“When we talk about climate change at a global scale, it can feel enormous and abstract, but climate and thermal comfort are experienced at a very human scale... people experience climate change one sidewalk, one park bench, one transit stop at a time. Design has agency at that scale.”
Dorsa Jalalian didn't set out to work on climate change. She set out to understand why people choose one street over another, why they linger in one place and hurry through the next. That question led her to lead the development of the City of Toronto's thermal comfort guidelines, a project that reframes climate adaptation as a design problem measured one sidewalk, one park bench, one transit stop at a time.
Shade becomes the through-line of the conversation. Rather than treating it as a pleasant bonus, Dorsa argues that shade should be understood as essential infrastructure—something every resident depends on, particularly as Toronto's summers become hotter and longer. Trees, she explains, are among the city's most effective climate adaptation tools because they provide multiple benefits simultaneously, from cooling and biodiversity to stormwater management.
“I've become increasingly interested in the idea of shade as essential public infrastructure, not just an amenity.”
“A tree is a thermal comfort strategy, a stormwater strategy, habitat, carbon storage, shade, and placemaking, all at once.”
Dorsa also emphasizes that thermal comfort is fundamentally an equity issue. Access to cool, shaded public spaces is uneven across the city, and for many residents those public spaces effectively become an extension of home during periods of extreme heat.
“Not everybody has a backyard or an air-conditioned car, or the ability to avoid being outdoors during the hottest part of the day. In a high-density apartment neighbourhood, public spaces can effectively function as people's shared backyard.”
Dorsa argues that meaningful progress comes when thermal comfort is considered from the very beginning of the design process rather than added as an afterthought. Embedding these principles into standard practice is ultimately more important than relying on individual projects or exceptional efforts.
“Lasting change happens when something moves from good intention to normal practice.”
The conversation closes on a hopeful note. Rather than becoming overwhelmed by the scale of climate change, Dorsa encourages listeners to focus on the places they can influence—the streets, parks and neighbourhoods they experience every day. The cumulative effect of countless thoughtful decisions, she argues, is what ultimately transforms cities.
“Don't let the scale of climate change convince you that your sphere of influence is too small.”
“Meaningful change isn't always a grand gesture. It's making better decisions repeatedly until that becomes the new normal.”
Books & Resources Recommended
1. Shade: The Promise of a Forgotten Natural Resource
Author: Sam Bloch
Dorsa's recommendation:
“I love it because it takes something incredibly ordinary, shade, and reveals how political, historical and spatial it actually is. It looks at shade through urban design, public health and social equity, and challenges the idea that access to something as basic as relief from the sun is distributed fairly.”
2. Cool by Design: The Power of Shade in Public Space
Organization: The Bentway
Not technically a book, but Dorsa specifically recommends this publication.
She notes that it grew out of The Bentway's Sun/Shade Initiative and was inspired by Toronto's Thermal Comfort Guidelines.
Biography
Dorsa is an award-winning urban designer and a leading voice in inclusive, people-centred city-building. She brings more than 13 years of experience leading complex urban design, planning, and engagement projects across North America. With complementary degrees in architecture and urban design, her practice spans municipal master plans, public realm strategies, urban design and cultural design guidelines, mixed-use and transit-oriented development, and healthcare and institutional campus planning. Known for bringing clarity and momentum to complex projects, Dorsa works across disciplines and closely with municipalities, institutions, communities, Indigenous partners, and private-sector clients to translate diverse priorities into compelling and implementable design direction. Her work is grounded in the belief that the built environment can advance community wellbeing, equity, climate resilience, and a stronger sense of belonging.
Dorsa is a frequent conference speaker and public commentator whose work and ideas have been featured through national media and leading planning, design, and healthcare forums. At the heart of her practice is a genuine joy in placemaking and in shaping public spaces that invite connection, cultural expression, and unexpected encounters.
Get in touch with Dorsa here: Dorsa Jalalian | LinkedIn
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