Golsa Kheir M. Pl, B. Arch, MCIP, RPP
Senior Planner / Urban Design Lead
Golsa Kheir-Moghadam is a registered professional planner and urban designer with more than ten years of experience shaping well-designed, community-focused places. With an academic foundation in architecture and a Master of Urban and Regional Planning from Queen’s University, she brings a blend of design sensitivity and policy expertise to every project, ensuring that ideas are both beautifully conceived and realistically implemented.
Before joining RFA, Golsa served as the Manager of Planning & Economic Development for the Town of Perth, where she led municipal planning operations and guided complex development applications. She also worked in planning and urban design consulting at Fotenn Planning + Design, as well as in municipal roles with the City of Kingston, where she deepened her experience in urban infill, site design, and policy development across a range of contexts.
At RFA, Golsa leads planning and design assignments for public- and private-sector clients, preparing planning rationales, policy reviews, and context-driven design concepts. She coordinates interdisciplinary inputs for development applications, contributes to proposal writing and business development, and supports the firm’s design direction through visual storytelling and place-sensitive design strategies.
Golsa’s work is rooted in practical, community-responsive solutions and a commitment to resilient, inclusive growth. She is particularly passionate about creating neighbourhoods that feel welcoming, walkable, and visually engaging, places that genuinely support the everyday lives of the people who call them home.
“Drawing from my own journey of finding belonging far from home, I design people-centred places where families thrive, neighbours connect, and communities grow with care.”
- Master of Urban and Regional Planning – Queen’s University, Kingston, ON (2015)
- Bachelor of Architecture – Azad University, Tehran, Iran (2009)
Urban Planning & Policy
Long-range planning policy review
Policy analysis and zoning by-law updates
Preparation of development applications (OPA, ZBA, Consents, Minor Variances, Site Plans, Plan of Subdivisions, etc.)
Development feasibility assessments and context analyses
Neighbourhood revitalization from policy and design perspectives
Urban Design & Built Form
Mixed-use infill design concepts and visualizations
Urban intensification and redevelopment applications
Urban design concept development, spatial layouts, and streetscape improvements
Neighbourhood design guidelines and engagement programs
Visualization and presentation materials for councils and public engagement
Architectural expertise applied to built-form analysis and design integration
Municipal Leadership & Project Management
Leading strategic growth initiatives
Interdisciplinary project coordination
Client communication and project management from conception to approvals
Design charrettes and collaborative workshops
Site plan and subdivision review for residential and mixed-use developments
Engagement & Consultation
Public consultation facilitation, including open houses and stakeholder meetings
Report writing for committees and councils
Presentations at the public meetings
2025 – Present RFA Planning Consultant Inc., Belleville, Ontario
– Senior Planner / Urban Design Lead
2023 – 2025 Town of Perth, Perth, Ontario
– Manager, Planning & Economic Development
2021 – 2023 Fotenn Planning + Design, Kingston, Ontario
– Urban Designer / Urban Planner
2015 – 2021 City of Kingston, Kingston, Ontario
– Urban Planner
2014 – 2015 City of Richmond Hill, Richmond Hill, Ontario
– Urban Design Intern
- Member, Canadian Institute of Planners – since 2012
- Member, Ontario Professional Planners Institute – since 2012