Book a speaking engagement.
Why book us to speak at your event?
The BPP team and network consists of accomplished planners, seasoned architects, published authors, and experienced community developers.
We regularly serve as consultants and speakers for educational institutions, government departments or agencies, community organizations, and private firms, and we’re eager to help share knowledge and inspire others to join the Black Planning Project movement.
Who are the speakers?
Abigail Moriah

Abigail Moriah
Executive Director
Abigail is a consultant and an urban planner specializing in affordable housing for over 15 years. She is passionate about connecting people, mentorship, creating spaces for belonging as well as building an equity focus in the field of planning. In all of her work, Abigail seeks to build bridges across sectors, where she can encourage intentional and meaningful engagement between community, practitioners and academic institutions with the goal of redefining how planning is done in communities through practice and research.
Through BPP, Abigail hopes to contribute to knowledge and practice in the field of planning and development from the perspective of Black individuals.
Hanaa Ali

Hanaa Ali
Project Manager
Hanaa Ali is a Project Manager at Black Planning Project, where she manages research and consulting projects that aim to improve planning processes and outcomes for Black communities. Hanaa holds a Master’s in Human Settlements and a PhD from KU Leuven, Belgium. Her academic research centers on forced displacement and the urban policies that shape displaced persons’ right to the city. Her work provides critical insights into the complexities of settlement and displacement within urban environments, offering a nuanced perspective on how cities can become more inclusive and equitable.
Keen on advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) within professional organizations and nonprofits, Hanaa served as Vice-Chair of the Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Allyship (IDEA) Committee at Toronto Commercial Real Estate for Women from 2020 to 2022. She is also a passionate advocate for empowering young talent. In 2023, she spearheaded the upskilling of Black youth through the Advanced Digital and Professional Training program at the Diversity Institute, Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU).
What is our community saying?
Research about Black planners’ experiences is lacking so, when the Black Planning Project told me about their research project, investigating the workplace experiences of Black planners, I wanted to learn more…This research is a first of its kind in the planning realm and is a call to action for a collective response to anti-Black racism.
Research about Black planners’ experiences is lacking so, when the Black Planning Project told me about their research project, investigating the workplace experiences of Black planners, I wanted to learn more...This research is a first of its kind in the planning realm and is a call to action for a collective response to anti-Black racism.
Dr. Leela Viswanathan
Viswali Consulting
Divercities seeks to work with BPP whenever possible. BPP brings a unique perspective to projects both from the development and community perspective with an equity lens. This perspective is difficult to find. Furthermore, their services are always provided under an umbrella of professionalism.
Divercities seeks to work with BPP whenever possible. BPP brings a unique perspective to projects both from the development and community perspective with an equity lens. This perspective is difficult to find. Furthermore, their services are always provided under an umbrella of professionalism.
Sameer Patel
Earlier this year, we had the pleasure of hosting a presentation on Black Planning in Action: Black Displacement Project Case Study, featuring Abigail Moriah, an accomplished urban planner and consultant, and a past Bousfields Distinguished Visitor. Her presentation offered a powerful exploration of critical issues in urban planning. Abigail's expertise in affordable housing and community development, along with her focus on centering Black experiences, raised vital questions about who is planning for Black communities and the impact of these decisions. Our audience consisted of professionals at all stages of their careers, and her insights have been invaluable in broadening our understanding of planning's role in affecting Black communities.
Louis Tinker
Bousfields Inc.
We had the pleasure of collaborating with Black Planning Project on the first-of-its-kind African Nova Scotian Housing Strategy. This was a long-term, highly-involved initiative, bringing over 150 community members into a collaborative process to co-create the strategy. BPP’s thoughtful approach, critical analysis, and deep curiosity about housing experiences for African Nova Scotians made for a collaborative and supportive working relationship and project output. BPP challenged the status quo and pushed the entire project team to an end product that will have lasting impact.
Adrienne Pacini
The Black Planning Project has become an important city-building leader in Toronto and an essential partner for ULI Toronto. Its research into historic and ongoing Black community displacement in our city has revealed deep structural issues that public policy makers can no longer ignore. BPP has opened our city’s eyes to racist practices of the past and offers an opportunity for a just and equitable future.
The Black Planning Project has become an important city-building leader in Toronto and an essential partner for ULI Toronto. Its research into historic and ongoing Black community displacement in our city has revealed deep structural issues that public policy makers can no longer ignore. BPP has opened our city’s eyes to racist practices of the past and offers an opportunity for a just and equitable future.
Richard Joy
ULI Toronto
The lived experience of Black planners gives rise to a unique and important perspective to bring to land planning and development in the GTA and throughout Canada. Habitat for Humanity GTA applauds the work of the Black Planning Project and has been proud to have partnered with them on CMHC-funded research on “Buying While Black.”
The lived experience of Black planners gives rise to a unique and important perspective to bring to land planning and development in the GTA and throughout Canada. Habitat for Humanity GTA applauds the work of the Black Planning Project and has been proud to have partnered with them on CMHC-funded research on "Buying While Black.”
Habitat for Humanity
Lauren Haein An
URBAN STRATEGIES INC.
Flourish develops affordable housing in many communities in Canada. Abigail brought a rich understanding of Black perspectives in planning that have helped our team expand our awareness and curiosity of equitable development. Her passion, commitment, and tangible experience in this area was an encouragement to our entire team.
Michael Bowering
Flourish
