What is a roadmap to quality?

A roadmap is a strategic tool used to visualize the different approaches for addressing a complex situation. It outlines key elements like the initial problem, general objectives, roles of stakeholders, resources, and stages involved in the process. The 14 roadmaps produced since 2022 by 14 interdisciplinary and intersectoral research teams across Canada offer a unique pathway to achieve this goal, incorporating essential scientific references and a clear timeline for the implementation of a series of actions in the short, middle and longer terms.

Co-constructing roadmaps to quality at the crossroad of equity, accessibility and sustainability

Coordinated by 14 Canadian universities with their citizen, municipal and professional partners, 14 research sites are working in parallel and interrelated. Together, these sites are developing analyses and dialogues in specific contexts that address issues that challenge current definitions of quality in the built environment.
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Emerging Indigenous Leaders Turtle Island The Emerging Indigenous Leaders is a collective of Indigenous post-secondary students, practitioners, and community partners working to transform how “quality” is understood in the built environment. Read more
Accessible Homes
Accessible Qualities Montréal Integrating qualitative accessibility for citizens with special needs and for all. Read more
Ottawa
Adaptive Reuse Ottawa Designing sustainable and profitable adaptive reuse strategies. Read more
participatory processes
Participatory Processes Québec Capturing design quality concepts from all stakeholders’ perspectives. Read more
inclusive schools
Inclusive Schools Halifax Programming and designing qualitative learning spaces. Read more
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Livable Nightscape Montréal Planning for the needs of people inhabiting urban night. Read more
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Equitable Waterfront Toronto Fostering inclusivity and well-being on the Toronto Waterfront. Read more
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Regenerative Communities Athabasca Supporting better social integration for rural communities. Read more
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Healthy cities Calgary Thinking beyond form and aesthetics to encompass inclusion, sustainability, and urban health. Read more
community led ousing
Community-Led Housing Manitoba Co-designing affordable, community-based housing in Indigenous northern communities. Read more
responsive policies
Accessible Prosperity Sudbury Improving Social Prosperity as a prerequisite in remote communities. Read more
integrated biodiversity
Integrated biodiversity Montréal Ensuring urban biodiversity to improve the life of aging populations. Read more
resilient parks
Resilient parks Toronto Achieving equitable resilience in Toronto’s neighborhood parks. Read more
transparent construction
Residential Connections Waterloo Revealing the long-term costs of rapid multi-unit residential construction in the Waterloo Region. Read more
reconciled land
Reconciled lands Vancouver Incorporating spatial justice for marginalized communities in Vancouver’s parks. Read more
raising auality
National Partners Canada The National Partners Group is led by partners representing large organizations active across provinces and research sites. These partners recognized the value of creating a dedicated space to explore transversal issues that extend beyond individual research sites. Read more

Discover the roadmaps by thematics

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Roadmaps to quality

Our approach to research and partnership-based consultation is above all a bottom-up approach. We believe it is essential to think about and design the built environment by listening to individual lived experiences and taking into account the needs of communities.

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Spatial justice

It is essential to address inequalities and injustices in access to quality buildings and public spaces. Design practices and consultation with marginalized communities must take injustices into account and care for vulnerable people.
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Integrated resilience

Material cultures must drive construction practices toward greater resilience, integration, and therefore sustainability. Adaptive reuse, repurposing, and all practices aimed at repairing, maintaining, and caring for existing structures should be prioritized with this in mind.
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Inclusive design

Inclusive design promotes health and wellness, particularly for aging populations and individuals with special needs. Ensuring accessibility, and fostering a sense of belonging for all users highlights the designing spaces that cater to a wide range of people’s necessities and life stages.
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Healthy cities & Society

Buildings and public spaces are also designed on an urban scale. The prosperity of societies depends on urban environments that promote the physical and mental health of populations, which requires practices that are both inclusive and sustainable.
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Processes and policies

Policies, standards, and processes govern the development and management of built environments. The emphasis on social value, equity, and sustainability highlights the need for more participatory decision-making processes in the planning and design of the built environment.