WHAT IS AN ARCHITECTURE POLICY?
A national architecture policy is an aspirational document. Whereas a building code sets minimum standards, an architecture policy sets forth ambitious goals and calls to action with compelling arguments, images, quotes and case studies. It shows how well-designed settings can enhance social, cultural and environmental well-being, and provides guidance to politicians, professionals and the public on how to achieve more sustainable, equitable and engaging communities. An architecture policy empowers people to pursue positive change and sustainable growth. It would inform public debate, influence legislation and inspire Canadians to create more meaningful and resilient cities and rural development in view of climate change, rapid urbanization, vulnerable lands, threatened heritage and other 21st century challenges.
ARCHITECTURE POLICIES AND STRATEGIES AROUND THE WORLD
More than 30 countries have adopted or are developing a national architecture policy. Follow the links below to learn more about policies and related initiatives in different countries and contexts. For an overview of alternative governance strategies for urban design and quality of the built environment in Europe, see Urban Maestro.
ARCHITECTURE POLICIES AND CANADA
Progress in Québec
In 2018, the Ordre des architectes du Québec (OAQ) published a White Paper for a Québec Policy on Architecture: Support, Vision, Milestones (Livre Blanc pour une Politique Québécoise de l’Architecture: Appuis Vision Jalons). Based on four years of research and public consultations, the paper called on the province to develop unified strategies to incentivize design excellence and raise awareness of best practices. In April 2019, the Québec Minister of Culture and Communications, together with the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, announced that they would begin working with the OAQ and Québec citizens to develop a Québec Architecture Strategy (OAQ Stratégie québécoise de l’architecture). This strategy supports the province’s 2018 cultural policy and plan of action: Partout, La Culture: Politique Culturelle du Québec; and Plan d’action gouvernemental en culture 2018-2023.
In June 2022 the Province of Québec announced its first national policy on architecture and land use planning: Politique nationale d’architecture et d’aménagement du territoire. In September 2022 they released a checklist on architectural quality toward a human, sustainable and creative architecture: L’aide-mémoire sur la qualité architecturale.
Since 2016, a group of Canadian educators, practitioners and regulators have been developing a process to initiate a public conversation about the quality of architecture in Canada, and to create a unified call for an architecture policy. This working group, called ‘the future of architecture’ task force, consists of volunteers from the Canadian Council of University Schools of Architecture (CCUSA), representing Canada’s accredited architecture programs; the Canadian Architectural Licensing Authorities (CALA), representing the provincial and territorial regulators; and the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada (RAIC), Canada’s leading voice for promoting architectural excellence. With complementary mandates to educate, regulate and advocate, this trio comprises an informed and inspiring voice to effectively advance this collaborative initiative.
The CAFÉ project is intended to enhance this national dialogue through meaningful involvement of architecture students and educators – who have clear stakes in the future of architecture. CAFÉs will complement other outreach events organized by CALA and RAIC in 2019-2020.
Follow these links to learn more about related initiatives and watch for new event announcements.
Canada does not have a federal department dedicated to advancing quality in the built environment, and “architecture” does not appear in any mandate letter. However, there are over 30 Ministers, many of which have obligations and priorities that clearly impact architecture. For instance, the Minister of Canadian Heritage is responsible for promoting creative industries that reflect Canada’s multicultural identity. The Minister of Families, Children and Social Development oversees the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation and is responsible for supporting affordable housing and helping all Canadians live with dignity. The Minister of Environment and Climate Change leads efforts on environmental stewardship, developing green infrastructure, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, accelerating transition to zero carbon buildings and protecting communities from climate change. This is done in collaboration with the Ministers of Natural Resources, Innovation, Science and Industry, and others. The Minister of Infrastructure and Communities strategizes investments in social infrastructure intended to benefit communities of all sizes. Several other ministers have purview over building development for specific regions or industries, including the Minister of Transport, Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness, and Agriculture and Agri-Food. Other Ministers promote health, equity, accessibility and quality of life issues that are often directly impacted by the quality of the physical environment, including the Ministers of Health, Seniors, Employment, Workforce Development and Disability Inclusion, and Immigration Refugees and Citizenship. Several Ministers are working to renew Indigenous rights, together with suitable housing and land access, including the Minister of Justice, Indigenous Services, and Crown-Indigenous Relations.
What if these Ministers worked together to study how their mandates impact the built environment and, reciprocally, how the quality of the designed environment impacts their social and economic mandates?
What if the Canadian government created unified strategies and collaborative processes to foster more sustainable, equitable and engaging built environments for everyone?
Read the Mandate Letters for each federal Minister and browse the Departments and Agencies to discover how architectural issues intersect the overarching goals and top priorities of the Government of Canada.
The 1951 Report of the Royal Commission on National Development in Arts, Letters & Sciences (or Massey Report), remains one of the most significant federal initiatives to impact the development of architecture in Canada. Recent policies, reports and initiatives intersecting architectural issues include the following:
Nation-to-Nation: Indigenous Design and Planning Resources
Any architecture policy for Canada must fully support the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples; advance the Calls to Action of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada; and acknowledge renewed commitments to nation-to-nation relations between Canada and First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples, based on recognition of rights, respect, co-operation and partnership.
CAFÉ forums and consultation processes aim to include meaningful dialogue with Indigenous peoples to gain knowledge of their cultural values; to help sustain their self-determined practices and design principles; and to develop better informed and more effective policies and programs for Canadians.
This initiative values the presence, livelihood and well-being of diverse Indigenous peoples. Indigenous rights, values and design principles are foundational priorities, underpinning and traversing the four discursive themes: Place, People, Prosperity and Potential.
This outreach process aims to learn from policy statements and related design and planning initiatives that prioritize reconciliation, including those of the Canadian Institute of Planners; the Canadian Society of Landscape Architects; and the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada.
The following resources may serve as a starting point for meaningful dialogue:
Government of Canada and Assembly of First Nations
Indigenous Resources in Canadian Design and Planning
Canadian Institute of Planners (CIP) – Indigenous Planning
Canadian Society of Landscape Architects (CSLA) – Reconciliation
Royal Architectural Institute of Canada (RAIC) Indigenous Task Force
Indigenous Perspectives in Planning, Ontario Professional Planners Institute, 2019
Rapid Placemaking to Bring Back Main Street: A Pandemic Recovery Toolkit, Aug. 2020
United Nations and International Precedents
Further Reading Toward Truth and Reconciliation
CLIMATE ACTION & SUSTAINABLE-EQUITABLE DEVELOPMENT
Global
Design for the Just City & The Just City Index
European Commission – A European Green Deal
European Urban Knowledge Network (EUKN)
Indigenous Environmental Network
International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD)
International Living Future Institute (Seattle)
People, places and the planet: RIBA’s election manifesto (Great Britain)
Social Economic Environmental Design (SEED) Network
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)
Summary for Policy Makers, 2018
Global Status Report, 2018
UN Ecosystem Restoration 2021-2030
UN Habitat for a better urban future, Human Settlement Programme
UN New Urban Agenda (action blueprint)
UN Sustainable Development Goals
An Architecture Guide to the UN17 Sustainable Development Goals, Vol. 2 (2020)
An Architecture Guide to the UN17 Sustainable Development Goals (2018)
World Health Organization: Urban Health
Canada
2020 Declaration for Resilience in Canadian Cities
Canadian Global Cities Council (CGCC), National Urban Strategy: Planning for an Urban Future, 2018.
Canada Green Building Council (CaGBC)
Canadian Institute for Climate Choices
Clean Prosperity (Ontario Climate Plan)
Climate Change Guide for Industry and Professional Associations (BCCIC)
Coalition étudiante pour un virage environnemental et social (CEVES)
Council for Canadian Urbanism (CanU)
Green New Deal Canada – Our Time
Indigenous Climate Action (ICA)
Indigenous Climate Action (ICA) – Decolonizing Climate Policy in Canada (2020)
Indigenous Clean Energy (ICE) Social Enterprise
Local Governments for Sustainability (ICLEI Canada)
RAIC Resolution for Urgent and Sustained Action on Climate and Ecological Health
Architectural Action
AIA / American Institute of Architects, Blueprint for Better
AIA Climate Action: The Path Forward
AIA Resolution for Urgent and Sustained Climate Action
AIA The Climate Imperative (July 2020)
(ACAN) Architects Climate Action Network
Architecture Education Declares
London Energy Transformation Initiative (LETI) Climate Emergency Design Guide
Open Architecture Collaborative
UIA – International Union of Architects SDG Dhaka Declaration (April 13, 2019).
What has Architects Declare achieved?
ARCHITECTURE, EQUITY AND SOCIAL JUSTICE
CAFÉ Capital RESOURCES toward equity in architecture (google doc)
Advocates for Equitable Design Education (AEDE)
AIGA – Eye on Design / Design + Diversity
Best Practices in Equity, Diversity and Inclusion in Research (SSHRC)
Black Architects and Interior Designers Association (BAIDA) Canada
Building Equality in Architecture: BEA-Toronto; BEA-Atlantic; BEA-Prairies; BEA-Calgary; BEA-WestCoast
Colloqate: Design Justice practice
DEEM Journal (Design as Social Practice)
Emergent Grounds for Design Education (EDGE)
For a Feminist Architecture (FaFa)
GBA+ (Gender-based analysis plus)
Inclusive by Design (UX Collective)
National Organization of Minority Architects (NOMA)
Race and Space (a new curriculum)
Race | Space, Graduate Architecture Students’ Association Blog, McGill University
Resources on Race and Architecture, The Architectural League, NY
NOTE: These resources have been compiled from publicly accessible websites to provide easy access for educational purposes as part of the CAFÉ knowledge mobilization initiative. If you would like to see something added, amended or removed, please tell us: info@architecturecanada.ca.