SSHRC McGill University Graduate Students:
RESEARCH SITE: Led by McGill University
THEME: Night-time Design for/with Marginalized Communities
From Left: Cara Chellew, Zineb Hameda Benchekroun
Below is the list of all the current members of the McGill team in an alphabetical order. Each student was asked to introduce themselves, telling us about their nationality, background, and their current program. We also asked the following questions:
- What does “Quality” in the built environment means to you in ONE word?
- Where is your favorite place in Calgary that you like the most and maybe one that resembles that one word from the previous question? (This place can be a small, large, public, private, house, garden, mall, park, recreation, corridor, lounge– literally anywhere!)
Cara Chellew, PhD Student in Urban Planning, Policy & Design at McGill University (2nd year)
Short Bio:
Cara is a public space researcher, writer, and founder of DefensiveTO, a multimedia project documenting defensive/hostile urbanism in Toronto and beyond. She is currently pursuing a PhD in the School of Urban Planning at McGill University where she explores the design, governance, and planning of public space through a lens of inclusion and exclusion. Cara is part of the Urban Politics and Governance Research Group at McGill and is a Research Assistant with the SSHRC-funded project “Night-time Design for/with Marginalized Communities.” Passionate about all things public space, Cara is also an organizer with the Toronto Public Space Committee and a volunteer with the Planners Network.
- What quality in the built environment means to you in ONE word? Inclusion
- Where is your favorite place in Montreal that you like the most and maybe one that resembles that one word from the previous question? While there are many fantastic spaces in Montreal, one of my favourite public spaces is square Saint-Louis. I love the diversity of the park which includes people young and old from a variety of different backgrounds. A large fountain is the focal point of the park, while benches line the path, providing enough comfortable seating for everyone. It is a space where people can gather for farmers markets, protests, and even impromptu musical performances!
Short Bio:
I am originally from Morocco and moved out to Montreal in 2017 to complete a BSc in Architecture at McGill University. I am currently in my final year of MArch working on a thesis around rethinking of public spaces for people experiencing homelessness in Milton-Park, Montreal. As part of the SSHRC research grant, I am focusing on building a repertoire of case studies on temporal night care, both international and local, to gain an understanding of what kind of amenities and spaces are built and adapted for people’s needs at night and what types of innovative approaches exist to include different marginalized communities in the 24hr cycle.
What quality in the built environment means to you in ONE word? Community.
Where is your favorite place in Montreal that you like the most and maybe one that resembles that one word from the previous question? La Fontaine Park.
