The Urbanism Lab

COVID-19

In keeping with guidelines related to COVID-19 issued by public health authorities, the NCC is not holding any in-person events at this time. The NCC continues to take every step to ensure that it supports the health and safety of its staff, as well as those who participate in our activities.

The annual Urbanism Lab lecture series will be presented virtually, via YouTube. We will continue to offer simultaneous interpretation during events.

Running from November 2021 to June 2022, season 8 continues 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 seven years, close to 33,000 people have participated in our Urbanism Lab events, either in person or via webcast.

From sharing stewardship to student competitions, and from ceremonial boulevards to shoreline preservation and Indigenous culture, season 8 promises to be one of our most impressive lineups to date!

About season 8

November 3, 2021

Building Community in Our Parks

What is shared stewardship, and what does it look like in practice? From user education to trail building, citizen science and storytelling to bring nature to life, this edition of the Urbanism Lab features stories about the ways in which volunteers, community leaders and enterprising nature enthusiasts are engaged in the stewardship of public lands.

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December 8, 2021

A person setting a floating candle on the water.

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 Urbanism Lab event turns to the interface between memory and public spaces, and examines how commemoration are evolving over time.

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Postponed to a later date

The Role of Ceremonial Boulevards

Confederation Boulevard — the NCC’s flagship ceremonial boulevard in the Capital — provides an elegant streetscape for some of the nation’s most important sites and institutions, and is a focus for national celebrations.

This Urbanism Lab event will examine the importance of Confederation Boulevard, and invite experts from elsewhere to share their expertise and insights on the role of iconic and ceremonial boulevards in other capital cities.

March 23, 2022

Student Design Challenge 2022: cancelled

May 5, 2022

Cultural Landscapes: Uncovering the Stories of Our Cities and Regions

This Urbanism Lab event will explore the concept of cultural landscapes, by featuring the relationship of stories to landscapes and buildings, and will seek to tell about communities and cultural heritage themes in Canadian cities and regions.

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June 16, 2022

A birch bark canoe, made in the traditional Indigenous way.

Climate Resilience and Indigenous Knowledge

Learn how the traditional ways of First Nations and Inuit communities are being impacted and what they are doing to create more climate resilience. This Urbanism Lab event will explore how Indigenous knowledge can be used to foster the preservation and celebration of Indigenous heritage, cultures and communities in the face of climate change.

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