01
Kichi Zibi Connection
Reimagining the Ottawa River waterfront as an active, Indigenous-led public space linking downtown Gatineau to the river.
View case study →
Open to opportunities — Waterloo · Toronto · Vancouver · Remote
Designing public spaces for people, place & planet.
Hello, I'm Kate
I design intentional public spaces — places that are equitable, ecologically aware, and rooted in the communities they serve. My work spans award-nominated design competitions, municipal policy & research, and the graphics that bring big ideas to life.
Selected Work
Projects & competitions
01
02
Rituals at the Grand River
A 5-day "Night Swimming" charrette exploring human and non-human relationships with water through an illuminating concrete mural.
View case study →
03
Detroit: Equitable Realm
APA Student Design Competition — reactivating underused space along the JLG through human-scaled mobility and community-driven development.
View case study →
04
ST-CORE Cooling Hub
A self-sufficient community cooling space inspired by tree cores — built from reclaimed materials to shelter 15+ people from extreme heat.
View case study →
05
Joy & Play — Visual Studies
A series of collages and graphics exploring what joy and play look like across different people, spaces, and environments.
View case study →
06
Graphics & Content
Ongoing graphic design and content creation for student associations, municipal teams, and academic projects.
View case study →What I Do
Three ways I work
01
Urban Design & Planning
Masterplanning, public-realm design, and community-regional planning — turning policy and place into spaces people actually want to be in.
- Waterfront & public space design
- Site analysis & concept development
- Human-scaled mobility
02
Research & Policy
Evidence-led research and policy advice across sustainability, communications, and innovation for the public sector.
- Policy analysis & advisory
- Sustainability strategy
- Stakeholder & community engagement
03
Visual & Graphic Design
Boards, collages, graphics, and content that make complex ideas legible — the storytelling layer of every project.
- Competition boards & diagrams
- Collage & conceptual graphics
- Social & brand content
0
Design competitions
0
Years in student leadership
0
Women-of-the-Year nomination
0
UWaterloo graduate
Experience
Where I've worked
-
2025 — Present
Policy & Research Assistant
Region of York · Sustainability, Communications & Innovation, Public Works
Supporting policy analysis and research projects across sustainability and innovation in public works.
-
2024 — Present
Senator & Long-Range Planning Rep
University of Waterloo
Student representative on the Senate Long Range Planning Committee, advising on the university's long-term academic and physical development.
-
2024
Environmental Technician
Terrapex · Toronto
Environmental sampling and testing in the field, supporting site assessment work.
-
2023 — 2024
Vice President
Waterloo Undergraduate Student Association (WUSA)
Advocated for 30,000+ undergraduates to the Governments of Ontario and Canada; led directors on external government-facing bodies including OUSA and UCRU.
-
2023 — 2024
VP, Human Resources & Administration
Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance (OUSA)
Oversaw HR processes and organizational compliance, acting as chief steward of operating policies across member institutions.
"Katie is one of the singularly most competent and driven individuals I've had the pleasure of working with. Her extraordinary project-management skills carried our work together, and her organization makes work for everyone around her easier."
About
Planning with intention
I'm Kate Traynor — an urban designer and planner based in Collingwood, Ontario, and a 2026 graduate of the University of Waterloo's Urban & Regional Planning program. My work sits at the intersection of design, sustainability, and community.
Whether I'm leading a design competition, advising on municipal policy, or building the graphics that tell a project's story, I'm driven by the same question: how do we make public space more equitable, more ecological, and more human?
Education
BES, Urban & Regional Planning
University of Waterloo · 2021–2026
International Baccalaureate
Overseas Family School, Singapore
Recognition
KW Oktoberfest · Rogers Women of the Year — Young Adult Award Nominee
CIP Student Representative, 2022–23
Affiliations
Student Member, Canadian Institute of Planners
Ontario Professional Planners Institute
Skills
Urban Design · Planning Policy · Project Management · Graphic Design · Community Engagement · Research
Let's connect
Let's make better places, together.
Open to roles and collaborations in urban design, planning, and sustainability. I'd love to hear what you're working on.