Upcoming conference Urban Ecologies 2013, taking place June 20-22, 2013, will feature Daniels faculty members, including Dean Richard Sommer, Professors John Danahy and Liat Margolis, and sessional instructor Julie Bogdanowicz along with alumni Jesse Jackson, Maya Przybylski, Nicolas Barrette and Graeme Stewart.

Hosted by OCAD University’s Faculty of Design, Urban Ecologies 2013 is a conference that will examine the impact of five intersecting themes, representing a spectrum of practice-based research activities, that are shaping the future of design in our cities:

• Thinking Systems
• Visualizing Information
• Regenerating Cities
• Building Health
• Creating Community

Keynote speakers include Teddy Cruz, Professor of Public Culture and Urbanism, University of California in San Diego and Kathryn Firth, Chief of Design, London Legacy Development Corporation.

Dean Sommer will act as moderator for the session "Leveraging Urban Infrastructure" on Thursday, June 20 from 4 pm - 5:30 pm. The session will investigate "how infrastructure systems such as energy, transportation, and communications can be leveraged to enhance our cities." Both Professors Danahy and Margolis will present papers during the conference. Professor Danahy will discuss the paper "Bottom Up: Visioning Lakeview as an eco community" on Friday, June 21 during the session Tapping Into Urban Water. Professor Margolis' paper "Examining Toronto's GRIT Lab" will be presented during the 10:30 am session "Ecologies of Data-Driven Design" on Thursday, June 20.

Sessional lecturer Julie Bogdanowicz and alumni Maya Przybylski, Nicolas Barrette and Graeme Stewart will all present papers during the 3 day conference on topics ranging from "Soft Data/Hard Design: Thinking systems, visualizing information" (Maya Przybylski) to "Land Reclamation in China" (Nicolas Barrette). Recent Daniels alum Jesse Jackson is co-chair of the conference and will serve as theme leader.

Current MArch student Kevin Murray has also been selected to present his paper "Cities, Trees, Rhizomes" (above image is from his presentation) and is the sole Daniels student chosen to present during the conference. Murray's paper considers "key ideas in the writing of the philosophers Gilles Deleuze and Felix Guattari and presents their relevance for thinking and designing urban conditions. The presentation extends the thinking and strategies developed in the urban design competition entry, Rhizome City 2040. One of three presenting finalists at the 2012 National Infrastructure Conference, the guidebook detailed the environmental and social transformation of a mid-century suburban neighbourhood in Regina, SA through a series of localized zoning and infrastructure transformations."

The conference is eligible for OALA and OAA Continuing Education Programs. For more information, and to register, visit: www.urbanecologies.ca