Research and Innovation Symposium 2024 Agenda
About | Agenda | Speakers | Research Showcase Catalogue (WIP) | Housing and Infrastructure Project Map
Agenda
Thursday, June 20, 2024 | |||
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| 8:30 to 9:00 am | Pre-event networking & check-in | ||
| 9:00 to 9:10 am |
Welcoming remarks | ||
| 9:10 to 10:00 am |
Keynote Address - Opportunities for innovation in construction: The use of offsite and modular construction to assist in solving our current housing and infrastructure challenges Craig Mitchell, Principal, Blackbox Offsite Solutions and Project Development of 720 Solutions
Craig will speak about the human and individual aspects of what each of us can do to lead by example and embrace innovation - especially if using offsite/modular construction. What is modular construction? What are the current barriers and enables to its broader adoption in Canada? How can we deliver more effective housing and infrastructure projects using these approaches? Craig will conclude by discussing some entities in Canada who are leading by example in their use of modular and prefabricated construction. | ||
| 10:00 to 10:15 am | Health Break | ||
| 10:15 to 11:15 am |
Build Better Panel 1 - Next generation materials: what’s next for construction?
Moderator: Dr. Matti Siemiatycki, Professor, Geography and Planning; Director, Infrastructure Institute, University of Toronto Panelists: | ||
| 11:15 am to 12:00 pm | Lunch Break | ||
| 12:00 to12:45 pm | Research Showcase | ||
| 12:45 to1:45 pm | Build Better Panel 2 - Engaging community and building better
Moderator: Sabine Dietz , Executive Director, CLIMAtlantic Panelists: | ||
| 1:45 to 2:00 pm | Health Break | ||
| 2:00 to 2:50 pm |
Concurrent Workshops | ||
| Build Better Workshop 1 - Single Stair Alternative Solutions: Construction Innovation for Missing Middle Housing
Conrad Speckert, Architect, LGA Architectural Partners
In Canada, multi-unit residential buildings require at least 2 exits for safety. However, international examples show that with extra fire protection features, buildings can be safely designed with a single staircase. This approach supports "missing middle" housing, maximizing land use on smaller properties while improving sustainability and design flexibility. Single-stair design can also allow for more natural light, fresh air and more accessible and family-friendly homes. As part of the CMHC Housing Supply Challenge, LGA is collaborating with 10 other architects across Canada to scale, replicate and adapt the single-stair solution for different cities and types of small multi-unit residential buildings and has submitted a code change request to the National Building Code of Canada.
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Build Better Workshop 2 - Reconciliation in Action – Infrastructure Projects: is it Working?
Jamey Burr, Senior Consultant, Innovation7 Jonathan Kipling, Consultant, Innovation7
Jonathan Kipling and Jamey Burr, from the Indigenous-owned company Innovation 7, will discuss recent experiences in working with Indigenous communities, all levels of government and the private sector to make progress on the Calls to Action from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. They will describe the journey from policy to program delivery and implementation, commenting on obstacles and opportunities to ensure that Indigenous people benefit in many ways from infrastructure projects. They will share what changes in behaviour are needed to address challenges like engagement fatigue, barriers to accessing project benefits, ineffective communications collateral, and connecting to Indigenous people in urban areas. Jonathan and Jamey will share examples of new engagement methods and media that are making a difference in bringing a strong and creative Indigenous voice to the fore. |
Build Better Workshop 3 - Digital twins and data for community scale decarbonization - a New York/Montreal dialogue
Dr. Ursula Eicker, Professor Building, Civil, and Environmental Engineering, Concordia University Oriol Gavaldà, Lead Zero Carbon Communities, Next-Generation Cities Institute, Concordia University Honey Berk, Executive Director, CUNY Building Performance Lab Duncan Prahl, Senior Applied Research Scientist, CUNY Building Performance Lab
A discussion about analysis using digital twins and building data on a mass scale to help municipalities plan and implement decarbonization strategies and policies. Analysis can be accomplished at the city or neighborhood scale, on individual or portfolios of buildings, or at the individual mechanical plant or system level. This session with provide high level overview of the tools and analysis that can be used for different purposes as municipalities explore decarbonization policies and projects. | |
| 2:50 to 3:05 pm |
Health Break | ||
| 3:05 to 4:05 pm |
Design Better Panel 1 - Data driven approaches to designing better communities
Moderator: Maya Roy, CEO of Coalition of Innovation Leaders Against Racism (CILAR), Panelists:
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| 4:05 to 4:20 pm | Health Break | ||
| 4:20 to 5:10 pm |
Closing Keynote Address - Amina Yasin, Director of Public Hearings and Planning at Simon Fraser University – Morris J. Wosk Centre for Dialogue, Renovate the Public Hearing Program and is a Fellow in urban planning, civic engagement, and housing, as well as Co-Chair Commissioner of the Vancouver City Planning Commission. | ||
| 5:10 to 5:15 pm | Closing Remarks | ||
| 5:15 to 6:00 pm |
On-Site Networking | ||
Friday, June 21, 2024 | |||
| 8:30 to 9:00 am |
Pre-event networking & In-person check-in | ||
| 9:00 to 9:10 am |
Day 2 opening remarks | ||
| 9:10 to 10:10 am |
Design Better Panel 2 - Innovative partnerships for future communities
Moderator: Mary Rowe, President and CEO, Canadian Urban Institute Panelists:
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| 10:10 to 11:00 am |
Concurrent Workshops | ||
| Design Better Workshop 1 - 3D Printed Homes: A Revolutionary and Disruptive Construction Method
Ian Arthur, Co-Founder and Head of Partnerships, Nidus3d Fiona Coughlin, CEO/Executive Director, Habitat for Humanity Windsor-Essex Dr. Sreekanta Das, Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Windsor
The workshop will discuss the advancements in 3D construction printing, featuring insights from Canada's first-ever 3D printed housing project, which will cover both successes and challenges. Innovative international projects will be highlighted to showcase the technology's potential to improve design flexibility and operational efficiency. Current research on the structural strength, ductility, and weather resilience of 3D printed buildings will also be reviewed. The session will conclude with Dr. Das discussing the importance of ongoing research to enhance the technology's cost-effectiveness, environmental sustainability, and acceptance among various stakeholders. |
Design Better Workshop 2 - R&D for transformative social infrastructure
Natalie Napier, Research & Storytelling Lead, InWithForward Rochelle Nieuwenhuis, Community Co-Researcher, InWithForward
This presentation asks what good social infrastructure does and how it can intervene on seemingly intractable patterns of social exclusion and disconnection, by drawing on two prototypes developed by InWithForward in partnership with the City of Edmonton. Learn about how "Auricle" and "Soloss" are forms of social infrastructure that enable residents to listen to each other, and make sense of their experiences in ways that foster trust, respect, belonging, and ultimately, wellbeing. Consider how governments can invest in the conditions for R&D in social infrastructure. |
Design Better Workshop 3 - Data-Driven Decision-Making & Analytics in the Community Housing Sector
T'Brenn Kelly-McKinnon, Director of Fund Delivery & Impact, BC Rental Protection Fund
A workshop on BC’s Rental Protection Fund, a groundbreaking initiative supporting the community housing sector in acquiring existing, deeply affordable rental buildings, addressing a critical gap in housing policy – the erosion of affordability in the private rental market. The Fund has developed a suite of data-driven Business Intelligence tools, mapping platforms and real-time analytics dashboards to monitor key performance indicators for both internal and external use. The Fund will preview its Strategic Housing Acquisition Resource Platform (SHARP) which is a cloud-based mapping application designed to help non-profit applicants identify strategic and impactful acquisitions through the Fund. SHARP leverages a robust data library of government-owned and community housing sector properties to provide location-based insights in addition to real estate inventory and transaction data. | |
| 11:00 to 11:15 am |
Health Break | ||
| 11:15 am to 12:05 pm | Keynote Address - Dr. Colin Ellard, Professor, University of Waterloo - The cognitive neuroscience of residential design
In a time of seismic societal change, the meaning of home is undergoing transformation. But though traditional residential designs are becoming increasingly unattainable for many, our core psychological requirements from home remain unchanged and are written deeply into our biology. Our thoughts feelings and behaviour are so strongly conditioned by psychological reference to home that true homelessness is almost impossible. But the nature of home and its impact on wellbeing can vary enormously. In my presentation, I will describe some of the neural underpinnings of home and place attachment and the way the design of the places where we dwell can influence attachment and thereby promote wellbeing. I will describe the development of recent methods in cognitive neuroscience and environmental psychology that allow measurement of the impact of design variables, including sensory properties like size, shape and texture and functional properties that promote our feeling of agency. I will conclude my presentation with some recommendations for key principles from neuroscience and that could guide the development of housing policy for these challenging times. | ||
| 12:05 to 1:05 pm |
Lunch Break | ||
| 1:05 to 2:05 pm |
Finance Better Panel 1 - Unpacking how to foster “affordable” housing
Moderator: James McKellar, Professor of Real Estate and Infrastructure, Schulich School of Business, York University Panelists:
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| 2:05 to 2:55 pm |
Concurrent Workshops | ||
| Finance Better, Plenary Workshop - A rental bank approach to housing support
Alison Smith, Associate Professor, Political Science, University of Toronto Mississauga Hannah Brais, Research Coordinator, Old Brewery Mission Montreal Dr. Jayne Malenfant, McGill University
In the landscape of homelessness prevention in Canada and internationally, eviction prevention is recognized as an important emergency-level strategy for keeping financially precarious households from losing their dwelling. Despite their role in eviction prevention, there has been little comparative research to better understand how different models of rent banks, or emergency rental assistance programs, function and to assess their ability to keep households stably housed. Through over 30 semi-structured interviews with service providers in USA, Canada, Australia, and the UK, we present an international evidence base for promising practices in emergency rental assistance. We discuss their respective political contexts; their perceived effectiveness; possibilities for innovation; and discuss how rent banks fit within a broader homelessness prevention typology. |
Finance Better, Workshop 1 - Supporting renters effectively: unpacking the Canada Housing Benefit.
In this session, I present a case study of the CHB as implemented in Nova Scotia, using the framework of adequate housing to do so. Based on interviews with tenants receiving the CHB and front-line housing workers, I find that tenants continue to struggle with housing affordability and may live in housing in need of major repair. I conclude by sharing recommendations for reforms to both the CHB and rental housing markets to ensure the CHB adheres to the right to adequate housing. |
Finance Better Workshop 2 - The Nuts and Bolts of BC Builds - BC's New Housing Program to Build Housing on Public Land
Lisa Helps, Executive Lead, BC Builds Project Origination and Process Innovation, BC Housing
This workshop will provide information on the BC Builds Program and the funding, financing and partnership based approach to building housing on government, community and non-profit owned land. | |
| 2:55 to 3:05 pm |
Health Break | ||
| 3:05 to 4:05 pm |
Finance Better Panel 2 - Financing housing and public infrastructure in the future
Moderator: Lisa Mitchell, President and CEO, Canadian Council for Public-Private Partnerships Panelists:
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| 4:05 to 4:15 pm |
Closing Remarks | ||
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