The Hidden Social Dimension of Infrastructure

The Hidden Social Dimension of Infrastructure

This webinar is part of the RAIC 2024 Conference on Architecture, now available to stream!

Topics: Climate Justice and Resilience, Sustainability, Adaptation and Mitigation

Length: 1 hour | What's Included: Video, Quiz, and Certificate of Completion 

Cities rely on the infrastructures associated with the production and assimilation of water, waste, energy, and food. Within the modern metropolis these systems and networks are largely evaluated on their technical and economic aspects—only recognized as important for their services and products—rather than their social equity. However, these engineered services and amenities depict ideas and values relating to nature and society. The Hidden Social Dimension of Infrastructure uncovers qualities of infrastructural spaces that enable societal and environmental exchange. It asks if infrastructures can foster a culture of care for the resources that make up these systems as well as the communities in which they are located? This session explores ways to re-think infrastructure through the investigation of two Canadian cities—Halifax and Montreal—to understand how certain infrastructures foster collective societal goals while others do not.

By the completion of this session, participants will be able to:

• Describe why it is important for infrastructures to foster a culture of care for the resources that make up these systems as well as the communities in which they are located.
• Describe why it is important for infrastructures to work symbiotically together with cities and their different eco-systems.
• Recognize ecological and social infrastructure in cities.
• Explain how certain infrastructures foster collective societal goals and social equity in cities.

Subject Matter Expert:

Dr. Susan Fitzgerald
NSAA, NLAA, AANB, PhD
Architect, Associate Professor, FBM, Dalhousie University

Susan is the Design Director at FBM in Halifax, NS. She is also an Associate Professor at Dalhousie University's Faculty of Architecture and Planning. ‍Originally from the UK, she is both an architect and an interior designer involved in teaching, research, and practice.

Her work has been featured at the Venice Architecture Biennale (2023), the Lisbon Triennale, RAIC Academic Summit, World Congress of Architects and her writing published by UCL Press (2023), Routledge Press (2022), Refuge Press (2020), among others.

Susan’s work has been the recipient of many accolades including the Canada Council for the Arts’ Professional Prix de Rome, Canadian Architect Award, Governor General's Medal in Architecture, the Wood Design Award, the EnRoute Air Canada Award, and multiple Lieutenant Governor's Awards including the Medal of Excellence. Susan was made a fellow of the RAIC in 2015. In 2022, she was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Medal for service to architecture. She received her PhD from the Bartlett School of Architecture, UK in architectural design.