Past Events

High quality agricultural land is a valuable non-renewable natural resource; however, many regions struggle to protect this resource when it exists in close proximity to growing urban areas.Oregon, USA is often held up as a model of successful land use planning in the North American context, having established a state-wide system in 1973 that both supports urban areas and protects rural areas. The Willamette Valley makes a particularly interesting case study region, as it contains a great deal of Oregon’s best agricultural soils as well as the majority of Oregon’s population.

The Rural Planning and Development program in the School of Environmental Design and Rural Development, University of Guelph and the Ontario Professional Planners Institute's Student Liaison Committee invite you to the 2018 Rural Romp - where we bring rural matters to the foreground! The 3rd annual 'Rural Romp' is open to everyone! We are inviting planning, design students and professionals to highlight the uniqueness of rural matters. The day's itinerary is as follows:

We are pleased to invite you to the 27th Annual Master of Landscape Architecture Conference, University of Guelph. Join us for the Masters of Landscape Architecture Conference on Tuesday, March 27th, 2018. It is a day of landscape architecture thesis presentations that provide an insight into contemporary research by final semester graduate students. Every year the MLA students organize a conference to communicate the third year MLA thesis research to the public. Lunch and refreshments will be provided. Free Admission - all welcome to attend.

The Integrated Research Methods Seminar is an opportunity for doctoral students in the Rural Studies program to share brief presentations on their proposed research initiatives. During the Seminar, six doctoral students will share details of their upcoming initiatives focused on a broad ranges of rural development topics. All are welcome to attend the event. 

Come celebrate World Water Day with the RPLC! This webinar will explore the important policy issue of rural water infrastructure, considering drinking water, wastewater, and storm water aspects. Three speakers will present diverse perspectives from across Canada. The first speaker, Sarah-Patricia Breen (University of Saskatchewan) will introduce to rural water infrastructure challenges, speaking generally to the challenges found across the country, and highlighting opportunities related to asset management, staff training, and collaborative action.

The Pecha Kucha talk (Six speakers - Twenty Seconds - Twenty Slides) for a Sustainable City as a part of the University of Guelph's Sustainability Week. The guest speakers are:  Sheila Boudreau Senior Landscape Architect for Toronto and Regional Conservation Authority, RPP Planner, Ryerson Urban Water Board of Advisors, teaches green infrastructure at Ryerson University and University of Toronto  Jamie Miller  PhD, President of Biomimicry Frontiers, Lecturer at University of Guelph 

School of Environmental Design and Rural Development - Landscape Architecture Guest Lecture Series presents:

The 2018 Rural Symposium is an opportunity for University of Guelph graduate students to showcase their rural research to policy makers, policy analysts, and program staff from the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA). The event facilitates knowledge mobilization and network building between graduate students at the University of Guelph, researchers, and OMAFRA .

This webinar includes two presentations exploring climate change and rural communities: Indicators of Community Climate Adaptation: Results and Lessons from the Columbia Basin, presented by Lauren Rethoret, and Lessons from a Decade of Adaptation,presented by Ingrid Liepa. Throughout this webinar, the presenters will share reflections on supporting adaptation work in rural communities, including lessons for policy-makers and practitioners.

This webinar includes three presentations exploring the neglect of transportation policy in remote areas of Canada. You will hear how regulation changes from Transport Canada will have significant ripple effects on rural and remote communities that reply on air transportation for everything from produce to medevacs. The second presentation explores the need for an airport/airstrip in Wasagamack First Nations in Northern Manitoba, which includes recommendations as to increase the level of this issue and how to get the government to fund it, and how to fund the project themselves.