructure. We’ll explore how cities can move beyond traditional top-down planning and towards co-creating infrastructure with the communities it serves. We’ll dive into the intersection of sustainability, accessibility and economic empowerment—because the most transformative infrastructure isn’t just about what we build. It’s about who we build it for.  

This is a Disruptors and Dilemmas speaker series event.
This event is co-hosted by: University of Toronto Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering, Faculty of Arts & Science, Rotman School of Management and School of the Environment  

About the speakers

Marianne Hatzopoulou

Professor Marianne Hatzopoulou

Chair, Department of Civil & Mineral Engineering 

Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Transportation Decarbonization and Air Quality 

Director, Positive Zero Transport Futures 

Head of the Transportation and Air Quality research group (TRAQ) 

David Botoro

David Boroto
(EngSci 1T9)

Interim CEO, Engineers Without Borders 

 

Sarah Bertollo

Sarah Bertollo
(HBSc '05, MBA '10)

Director, Energy Evolution, Enwave Energy Corporation

Our moderator

Claire-Kennedy-Headshot-819x1024

Claire Kennedy,
(BASc ’89 Chemical Engineering, Applied Science & Engineering, Hon LLD '23)

Senior Advisor at Bennett Jones LLP

Co-chair, Defy Gravity Campaign

Proudly sponsored by U of T affinity partners:

Details

Date:
March 28
Time:
12:00 pm - 1:00 pm
Cost:
Free
Event Category:

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