More than 270 people joined the public event. The panelists explored whiteness and power in the education and practice of designers. They discussed and demonstrated how designers’ collective and cooperative actions can transform or reimagine spaces, places, and practices to include, serve, and empower people of all backgrounds, in particular those who have been marginalized and disenfranchised. They spoke of joy. 

The context for the discussion was the compound crises of 2020 that brought greater awareness to the social and environmental harm that has disproportionally affected Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour globally. 

The speakers see the potential for both emergence and transformation in this period of collective stress and discomfort. Their message: Those who participate in the design and shaping of built environments must engage with the multiple means for addressing our collective difference. 

The talk was the first of the 2021 Forum Lecture series, sponsored by the Azrieli School of Architecture & Urbanism. It was  also part of a pan-Canadian lecture series, Global Perspectives, by the 12 schools of architecture in Canada on the theme of diversity.