Sonja Mitrovic, co-founder and Principal of YMSD Consulting is Landscape Architect with 25 years of professional experience in Urban and Rural Planning and Design, Landscape Architecture, Project Management, Quality System Management and Environmental System Management. Sonja Mitrovic brings an interdisciplinary, comparative, and global perspective to her work. She works on issues affecting Northern and Southern countries, at global, national and local levels. During her professional career Sonja has lived in several countries, Serbia, UK, USA and Canada, that has been her home since 1998. She worked in Asia (Japan), Middle East (Israel), UK, North America (Canada, Illinois, and Virginia), Eastern and South Europe (Greece, Yugoslavia). She was involved in numerous landscape architectural design and research projects.

EDUCATION AND TRAINING

2003
Master of Forestry Science, Specialization in Landscape Architecture, Faculty of Forestry, University of Belgrade, Yugoslavia
1997
RAB Certificate in ISO 9000 Lead Assessors Training Course, Certificate No: CC971222-E01, Auditor Training Institute, INC. Chicago, IL, USA
1993
Certificate in Quality Control of Length and Measures, National Organization for Measure and Precious Metals, Belgrade, Yugoslavia
1991
Bachelor of Forest Engineering, Specialization in Landscape Architecture, University of Belgrade, Yugoslavia

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

2002-pres. Partner
YMSD, Consulting, Toronto, CANADA
Selected project:

• Single family homes – Ridgecross Rd., Norlington dr., Toronto, West Lynn dr.,Oakville
• Townhouses – Avenue rd., Eglinton Ave., Queen St. E, Toront,
• Condominium Building – 492 Parlament St., Toronto, ON
• Industrial – Atlas Copco Industrial Complex, Welland, ON, (1.75 ha)
• Commercial – Rooftop Garden ‘Jovsic Printing Centre’ (867.8 m2), 1661 Dundas St. E, Mississauga, Weingarten Plaza, Dundas St. E, Whitby, ON (1.86ha)
• Urban Planning – Lagoon City, Simcoe Lake, ON, Canada, City park ‘Friendship’, Belgrade, Serbia (150 ha)
• Rural Planning – Ethno-village ‘Kljuc Raja’, Serbia (0.69 ha)

2001 Landscape Designer
ABAL, Inc., Toronto, CANADA
Selected project:

• R.J.A. POTT MEMORIAL PARK, BOLTON, ON, Canada, Grading Plan
• Community Center “Yonge Street”, Toronto, ON Canada Master Plan

1996 Landscape Designer,
BALZER AND ASSOCIATES INC., Richmond, Virginia, USA
Selected project:

• ATLAS COPCO, Clover Hill District, Chesterfield County, Virginia, USA,
• THE WATSON BUILDING ADDITION, Powhatan County, Virginia

1996 Training Coordinator,
AQE Group (for AQE Europe), Chicago, Illinois, USA

• Developing specification and documentation for Implementation ISO 9001 and ISO 14000
• Develop training for ISO 9001 and ISO 14000 Auditors

1991-1998 Principal, Landscape Architect, Publisher, Designer and Editor
YUPIQ (YUPIK), Belgrade, Yugoslavia
Selected project:

• INDUSTRIAL COMPLEKS “PETAR DRAPSIN”, Mladenovac, Serbia
• J. PAPANDOPULOS RESIDENCE, Amfis, Greece
• B. KARIC RESIDENCE, Belgrade, Serbia
• B. KARIC RESIDENCE, Avala, Ser
• COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTRE, POZEGA, Serbia
• RESIDENTIAL COMPLEKS’ BRACA JERKOVIC’, BELGRADE, Serbia
• BOULEVAR OF REVOLUTION STREETSCAPE, BELGRADE, Serbia
• RECREATIONAL CENTRE ‘ZARKOVO’, BELGRADE, Serbia
• PARK ‘HAJD’, BELGARDE, Serbia

Book design:

• 12 BOOK DESIGNED, EDITED AND PUBLISHED

ACADEMIC EXPERIENCE

1991-1998
DEPARTMENT OF LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE, FACULTY OF FORESTRY, UNIVERSITY OF BELGRADE, Belgrade, Serbia

• Teaching assistant of Environmental Protection in Landscape Architecture and Horticulture (PAH2312) in 1991
• Program and case-study based research development
• Landscape Architectural Design I (PAH3524) (1991-1996)
• Program and case-study research development
• Landscape Ecology (PAH3626) (1992)
• Program and case-study research development
• Preparation and training undergraduate students for sustainable planning and design
• Case-study preparation

1991-1998
DEPARTMENT OF QUALITY MANAGEMENT AND STANDARDIZATIO, FACULTY OF ORGANIZATIONAL SCIENCE UNIVERSITY OF BELGRADE, Belgrade, Serbia

• Guest researcher for over 7 years in Laboratory for Quality Control
• Documentation development
• Quality Control working procedure development
• Quality Management System Implementation documentation development
• Environmental Management System Implementation documents development
• Development training and courses for Quality Management System (QMS) and Environmental
• Management System (EMS) implementation and certification, for organizations, government institutions and individuals

PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATION

2015-2018
ISOCaRP, International Society of City and Regional Planners, National Delegate for Canada

2016
ASLA, American Association of Landscape Architect, USA Full Member

2016
CSLA, Canadian Society of Landscape Architect, Canada, Full Member in progress

2002-2016
CSLA, Canadian Society of Landscape Architect, Canada, Associate Member

2016
OALA, Ontario Association of Landscape Architect, Canada, Full Member in progress

2002-2016
OALA, Ontario Association of Landscape Architect, Canada, Associate Member

2005-pres.
ISOCARP, International Society of City and Regional Planners, Netherland, Full Member

1997-2005
ISOCARP, International Society of City and Regional Planners, Netherland, Associate Member

RESEARCH PROJECTS

2008-Pres.
REVITALIZATION OF WATERFRONT ‘USCE’ AND PARK ‘FRIENDSHIP’, BELGRADE, Research Study, City of Belgrade; YMSD Consulting, Toronto, Canada

2008
POSSIBILITY FOR TRANSFORMATION TRADITIONAL VILLAGE KLJUC INTO SUSTAINABLE ETHNO-VILLAGE, Research Study, YMSD Consulting, Toronto, Canada

2001-2003
Master Thesis; STANDARDIZATION IN LANDSCAPE PLANNING AND DESIGN, Department of Landscape Architecture, Faculty of Forestry, University of Belgrade, Serbia and Montenegro

2000
STANDARDIZATION OF LANDSCAPE DESIGNING AND PLANNING PROCSS AND CONECTION WITH ISO, Department of Landscape Architecture, Faculty of Forestry, University of Belgrade, Serbia and Montenegro

1997-2000
EVOLUTION OF WESTERN SERBIA TRADITIONAL VILLAGES, MONITORED BY TOPONYMES, ARCHEOLOGICAL SITES AND CULTURAL HERITAGE’, Department of Landscape Architecture, Faculty of Forestry, University of Belgrade, Serbia and Montenegro

1997-2000
ANALIZE OF SOCIAL, ECONOMICAL AND ECOLOGICAL ASPECT OF RURAL COMMUNITIES IN WESTERN SERBIA AND POSSIBILITIES FOR THEIR TRANSFORMATION INTO ECO-VILLAGES, Department of Landscape Architecture, Faculty of Forestry, University of Belgrade, Serbia and Montenegro

1998
REVITALIZATION OF INDUSTRIAL COMPLEKS HK ‘PETAR DRAPSIN’ MLADENOVAC AND IMPLEMENTATION OF EMS, YUPIQ, Belgrade, Yugoslavia; Department of Quality Management, Faculty of Organizational Science, University of Belgrade, Yugoslavia

1997
TQM AS AN ANSWER TO THE IMPLEMENTATION OF STRATEGY FOR SUSTAINABLE LIVING AND RISK MINIMIZATIO, Department of Quality Management, Faculty of Organizational Science, University of Belgrade, Yugoslavia

1996
EUROPEAN RURAL LANDSCAPES: TIPHOLOGY AND LANDSCAPE ECOLOGY, Department of Landscape Architecture, Faculty of Forestry, University of Belgrade, Serbia and Montenegro

1996
DESAPPEARANCE OF TRADITIONAL VILLAGES IN SERBIA AND DESTRUCTION OF AGRICULTURAL LANDSCAPE, YUPIQ, Belgrade, Yugoslavia

1996
DESIGN QUALITY OF PLACE OF ENCOUNTER-MAMILLAH PROJECT, JERUSALEM; THE SPIRIT OF JERUSALEM, International Society of City and Regional Planners and Ministry of the Interior of Israel, Ministry of Tourism of Israel, Israel Land Authority and UNESCO

1991
Bachelor Thesis RECONSTRUCTION OF BOULEVARD OF REVOLUTION STREET, BELGRADE, Department of Landscape Architecture, Faculty of Forestry, University of Belgrade, Yugoslavia

1990
REVIVAL OF HISTORICAL EPOCHES IN THE ENVIRONMENT OF A MODERN CITY, Element of Detail Urban Plan for City of Belgrade, Department of Landscape Architecture, Faculty of Forestry; Department of Urban Planning, Faculty of Architecture, University of Belgrade, Yugoslavia

PUBLICATIONS

(2010) Mitrovic S.
Action Plan for Sustainable City of Toronto, Case Study of Green Roofs, 46. International Congress, ISOCaRP, Nairobi, Kenya, ISBN 978-94-90354-11-4

(2008) Mitrovic S.
Sustainable Solution for City Park ‘Friendship’- Dimension for The Future, 44. International Congress, ISOCaRP, Dalian, China, ISBN 978-94- 90354-03-9

(2007) Mitrovic S.
Model for Revitalization of Rural Communities in Serbia, Case Study of Village Krchmar, 43. International Congress, ISOCaRP, Antwerp, Belgium, ISBN 97-755-24-574

(2002) Group of Author
10 Years Young Planners Workshop, ISOCaRP, UNESCO- MOST, The Netherlands, ISBN 90-75524-25-8

(1997) Mitrovic S.
TQM as an Answer to the Implementation of Strategy for Sustainable Living and Risk Minimization, 33. International Congress, ISoCaRP, Ogaki, Japan, ISBN 90-75524-08-0

(1997) Mitrovic S.
Identifying Sustainable Path of Community Development Under Various Risk Factors-City of Ogaki, Japan; General Issues and Relation to Risk Management, 33. International Congress, ISoCaRP, Final Report, Young Planers’ Workshop Report, Group 3, Ogaki, Japan,

(1996) Mitrovic S.
The Disappearance of Traditional Village in Serbia and Destruction of Agricultural Landscape, 32. International Congress, ISoCaRP, Jerusalem, Israel, ISBN 90-75524-05-6

(1996) Mitrovic S., Elenblum L., Fernandez F., Bikam P.

Design Quality of a Place of Encounter-Mamillah project, Jerusalem; The Spirit of Jerusalem, 32. International Congress, ISoCaRP, Young Planers’ Workshop Report, Group 2, Ministry of the Interior Office, Israel, Ministry of Tourism, Israel, Israel Land Authority, Israel and UNESCO

Since 1998, she has been working for Canadian companies in Toronto and providing services for public and private sectors in the field of green building design, landscape architecture, sustainable design, and urban and rural community planning. Sonja is mother of two children, Yanna and Mihaillo.