Shaping Our City

The way we are able to live, work, and gather in Montreal all depends on the way it was designed. Often, the failure to address community needs occurs well before shovels hit the ground. What could a more community-based form of city planning look like?  How can higher education better prepare urban planners and geographers to serve our communities? Join Dr. Sunjay Mathuria and speakers from Quartiers inclusifs et résilients (QIR) Saint-Pierre, Concert'Action Lachine, and the JIA Foundation as they interrogate the decision-making processes behind city planning to better bridge the gap between urban planner priorities and communities needs.

Register here or drop by if you are on campus.

Sunjay Mathuria is a Concordia PhD graduate from the Department of Geography, Planning & Environment. He formerly worked as a planning consultant in Toronto. His research examines the narrativization of memory in contested cities and the ways in which literary writing and walking can facilitate memory work. 

Jessica Chen is the Executive Director the JIA Foundation, an organization that fosters Chinatown’s cultural heritage through education, space activation and community-driven approaches to real estate. Jessica previously worked as senior planner in the city of Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside. 

Annie Laurin has a Masters in Urban Planning and works in the municipal Urban Planning and Mobility Department (Service de l'urbanisme et de la mobilité). In her 16 years within the municipal system, Annie has worked on several innovative equity-oriented planning initiatives.

Carlo Primerano is a Concordia urban planning B.A. graduate who has worked in the community sector since graduating. He currently works as a coordinator with Concert’Action Lachine, the social development table in Lachine. 

Please note - this event is held in person, at the SHIFT space. If, for accessibility reasons, you are not able to join in person but would like to attend the event, please contact shift.calendar@concordia.ca and we can work together to see if an alternative solution is possible. A week’s notice will give us the best chance of making something work.

Community Learning Event Series Come meet members of SHIFT’s Learning Community and learn more about the socially transformative work happening in Montreal.