ARCH 1331-A: Introduction to Architecture - Urban Space

Vocabulary flashcards covering the key terms, urban planning theories, historical master plans, Indigenous design principles, social movements, and socio-spatial dynamics discussed in Week 4: Urban Space of ARCH 1331-A.

Ethical Space

A concept introduced by Cree scholar Dr. Willie Ermine describing a meeting ground between Indigenous and Western worldviews that requires humility, respect, and mutual accountability, framing reconciliation as an ongoing relationship rooted in reciprocity rather than a checklist.

Two-Eyed Seeing (Etuaptmumk)

A principle shared by Mi'kmaq Elders Albert and Murdena Marshall from Unama'ki (Cape Breton) that encourages viewing the world through both Indigenous and Western lenses, drawing on the strengths of each to guide decision-making, design, and leadership.

Seven Generations Planning

An architectural and planning principle articulated from an Indigenous perspective asserting that when planning for the future, one must plan for all life-givers for seven generations.

Urban Planning (Beebeejaun, 2017)

The set of institutional processes that mediates development decisions and is interrelated with policy approaches that articulate visions for future development patterns.

Traditional Planning (Fainstein & Fainstein, 1971)

An urban planning approach that assumes its goal of orderly environmental development serves the general public interest and that professional planners are best equipped to determine intermediate goals.

Role of Government in City Planning (Benjamin Marsh, 1909)

The concept that government is the most important factor in securing good living conditions and preserving the life, health, and well-being of all citizens to achieve a city's best development.

Democracy (in Urban Governance)

A system of government by the people typically conducted through elected representatives.

Capitalism (in Urban Systems)

An economic and political system in which a country's trade and industry are controlled by private owners for profit.

Garden City

An urban planning concept proposed by Ebenezer Howard organized as a concentric network of slumless, smokeless satellite cities surrounded by dedicated agricultural and canal belts.

Ville Radieuse

A modernist urban planning proposal by Le Corbusier characterized by high-density cruciform skyscrapers organized within an orderly geometric grid.

Gréber Plan (1946–1950)

A master plan for Ottawa designed to create a 'Washington of the North' by establishing the Greenbelt, expanding Gatineau Park, decentralizing federal office complexes, preserving waterfront land, and constructing monumental boulevards and parkways.

Provincial Planning Jurisdiction (Canada)

The provincial tier of planning authority that sets broad policy directions (growth, environmental protection, resource use, and public safety) and advances provincial interests such as housing, employment, and transit.

Municipal Planning Jurisdiction (Canada)

The local tier of planning authority responsible for preparing local plans and bylaws (such as Official Plans and regulatory zoning bylaws) and deciding on localized development applications.

The Playground Movement

A Canadian reform movement championed by the National Council of Women in Canada that addressed crowded urban neighborhoods lacking parks by developing supervised playgrounds as laboratories for instilling health habits and social customs through play.

Hull House

A settlement house founded in Chicago in 1889 by Jane Addams that provided educational, social, and arts programs for immigrants, incorporated sanitation into city planning, and operated as a women-led community.

The Three R's of the Settlement House Movement

The core methodology practiced by Jane Addams at Hull House consisting of residence, research, and reform.

Jane Jacobs' Planning Philosophy

An urban approach that opposed centralized, top-down city-making methods in favor of observing and nurturing the spontaneous, social, street-level dynamics of urban neighborhoods.

Social Life of Small Urban Spaces (William H. Whyte)

An observational approach focusing on how people interact in everyday urban spaces, examining factors like routines, community resources, and social interactions between neighbors.

Colonialism

The practice of extending and maintaining a nation's political and economic control over another people or area.

Patriarchy

A system of society or government in which men hold the power and women are largely excluded from it.

Urban Renewal (Post-WWII)

The planned regeneration of built-up urban sectors through a comprehensive program executed under an Official or Master Plan to eradicate and prevent urban blight.

Urban Blight

A measurable deterioration in the physical condition or facilities of buildings, dwelling units, or entire neighborhoods judged against recognized standards of health, safety, construction, and maintenance.

Gentrification (Ruth Glass, 1964)

A process where working-class urban quarters are invaded by the middle class until the original working-class residents are displaced and the district's social character is completely transformed.

Direct Displacement

A form of displacement where existing residents are forced to vacate because they can no longer afford to live in the area due to rent increases, evictions, lease non-renewals, or poor housing conditions.

Indirect Displacement

A form of displacement where changing neighborhood demographics and the construction of new developments lead to the erosion of affordable housing options for low-income newcomers.

Cultural Displacement

A form of displacement where a neighborhood's social character changes as commercial services, retailers, and public venues shift toward catering to incoming, more affluent residents.

Settler City (Tomiak et al., 2019)

The critical concept that the city is not a neutral spatial container, but an active social process tied to reproducing and contesting settler colonial relations alongside continuous Indigenous resistance.

Right to the City (David Harvey)

A collective right to reshape urbanization and transform society by changing the city, extending beyond the individual freedom to access urban amenities.