February 14, 2021

Thought I would start my reading week with a bit of a reflection on the school term thus far. Jeremy Dutcher is filling the room - I got Wolastoqiyik Lintuwakonawa on vinyl a little while back and haven't fully listened to it yet. I'm actually taking six courses this term, which will probably start to …

What is the archive?

Posting this to address my archive. I started this domain (as Katie On Cities) in the fall of 2016, one year into my undergraduate degree. I didn't use this term at the time, but looking back it operated as a type of reflective practice on what I was learning in school. It was a place …

Engaging in a Reflective Practice

Last semester was my first term of studies in the Indigenous Community Planning concentration of the Master of Community and Regional Planning Program at the University of British Columbia. I've been here in Vancouver since early September of this year, studying right out of my undergraduate program in planning at the University of Waterloo. I …

Thoughts on Indigenous Planning

In certain contexts around the globe, at least for Canada which is what I am concerned with, planning is essentially a very colonialist concept and practice. Settlers settle, take, and configure policy, design, and public goods over top of Native land after extracting and exploiting all the resources it takes to do so. Yuck. When …

What does urban planning look like through a feminist lens and why is feminism a crucial element in city building?

I need to start this blog by clarifying a few things. Feminism is not a dirty word. Feminism is not a man-hating body of ideals, and feminism's objective is not to push a matriarchal society where men are slaves. Feminism is also not a system that women make up for themselves to keep themselves oppressed (yes, …

Hello again!

Whew! It's been a while. I took somewhat of a blog-hiatus this summer to let my thoughts brew a bit on what to next contribute to this blog. While offline, I spent the summer in Ottawa working at Employment and Social Development Canada's Innovation Lab as a communications assistant. After internalizing a bit of what …

Pedestrians First on Sparks Street, Ottawa

Normally this term I wouldn't be writing a blog post on a Monday afternoon, but due to the flooding situation in the region, my office building was closed for the day. I had already spent the whole weekend in my house due to the rainy weather, so today I decided I wanted to make use …

Katie in… the National Capital Region!

I haven't written in a couple of weeks and I figured it's time to at least provide an update even though I have not yet found the time to dedicate to a legitimate post that will get me back on track. Because.... I have moved! Because of my program's co-op component, I will be spending …

Personal Creed 2017

For some time, I've been mulling over what I want to do with my life. That's what 20-year-olds are supposed to do, right? When I was 19 it seemed like I could just ponder different paths and avenues. While I can definitely still do that, it feels like there is more pressure to just get …

In the City’s Image: City Slogans and Mottos

To help guide my blog for the next month or so while I gear up for exam season, I've decided to start a little series of smaller blog posts which will discuss the images of cities around the world. Lots of pieces fit together like a puzzle to create a city's image, and I want …