Reimagining Urban Futures Through Indigenous Urbanism

The School of Environmental Design and Rural Development (SEDRD) at the University of Guelph invited Grant Fahlgren, a member of Wabigoon Lake Ojibway Nation, Indigenous Design Lead at PFS Studio, and Chair and founding member of the Reconciliation Advisory Committee of the Canadian Society of Landscape Architects, to deliver a public lecture titled 'Indigenous Urbanism: Design for All Our Relations' on Monday, March 9, 2026.

In this talk, Fahlgren explored the potential for a shared urban future where environmental relationships—rather than abstract concepts of land use and zoning—guide the growth of cities. He discussed how commitments to Reconciliation involve living in alignment with our environments, and how design practice can move from models of depreciation in buildings and infrastructure toward processes of emergence within natural systems. The lecture also considered how designers, institutions, and communities can foster the support needed to make this more relational and regenerative future possible.

The event was generously supported by the University of Guelph’s Indigenous Student Society and the Ontario Association of Landscape Architects, and was open to students, faculty, and the broader community.