About Civic

Matthew is a passionate urbanite, building in the residential, commercial and not-for-profit sectors for more than 25 years. An entrepreneur from an early age, he has played a pivotal role in the growth of several businesses including Context Development, Matthew Cohen Design Collective (MCDC), and Incommon Projects development company. In recognition of a systemic deficit of attainable housing in Canada, he founded Civic in 2021 with a mission to establish a new precedent for the quality and delivery of mixed-tenure housing in Canada.

Throughout his career, Matthew has had a knack for getting involved in interesting city-building opportunities, including the development of Evergreen Brick Works in Toronto, the Centre for Social Innovation in New York City, and the establishment of the Design by Nature annual arts competition. Born and raised in downtown Toronto, he considers himself fortunate to call such a diverse, thriving, culturally-rich city his home.

Matthew holds an MBA from York University and his work has been recognized by The New York Times, Dwell Magazine, and The Globe and Mail. He sits on the Boards of the Pia Bouman School of Creative Movement and Civic Communities, a not-for-profit development company established in 2025. He is an active baseball coach in the High Park Little league and the proud Father to two young women who never cease to thrill, challenge and inspire him. It is unusual that music is not playing in his world; an eternal source of inspiration + beauty.

Ami Patel is Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA, CA) and oversees the financial and strategic evaluation of development projects for Civic Developments, as well as project financing, accounting, financial reporting and corporate services. Ami has a depth of knowledge in operating affordable housing projects and the development of such projects via public-private partnerships through her tenure in the non-profit housing sector.

Prior to joining Civic, Ami worked in the community housing sector for over a decade, where she was the Chief Financial Officer of Windsor Essex Community Housing Corporation and recently the Director of Development of the Co-operative Housing Federation of Canada (CHF Canada). She was also the President of the Ontario Non-Profit Housing Association (ONPHA), where she represented and advocated for some of Canada’s largest community housing organizations to municipal, provincial and federal governments. During the Federal Government’s launch of the National Housing Strategy in 2017, Ami was involved in a series of consultative roundtables that provided significant input into the strategy. Recently in her role at CHF Canada, Ami led the team that co-designed the Co-op Housing Development Program with CMHC.

For the ten years prior to her public sector work, Ami worked in the financial services industry on Bay Street for a large Canadian bank (CIBC) and one of the Big 4 audit firms (Ernst & Young LLP), where she audited and consulted for financial institutional clients. Ami is proud to bring her experience in the public and private sectors to lead the finance function for Civic Developments, while simultaneously using that expertise to help integrate community housing into Civic’s projects through public-private models.

Ami is Board Chair of Civic Communities, a not-for-profit development company incorporated in 2025, along with her ongoing Board seat with Encasa Financial Incorporated.

Trained as an Urban Planner, Peter has had the fortune of managing some of Toronto’s most complex and architecturally forward-thinking city building projects including most recently the Mirvish Village/Honest Ed’s redevelopment and the Lawrence Height’s Revitalization for TCHC through Context. Peter has worked with Howard Cohen for over 20 years, and seamlessly weaves the needle on complex planning requirements and construction projects through his deep experience in city-building and planning. Peter’s approach and philosophy has been to ensure that community interests, the arts and cultural programming are included in the development process and woven into the final project.

In addition to his work with Civic Developments, Peter is an independent real estate consultant advising developers, arts organizations, and community groups. He also acts as a Public Art consultant working on a series of public projects and produced Nuit Blanche Independent Zones in 2016 and 2017.

Through his deep experience on complicated multi-stakeholder projects, Peter is an essential part of the Civic Team and brings a practical approach to solving complex problems. He is consistently awarded praise by his clients and city officials and is driven by his commitment to building community, not just the physical asset.

David brings reliable, consistent leadership to every project he manages, ensuring that high standards of delivery are not only maintained but continuously improved. With deep expertise in construction management, he excels at assessing project needs with clarity and precision. His collaborative, hands-on leadership style enables him to effectively mentor teams while fostering a positive, results-driven work culture.

Over the course of his career, David has held executive leadership roles with some of the most respected names in the industry. As former President and COO of Metropia, and previously as EVP at both Tribute Communities and Sundial Homes, he has overseen the planning, design, construction, and servicing of more than 20,000 homes and 5,000 high-rise residential units across the Greater Toronto Area. His work with Context Developments and Collecdev-Markee further reflects his strength in consulting and strategic project leadership.

Earlier in his career, David served as Vice President at Acme Building & Construction, a general contracting and construction management firm delivering residential, institutional, commercial, and civil projects with an annual construction volume of $100 million.

David is excited to join the Civic leadership team as Partner, Construction, where he looks forward to bringing his experience and energy to new projects and partnerships.

Howard, an architect by training, served as Chief Planner for Toronto in the 1970s, and played a pivotal role in shaping the St. Lawrence Market community.

Howard went on to lead the Harbourfront Corporation for over a decade, and oversaw the development of such esteemed projects as Queens Quay Terminal and the family-oriented social housing at Bathurst Quay. As President of the Goldman Group, he initiated significant projects such as Castle Hill and Prime Life Housing.

Howard’s private consultancy contributed to notable landmarks such as the Design Exchange, University of Toronto, Royal Ontario Museum, and the Living Arts Centre in Mississauga. His passion project, Context Development, revolutionized downtown intensification with projects such as Radio City, which was the recipient of global accolades. Partnering in Lawrence Heights’ Revitalization, Context oversaw the transformation of a 100-acre site into a new, thriving mixed-income community. Most recently, Context revitalized 1555-1575 Queen Street, integrating condominiums, purpose-built rental, affordable rent-geared-to-income housing, and affordable market rental suites.

Howard’s legacy lies in innovative design, sustainability, and transformative city planning, leaving an indelible mark on Toronto’s architectural landscape.

Connor is a development manager with a passion for community-building and public space. With a background in urban planning and experience on some of Toronto’s most exciting and ambitious projects, he is driven to create meaningful places that foster connection. His energy and enthusiasm have inspired teams and contributed to entitlement success, while his commitment to thoughtful design, effective project management, and streamlined implementation continues to set a high standard.

An avid cyclist and advocate for active transportation, Connor has collaborated directly with developers to deliver highly functional, user-focused infrastructure. He is a prominent member of Toronto’s cycling community and plays a key role in organizing races and events throughout the city.

Connor brings the same curiosity and passion to his personal life—constantly in search of good coffee, new restaurants, and adventure in Toronto’s ravines and underground music scenes. He is proud to join the Civic leadership team and looks forward to contributing his strengths to furthering Civic’s mission.

Salman is a creatively driven and detail-oriented professional with a strong background in design, architecture and fabrication. A graduate of Waterloo’s Bachelor of Architectural Studies program, Salman has experience at many architectural firms, working through a wide variety of building scales, typologies, and phases.

His direct experience extends from concept to completion, having previously worked as a Project Manager for Archetype Design + Construction, where he oversaw private residential and commercial projects from procurement to final installation. This role fine-tuned his ability to manage complex processes, collaborate with diverse teams, and ensure design intent is successfully realized with clients, fostering a motivated attitude and strong collaboration skills.

Beyond his professional expertise, Salman’s passion for hands-on creation is evident in his woodworking and carpentry business, Sauf Works. He works with his clients to create 1 of 1 furniture and design solutions for a variety of spaces. He also enjoys staying active and building team camaraderie on the basketball court.

Salman will be instrumental in pushing Civic’s growth by assisting with brand and marketing initiatives, refining administrative processes, and enhancing overall project coordination – all while growing as an active professional in the real estate development industry.

Nahla considers herself to be a key member of the Civic team. In reality she generally just steals peoples lunches, demands constant adoration, and greets office visitors with inappropriate exuberance. However she is maturing, slowly, and is embraced by those around her. She is no expert on affordable housing, however she does aspire to have her own dog house, one day.