Reflecting on our recent collaboration with 50×30 – Imagining a Just, Green Future in Waterloo Region
In the next 10 years, we will require transformative action to address the worsening impacts of the climate crisis both here in Waterloo Region and around the world. 50×30 Waterloo Region initially approached BRIDGE in search of volunteers with architecture knowledge to help visualize what these changes would look like for their campaign to reduce carbon emissions by 50% in Waterloo Region by 2030. We realized a collaging exercise would be a great way to share the ambitions of 50×30 with the broader community in the region.
After opening remarks from Amy Smoke and Shawn Johnston of O:se Kenhionhata:tie Land Back Camp and Samantha Tremmel from Climate Action Waterloo Region over 60 attendees were split into breakout rooms for each municipality of the region. They were asked to brainstorm how to improve their municipality using the collage tools provided. Like in a sticker book – digital cutouts centring diversity, indigenous rights, food sovereignty, and social justice were provided to collage onto specific street scenes at key locations in each municipality. Volunteer moderators from the University of Waterloo School of Architecture facilitated a verbal and visual discussion to encourage attendees to share their ideas and hopes for this region.
Visualization is a powerful tool to concretize abstract ideas about sweeping changes. This event gave designers and residents a chance to collaborate, discuss and see a greener reality. The images from the workshop will be used to advocate for a more caring and just Waterloo Region.
After the event, we asked a few attendees and volunteers to reflect on the process.
“Our community has shown leadership on climate change before. We did so over a decade ago when the Region and all three cities jointly and unanimously approved our first climate target. We did so again when Council adopted resolutions affirming the climate emergency we are now in. Now, it’s time to continue that leadership and align our aspiration with the only benchmark that matters: climate science. There’s nothing subjective about this: I support a 50by30 target in Waterloo Region because this is the minimum target scientists tell us is required to ensure human life can continue on this planet. We have a history of doing our part in this community. Let’s not stop.
The 50x30WR team is doing something ground-breaking in our community: leading a grassroots effort to compel science-based action on climate change, centering racial justice and Indigenous reconciliation throughout. I’m deeply inspired by what they’re doing, have and will continue to participate in their efforts, and I support them wholeheartedly. They are leading by example and are guiding a path forward for us all.”
Mike Morrice, Green Party Candidate for Kitchener Centre
“Land Back is the ultimate solution to all of these crises; climate, environment, water, housing, poverty, etc. It is about the demand for return of Indigenous lands to Indigenous hands. We walked softly on Mother Earth since the beginning of time and since colonization, have practically destroyed her.”
Amy Smoke, organizer with Land Back Camp
“Our group consisted of a group of passionate and dedicated residents and local voices invested in Waterloo’s future, who were able to speak well to local contexts through personal experience as well as professional work in the Region. The discussion covered a range of topics from the necessity to enliven and make safe our streetscapes, to the need for ensuring equitable futures for food production and agricultural labour locally. We discussed future construction development and how it’s shaping the region, as well as highlighted urban changes we would like to see accompany it; friendly streetscapes and bike lanes, net-zero building construction and renovation, urban solar projects, and affordable green housing. The conversation ranged from small urban details such as the naturalization of medians to large infrastructural projects such as towering vertical urban farms and the full redesign of streetscapes for a car-less world. I found this range in scales and time spans to be a critical part of our discussion, allowing us to picture both a Waterloo Region transformed 30 years from now, and also picturing some of the steps taken along the way.”
Nicole Rak
“I wasn’t expecting an hour of collage making to fly by so quickly especially since I was with a small group of 5 people but so many interesting possibilities and concerns were brought up while discussing the future of the city that made the several of us reflect on how the city could be improved from its current state. I wasn’t as familiar with this town as with the others, but nonetheless the whole experience was informative and thought provoking and I think it’s equally as important to learn about the other towns and cities as well. Overall, despite it being a virtual event, it was a super pleasant 2 hours!”
Leanne Li
“The workshop brought together people from so many varied backgrounds – from undergraduate students to senior architects, to local residents and activists. Our group discussed topics ranging from visionary ideas to the subtleties of greening a city, asked questions such as: How can humans, animals, and plants coexist? Where do cars go when converting a road to a pedestrian street? Are green roofs accessible spaces? While we addressed issues and concerns such as greenwashing and climate anxiety; this gave our vision of a greener, more socially-just Waterloo Region more practicality and realism, rather than an imagined green utopia.”
Michelle Li
“What strikes me the most in our breakout room is the diversity of the participants. From senior architects who had decades of professional practice in the region, to Waterloo undergraduate students from different parts of Canada, everyone shares a passion for climate action and social justice. We talked about issues of urban sprawl, “green” interventions of built spaces, to the anxiety surrounding the doomsday narrative of climate change, by exchanging personal experiences and presenting professional critiques. We concluded that we have more power and reassurance if we, as a community, form a collaborative force to address the issues and envision a better future.”
Wendy Yuan
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