The NCC’s Urbanism Lab is an innovative space where Canadians and leaders in urbanism, design, heritage and conservation, sustainability, and placemaking get together to inspire the future of the National Capital Region.

It has become the place to be for anyone who is passionate about creating a great capital city to gather and exchange ideas. This year marks our tenth season of conferences and events and 125 years of capital planning for the National Capital Region.

Our tenth season will feature a variety of subjects:

The sustainable capital

A capital city should lead by example in building a greener, healthier and more sustainable future. This discussion explores lessons learned from other capital cities and regions, demonstrating how green infrastructure can be an essential tool in climate adaptation.

The playful capital

This discussion delves into the critical role that public art and playful design have in reviving urban spaces. Designers and advocates come together to explore the transformative power of creativity in shaping our cities. Using real-world examples ranging from immersive street murals to interactive installations, the speakers demonstrate how playfulness can catalyze social interaction and enhance public well-being for people of all ages.

The beautiful capital

Architecture and landscape design inspire people and have the power to transform our lives and shape our everyday experiences, as well as building strong communities and social equity.

The ceremonial capital

Capital cities worldwide are symbolic of the people who live there and their culture. Icons, pageantry, monuments, and even street design reflect the national image.

Urban Design Challenge 2024

Urban planning and design have the potential to dramatically transform our collective surroundings, influencing and enabling the way we use public spaces. The Urban Design Challenge is a competition that invites students from across the country to come up with design concepts for sites in the national capital region. The competition is open to students enrolled in an accredited educational institution in Canada.

The inclusive capital

An inclusive capital brings people together to enjoy shared experiences regardless of age, physical abilities, language, culture and more.

The Urbanism Lab lecture series is an in-person event that takes place at 40 Elgin Street. It can also be viewed virtually on YouTube. The sessions are bilingual. Simultaneous interpretation and closed captioning services are offered during all our events.

More information about this year’s lecture series will be available shortly.


Past series

If you’ve missed any of this season’s events, or would like simply like to explore some of the topics we’ve covered, past editions of the Lab remain available on our YouTube channel.

Stay informed

If you are interested in receiving information about future Urbanism Lab events, please sign up for the newsletter.

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