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Women-Led Cities

October 7, 2019 in Community, Design

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Too often the people making decisions about our cities look quite a lot like the same — white, male and able-bodied. But if we want equitable cities and communities, we need a far wide range of folks at the table.

John chats with Paty Rios from Happy City about designing inclusive cities for women, by women.

In this episode, Paty and John discuss:

  • Her experiences in architecture school 
  • Some important urban and interior design considerations that are left out when it’s just men at the table
  • How we can make engagement processes more inclusive 

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Going Green

July 22, 2019 in Design, Environment

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What do we mean when we talk about making buildings greener? It sounds pretty straightforward, but there’s no shortage of systems and terms to navigate –  passive houses, net zero homes or LEED certified buildings, life cycle assessments, energy efficiency and water conservation. And although the technical elements of going green are incredibly important, our guest today suggests that the definition of a green building is personal and individualized. Matt Grace is a green building engineer and the managing Principal at Integral Group in Calgary.

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The Laws of Settlements

June 24, 2019 in Design, History

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From a small Nova Scotia town to booming Barcelona to the mega-city of Jakarta, are there any laws that govern all human settlements? Are there consistent patterns that manage where people live, across scale and time? 

Back in the sixties, an architect and planner named Constantinos Doxiadis explored this question. He sought to understand the complexity and growth of human settlements. In his 1968 book called Ekistics: An Introduction to the Science of Human Settlements, Doxiadisspent 527 pages proposing a science of settlements. 

Today I am talking with Erick Villagomez, an urban designer, professor and writer in Vancouver who has revived and expanded on some elements of Doxiadis’ work. In 2017, Erick self-published a book called The Laws of Settlements. 

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