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RSS Feed From moods to microbes: designing better indoor spaces w/ Emily Anthes
New York Times science journalist Emily Anthes, author of The Great Indoors, has spent a lot of time thinking about how buildings shape our lives, from mood to mortality. From designing hospitals that speed up recovery, to developing autism-friendly apartments, to rejigging offices to boost productivity — the interior of the built environment can be a crucial factor in determining human health and happiness. After all, we spend 90% of our time inside. So why not use soundproofing, plants, and universal design to make our inner worlds a dreamy place to be?
Read MoreOvercoming capital barriers for Indigenous communities w/ Mark Podlasly
Because of the Indian Act, Indigenous communities have been blocked from accessing capital markets, which means they haven’t been able to invest in critical infrastructure projects happening in their territories. For the past ten years, First Nations Major Projects Coalition has been working to change that. FNMPC is a non-profit, Indigenous-led organization working to empower Indigenous communities to secure equity stakes in mining, clean energy, regulated utilities and pipelines. FNMPC’s Chief Sustainability Officer Mark Podlasly Mark explains how First Nations are becoming full partners in the next chapter of Canada’s development—and why it’s a crucial element to meeting Canada’s international obligations around accessing export markets.
Read MoreChanging public outcry into community buy-In w/ Farhaan Ladhani
NIMBY. It’s a cursed acronym that can send chills down an urban planner's spine and jettison approved building permits into liminal space. It stands for “not in my backyard,” and it can stop even the mightiest projects in their tracks. Blamed for gentrification, urban sprawl, and a myriad of other evils, NIMBYs are regularly dunked on by newspaper columnists and online forum posters. They’re persona non grata at the urbanist cookout. And it’s because NIMBYs tend to oppose land use change, preferring a misty-eyed midcentury dream at the expense of public transportation, affordable housing, and rezoning that’s desperately needed to meet a city’s growing population. Undoubtedly, they’re persona non grata at the urbanist cookout. So, how does a NIMBY evolve into a YIMBY (yes in my backyard!)? It’s not magic. It’s just good public consultation. And there’s an app for that. Farhaan Ladhani is the CEO of Digital Public Square and Senior Fellow at the Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy, and his latest project, Goodbit, is here to transform how we talk with each other about the topics that get us the most… heated.
Read MoreFrom mushroom spores to modern structures w/ Dr. Mercedes Garcia Holguera
Mushroom bricks sound like something out of science fiction, but they are more than just a fantasy, they're a biomimetic masterpiece. Biodegradable, eco-friendly, non-toxic, waterproof, fire resistant, and grown from mycelium. Outside of construction, it's being used as packaging, replacing styrofoam and polyurethane; in fashion it's a substitute for leather; in acoustic treatment as an alternative to cork or foam. Dr. Mercedes Garcia Holguera, Assistant Professor of Architecture at the University of Manitoba breaks down the science of mushroom bricks and how we can use them to stack the future of construction in our favour.
Read MoreBioplanning a greener future w/ Dror Benshetrit
Urban planning is a negotiation between the bold dreams of the built environment and the delicate balance of the natural one. Urban growth is exploding: by 2060, the global building footprint is projected to double. But instead of wreaking havoc on biodiversity with every new development, interdisciplinary artist Dror Benshetrit of Supernature Labs has a greener idea: bioplanning. An approach rooted in nature, bioplanning is the idea that maybe humans don’t have it all figured out. It’s the concept that Mother Nature is a brilliant urban planner and she’s happy to share the IP when it comes to efficiency and conservation. So, who are the brave souls ready and willing to take one big leaf forward?
Read MoreTeaching old wood new tricks w/ Eric Law
Wood isn’t what it used to be. Virgin lumber is generally less dense and grown faster than wood that was harvested from natural old growth forests. But logging what’s left of those old growth forests isn’t a sustainable option, so why not reclaim old lumber when buildings are torn down? Until now that process was labour intensive and expensive, but Eric Law and Urban Machine have developed robots that are making reclaimed lumber into the building material of choice, and that might just change the way we build new buildings entirely.
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