Field Schools
Toronto and Southern Ontario (2015)
Calgary and Edmonton (2018)
Curitiba, Brazil (2019)
The School of Urban and Regional Planning partnered with the University of Alberta International's e3 program to take Planning and Geography students to Curitiba, Brazil on a Field School. The U of A group was joined by students from Ryerson University, the University of Manitoba and Universidade Federal do Paraná (UFPR), a Brazilian University.
The students spent two weeks exploring themes such as land use and urban mobility, information settlements, city-region context, and migration issues in the Curitiba area. Local lectures and field trips included meetings with state and municipal officials, faculty members and students from UFPR, Universidade Tecnológica Federal do Paraná (URFPR), and Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Paraná (PUCPR), and activists and advocates from the non-governmental sector involved in housing and rehabilitation activities in informal settlements.
The Field School was a tremendous success and a rewarding experience for our students.
In Calgary, our focus was on events and developments near downtown, starting with the disastrous 2013 flood which caused billions of dollars damage. We then toured the rapidly revitalizing East Village neighbourhood, documenting condo development and touring Calgary's Drop-In Centre, the largest homeless shelter in Canada. Other site visits included the outstanding Studio Bell - home of Canada's National Music Centre, the world-famous Calgary Zoo, and the city's extensive +15 (elevated pedway) network. Our southern tour also included one day visiting the towns of Okotoks and High River, to consider water issues.
The second week involved exploring Edmonton, including an examination of the ICE District and a behind-the-scenes tour of Roger's Place by Bob Black, Executive Vice President Edmonton Arena Corporation. We also considered the development of commercial space and pedways from the perspectives of Olympia Trencevski, General Manager Oxford Properties, and Tom Beck, Principal
Planner with the City of Edmonton. The theme of nature was explored via a tour of the river valley, including the new funicular, and the Valley Zoo. Urban histories were considered at Rossdale Cemetery, the Hotel Macdonald, and the Alberta Legislature.
Special thanks to the many professionals and volunteers who lent their time to speak with our group!
In the spring of 2017, Dr. Agrawal and Dr. Deacon took students to Vancouver and Kelowna for two weeks of studying planning and other issues in Vancouver and the Okanagan region. Throughout the trip, they met with many local leaders and planning experts who gave presentations and/or tours. In Vancouver, students were led by Celine Mauboules and Ali Butcher through key areas of the downtown area, including the East Side and Gas Town. In Kelowna, students were given a tour led by Bernard Momer. The trip was an outstanding success thanks to the contributions of all involved.
In the spring of 2016, Dr. Agrawal and Dr. Summers took students to Grande Prairie, Calgary and surrounding areas for two weeks of studying planning and other issues in northern and southern Alberta. Throughout the trip, they met with many local leaders and planning experts who gave presentations and/or tours. In the Grande Prairie region, students investigated the regional planning challenges of coordinating growth between the rural municipalities and the City of Grande Prairie.
They were also fortunate to have a tour of gas production at a Seven Generations project where they visited a drill rig and fracking operation. The northern portion of their trip ended with a visit to the Phillip J Currie Museum.
In southern Alberta, the highlights included opportunities to meet with Bev Sandlack of the U of C and Rollin Stanley, the Chief Planner for the City of Calgary. Jill Sonego toured students around much of Calgary connecting with planners from the private and public sector who informed students about a range of exciting new projects and planning challenges in Calgary. They visited Canada Land's Currie Barracks site for an excellent example of new urbanism. They looked at some of the new LRT developments in Calgary, as well as the Harvest Hills Golf Course site where a former golf course was being redeveloped into a residential development. This was a particularly interesting case as the golf course was interwoven into an existing development.
The trip ended with a fascinating tour led by Harry Harker who took them to Okotoks and High River (to see the redevelopment after the flood), and the rural areas surrounding Calgary to explore issues of growth management.
The trip was an outstanding success thanks to the contributions of all involved.
In the spring of 2015, Dr. Agrawal and Dr. Summers took students to southern Ontario for two weeks of studying planning and other issues in Toronto and the southern Ontario region. Throughout the trip, we met with many local leaders and planning experts who gave us presentations and/or tours.
In Toronto, students were led by Paul Bedford through key areas of the City that developed during his time as the Chief Planner. Dr. Mitch Kosny, Professor at Ryerson University and former chair of TCHC, gave us a tour of the award winning Regent Park redevelopment. Amanda Santo of Waterfront Toronto toured us through the redevelopment of the West Don Lands. We also had the opportunity to engage with Metrolinx, with the Ontario Growth Secretariat, and with Antonella Ceddia, Solicitor for the City of Toronto who discussed the Provincial Policy Statement.
Wayne Caldwell, Professor of Planning from the University of Guelph, toured us through the Waterloo region including a visit to look at key issues of planning for Mennonite communities. We also toured an apple processing plant, toured Six Nations on the Grand with local leaders to discuss their land claims in the region, visited the historic downtown of Paris, and the Grand River Conservation Authority.
Finally, Dr. Chris Fullerton of Brock University toured us through the St. Catherine's area looking at the diverse economic changes on the landscape with a day that ended with a visit to Niagara Falls.
The trip was an outstanding success thanks to the contributions of all involved.