Goal 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities
ÌýMake cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable
Research
Smart and Secure Cities, Societies and Cultures
The pressures of our rapidly growing global population are driving unprecedented changes in our social, political, cultural and natural systems. UCalgary's Human Dynamics in a Changing World research strategy addresses our need to understand how we adapt to rapid change to ensure our security and quality of life. Research focus areas encompass Smart Cities, Secure Societies and Cultural Understanding.
Urban Alliance
The Urban Alliance is a strategic partnership between The City of Calgary and UCalgary to promote the seamless transfer of cutting-edge research for the benefit of all communities. Urban Alliance provides a framework for leading researchers and City employees to work together to tackle challenges such as transportation, waste reduction, energy and environment, youth crime, homelessness, poverty reduction and creating inclusive communities.
Teaching, Learning and Student Experience
Designing Smart and Secure Communities Certificate
Through the School of Architecture, Planning and Landscape, people can obtain a Certificate in Designing Smart and Secure Communities where students learn how to make communities safer and more intelligent. They gain valuable theoretical and practical insights into how to be both safe and smart, and upon successful completion, earn the Accredited SAFE Design Professionalâ„¢ certification.
How Students use Campus
A Ph.D. candidate in Computational Media Design at UCalgary studied how people use and perceive the campus, and how to visualize this data for multiple applications. The foundational data set for the research was anonymized data from 300 students who volunteered to share how they moved around the campus via GPS locations from their smartphones. The student hopes to explore how we can use tracking data to support better design in urban spaces. Learn more.
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City Building Design Lab (CBDLab) Research and Innovation
The CBDLab in the School of Architecture, Planning and Landscape (SAPL) drives innovation and increases city design research capacity for UCalgary. They generate new research through industry partnerships and municipal engagements, student design studios and the on-site digital fabrication lab.
Campus and Community Impact
Campus
The 32,000 square meter MacKimmie Redevelopment Complex is designed for zero carbon performance and is certified under the Zero Carbon Building Standard. The retrofit of MacKimmie Tower includes a double-skin façade that responds to changing weather and requires less energy to keep building occupants comfortable. This is the first project in Alberta, and the largest in Canada, to be certified under the Zero Carbon Standard (as of October 2020).
Local
The School of Architecture, Planning and Landscape joined forces with the City of Calgary to launch the 9 Block Initiative, a program to make Calgary's downtown a more welcoming place for everyone. Through this initiative, students and researchers will develop city design upgrades that address safety, vibrancy and social inclusion in the nine city blocks containing City Hall, Olympic Plaza, Bow Valley College, the Castell Building and the Central Library.
International
UCalgary's Global Urban Research Group coordinates research among the faculty participating in the Urban Studies Program. The group includes members from Faculty of Arts departments like Geography, History, Sociology, Political Science and Archaeology/Anthropology, as well as School of Architecture, Planning and Landscape faculty. It creates a platform for exchange and collaboration between faculty members, graduate and undergraduate students and urban practitioners to focus on sustainable and urban development challenges.