Participatory Action-Oriented Design as a Catalyst for a Canadian Cooperative Housing Renaissance

Abstract

This presentation explores the results of a participatory action research process undertaken as part of BALTA research project A7 - Co-op Housing Futures: A Spatial Design Research Approach. The project involved a team of Environmental Design students at the University of Calgary working with the Sunnyhill Housing Cooperative in Calgary to explore options for its future using a design approach. Elements to be considered in the design were post-carbon urban living, socio-cultural, economic and ecological sustainability and resilience, as well as intensification and diversity of land uses. The process was subsequently evaluated to determine the results of the approach and whether it could provide a model for other housing co-ops.