Image courtesy of the Government of Canada.
This year?s budget continues the theme of investment in communities and the built environment that underpinned the 2016 budget. According to Michael Cox, President-Elect of the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada (RAIC), ?This budget strives to be transformative for people, place and planet. Its promise is to invest in more sustainable systems ? infrastructure, buildings, transportation, industry and innovation ? that will elevate Canadians? quality of life.?
Much of the budget is centered around cities with a federal re-engagement in housing, transit system expansions and infrastructure at post-secondary institutions. Sustainability underpins much of this funding with new building codes, energy renewal programs and $5 billion earmarked for green infrastructure projects. ?A clean environment and strong economy go hand-in-hand,? says Jennifer Cutbill, RAIC?s Chair of Committee on Regenerative Environments. ?It?s good to see the government investing in climate change actions.? Acknowledging the commitments for additional funding for Indigenous Peoples, professor and architect Patrick Stewart, the Chair of the RAIC?s Indigenous Task Force, says that any such investment must be ?based in the Indigenous knowledges of their communities to contribute to the success of their communities. This is especially true for design where our alternative design processes and forms of community engagement empower First Nations communities.?
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