News Release
Published on October 6, 2020
Canada’s Capital Region — The National Capital Commission (NCC) today announced Season7 of its popular Urbanism Lab lecture series. Running between October 2020 and June 2021, this season promises to continue to create spaces where Canadians and leaders in urbanism, design, sustainability, heritage and conservation collectively inspire the future of Canada’s Capital Region.
Over the past six years, close to 30,000 people have participated in one of the 58 lecture events, either in person or via webcast.
This season, due to public health concerns related to indoor gatherings during COVID-19, as well as uncertainty around this situation over the coming months, we will be delivering the first half of the Urban Lab lecture series virtually, via YouTube.
About Season7
From placemaking to student competitions, and from citizen engagement to environmental justice, Season7 promises to be one of our most impressive lines-ups to date!
Mark your calendars today!
October 22, 2020
Waterfront planning: How to bring the water to everyone
The National Capital Commission continues to plan for the evolution of its riverfront parks. This Urbanism Lab event will engage experts in a discussion of planning for waterfront parks and parkways, cultural and heritage planning and the history of the NCC’s own parkway planning.
November 26, 2020
Environmental justice from a planning perspective
What role can planning play in promoting social equity from an environmental perspective? From climate change to pollution, the socio-economic distribution of canopy cover, and access to green spaces, this Lab looks at ways that cities have integrated an environmental justice lens to urban planning.
December 9, 2020
Planning and the pandemic: The responses of cities to the COVID-19 pandemic
This Urbanism Lab would explore responses to the COVID-19 pandemic from two different perspectives:
- How have cities pivoted in response to COVID-19, and what role can tactical urbanism play in responding to sudden events like the pandemic?
- How can cities plan with public health in mind, and what are some of the likely effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on planning in big cities?
January 12, 2021
Public engagement with public lands: Shared stewardship and citizen engagement
What is shared stewardship, and what does it look like in practice? This Urbanism Lab turns the usual format on its head, and invites “ordinary” citizens to take the stage and speak about their extraordinary engagement with public spaces in all seasons. From winter trail grooming to user education, trail-building, and community gardens, this edition of the Lab lets volunteers, community leaders, and enterprising nature enthusiasts tell their own story of engagement with public lands.
February 18, 2021
The importance of story and memory in placemaking and building inclusive city
Every other year, the NCC’s Heritage Program invites speakers from across the country to present ideas and successful projects in the field of heritage conservation. This year’s edition proposes to examine the role of story and memory in inclusive urbanism, with a spotlight on:
- NCC oral history projects
- The Toronto Ward Museum’s Block by Block initiative
- Montreal’s Cité Mémoire project
March 23, 2021
The thinking behind the location, dimensions and vocation of green spaces
Green spaces come in all shapes and sizes, and make a critical contribution to the livability of big cities. But even their most assiduous users often know little about the decision-making behind their creation and design. This edition of the Urbanism Lab takes a closer look at the creation and maintenance of green spaces, and more specifically at the considerations that inform where they are located, what their shape and dimensions are, and what use they should be geared toward.
April 28, 2021
Urban Design Challenge 2021: Student competition
Urban Design Challenge 2021 is a competition that invites students from across the country to come up with design concepts for important sites in Canada’s Capital Region. This would mark the third edition of the competition, and cements its position as a fixture of the Urbanism Lab’s annual programming.
May 20, 2021
The changing face of public commemoration
In the biggest cities and the smallest towns, commemorative symbols occupy spaces from which they remind passersby not to forget. This Lab event turns to the interface between memory and public spaces, and examines how commemoration has evolved over time. This event was originally scheduled for May 2020, but had to be postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
June 21, 2021
Reconciliation and the city: working toward reconciliation from an urban perspective
How can cities embrace Reconciliation? From place-making to commemorations, employment opportunities and conservation, this edition of the Urbanism Lab explores opportunities to make Reconciliation a part of how cities grow and evolve. This event was originally scheduled for June 2020, but had to be postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Media Information
Jean Wolff
NCC Media Relations
613-797-0279
jean.wolff@ncc-ccn.ca