While most partners incorporate Indigenous values while conducting their research on quality in the built environment, there are three research sites notably leading the discussion on Indigenous communities and their needs: University of Manitoba, Laurentian University, and University of British Columbia.
Research on community-led housing led by University of Manitoba is a prime example of putting the needs of Indigenous communities at the forefront of the partnership’s goal toward raising the bar of quality in Canada’s built environment. Issues related to colonialism and societal privilege have been studied in direct correlation with the challenges of affordable and sustainable housing initiatives for First Nations communities in Canada, through lived experience accounts of community members and their aspirations on housing quality rooted in Indigenous traditions and community engagement.
Using the lens of responsive policies, the research site led by Laurentian University prioritizes active dialogue and community-building processes toward inclusive design interventions in Greater Sudbury. Embracing Indigenous truth and reconciliation principles are at the core of their research, ensuring that not only infrastructural but also cultural and social needs are addressed collaboratively. They urge the application of the “two-eyed seeing” approach as a way of seeing the world and promoting life-centered design practices that respect and heal both the natural and built environment.
Our partners in Vancouver led by University of British Columbia look into issues of reconciliation, spatial equity, design justice and climate adaptation by studying the disparities of green spaces in the city, particularly among Indigenous populations. They highlight the importance of including all the community members and their voices in the trajectory of park design projects, so as to tackle socio-spatial dynamics of displacement, loss of sovereignty, commodification and pollution of water, among others.
Tillicum Lelum Friendship Centre in Nanaimo, British Columbia
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