Length: 1 CEU
Topic: Urbanism
Delivery Mode: Online On-Demand
What's Included: Video, Quiz, & Certificate
Registration Fee: Members $50 | Intern $35 | Student $25 | Non-Member $75
This webinar is part of the RAIC 2025 Conference on Architecture!
This session offers an up-to-date overview of contemporary urban design challenges related to the intensification and urbanization of cities and suburbs for sustainable and healthy development. It will explore examples of inner-city intensification, including downtowns, transit corridors, and large redevelopment sites to create dense, liveable, and sustainable neighbourhoods. Presenters will highlight case studies from major cities like Vancouver, Calgary, Ottawa, and the Greater Toronto Area, showcasing best practices in mixed residential forms, amenities, open space, complete streets, and green infrastructure.
The session will also examine suburban intensification, which dominates much of the country’s growth. Presenters will discuss efforts to reduce emissions, increase resiliency, and fight climate change, focusing on transforming car-oriented developments. Current projects from the Greater Toronto Area and Ottawa, key labs for this process, will be featured. Drawing on 20 years of experience from the Council for Canadian Urbanism, the session highlights exemplary urban design projects across the country, advocating for sustainable, authentic urbanism.
Recognize the latest trends, achievements in Canadian urbanism and urban design in areas of infill, intensification, revitalization, urbanization.
Describe highlights of major projects across the country that showcase sustainable development and placemaking.
Identify contemporary urban design approaches and tools in the intensification and redevelopment process.
Describe the design process at city scale and the role architects can play, contemporary design approaches and tools as well as inter-disciplinary, collaborative work and engagement.
Subject Matter Experts:
Eric Turcotte
MRAIC, OAA, OAA, FCIP, RPP, LEED AP BD+C, B Sc(Arch), B Arch, MUP
Partner, Urban Strategies Inc.
Eric Turcotte is a bilingual planner, urban designer, and architect with experience in Canada and abroad. As a Partner at Urban Strategies, one of Canada’s leading planning firms, his work spans Canada, the U.S., the UK, and Ireland. He has led major projects like the University of Ottawa Master Plan, Downtown Ottawa Urban Design Strategy 2020, and the Toronto Centre for Addiction and Mental Health Master Plan. Eric has also overseen redevelopment projects at major commercial sites, including Dufferin Mall, CF Fairview and CF Markville. His work has earned national and international awards from design sand planning institutions including the RAIC, CIP, CSLA and ASLA. An advocate for sustainable development, Eric draws on his expertise and promotes sustainable planning at the national level. He is a member of the Waterfront Toronto Design Review Panel, chairs the Brampton Design Review Panel, and is a founding member and past President of the Council for Canadian Urbanism. He is also a regular media commentator on urbanism.
Alex Taranu
FRAIC, FCIP, OAA, RPP
Sr. Advisor, Urban Design, City of Brampton
Alex is an architect, urban designer and urbanist with extensive experience on a wide variety of issues and projects including downtown revitalization, urbanization of suburban areas, sustainable, transit-oriented development, design review, heritage integration and project management. Throughout his career Alex has lead important master planning, urban design and buildings projects in Canada and abroad. Alex is currently Sr. Advisor, Design, for the City of Brampton, and provides urban and architectural design advice to urban design panels for municipalities and institutions in Ontario. He is a frequent lecturer at Canadian universities, presenter at numerous professional conferences and was member of national and international juries (including CNUs Charter Awards). He is a strong advocate for sustainable and healthy urbanism, design excellence, founder/ director of the Council for Canadian Urbanism, Fellow of the Canadian Institute of Planners and the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada, licenced architect and registered professional planner in Ontario.
This webinar is in English. Closed captions have been provided in both English and French.
Pricing
Member: $50 / Non-Member: $75
Intern Member: $35 / Intern Non-Member: $75
Student: $25 (must be an RAIC student associate member)