Podcast

Episode 32: Quality in Canada's Built Environment

20 February 2025

A black banner with pictures of architecture around Calgary, as well as drafting images in black and white circles. The title "Let's Talk Poverty" is in the middle in black text on a red circle

Published 20 February 2025

Updated 20 February 2025

Black background with red text circle on the left saying "Let’s Talk Poverty." White text reads "Quality in Canada’s Built Environment." Below, "With special guest Dr. Brian R. Sinclair" is written, with a grayscale photo of a person wearing glasses.

In this episode of Let's Talk Poverty, Meaghon Reid connects with Dr. Brian R. Sinclair about the Quality in Canada’s Built Environment research project, Calgary’s part in the project and the challenges and opportunities of Calgary’s urban landscape. 

In this episode 

  • Learn about the Quality in Canada’s Built Environment, a 14 site Canadian project that is focusing on improving equity, adding social value and increasing sustainability in our cities and for the planet.  
  • Insight into successful partnership building across different sectors to learn, collaborate and change our collective experience of living in cities.  

Three key takeaways 

  • The built environment can either put us down and oppress us or it can lift us up and it impacts all of us. 
  • Delight is one of the key factors in building a city with dignity. While delight can’t be quantified, it is important to consider when designing cities and buildings.  
  • Working across sectors, cities and countries allows for a continuous challenging of ideas and values that can be applied to create more equitable city building.  

About Dr. Brian R. Sinclair 

Dr. Brian R. Sinclair, PhD DrHC FRAIC AIA (Intl) is an award-winning Professor of Architecture + Environmental Design, and former Dean, in the University of Calgary’s School of Architecture, Planning + Landscape (SAPL). Brian is president of sinclairstudio inc., a multi-disciplinary design|research corporation engaged in an array of global projects. He holds postgraduate degrees in architecture and psychology. An educator and practitioner, Sinclair`s expertise and explorations span from science to art. Professional memberships include the American Institute of Architects, the Council for Tall Buildings + Urban Habitat, and Fellowship in the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada. His doctoral degree (University of Missouri) focused on an innovative holistic design + planning framework to improve quality of life for some of world’s poorest people. Scholarship includes professional practice, design methods, open building, agile architecture, environmental psychology, international development, systems & sustainability, and the collision of science + spirit. He is author of “Culture, Context and the Pursuit of Sustainability”, and a Principal Investigator in the unprecedented 5-year pan-Canadian research project “Quality in Canada’s Built Environment”. 

 

Useful Information/Resources/ Show Notes: 

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