On November 9th, 2021 I was granted my Canadian citizenship. This is the closure of a cycle that started nine years ago. A big milestone for me. Even though the ceremony was virtual, I wanted it to be a meaningful experience and I reflected on what it means to be Canadian and what are the … More On Becoming Canadian
My two parents had lifelong careers at the same university in Brazil (that’s actually where they met!). Both of them went above and beyond their role as professors. My mother, a philosophy teacher, was a local and national leader of a movement to include philosophy in the curriculum of elementary and high schools all over … More Getting ready for a Ph.T.
This post is simply a teaser for the video below. Prof. Julian Agyeman’s lecture is thought-provoking. I just want to share a few things that stood out for me: One of his core ideas is the concept of spatial justice. If you think about social justice, it means that everybody has the same opportunities and … More Just Sustainabilities
What do urban governance and the sustainable development goals (SDGs) have in common? How does it impact citizen engagement and city building? Those were some of the questions I had in mind when I was invited to give a guest lecture in the Governance Leadership & Ethics (GLE) course at Huron University. GLE goal is … More Sustainable Development Goals and Urban Governance
A city with a high urban literacy rate is a regenerative city. In other words, when you have people collectively engaged in the process of shaping the places they want to live, you build a thriving place. That is why citizen participation is an important topic in city building. The European Association of Cities in … More Shift to the Middle in Urban Planning
Collaboration and mutual understanding have always been key components of a thriving society. During uncertain and fast-pace changing times like today it is even more important to bring together different worldviews to learn from each other and co-create the city we want. According to the Integral City framework, there are four voices: Citizen (the conformity … More A shared understanding of the city
I want to start the year here at the blog with the right foot (on the pedal)! I’ve been the board chair of London cycle Link for about two years now. And on Jan 13 we will have our Annual General Meeting. I am super pumped to meet all the great candidates willing to join … More Cycling Towards a City for People
I launched this blog a little over a year ago and in the best spirit of transitions brought by the end of the year, I thought it would be fun to start a tradition of sharing with you my Top Five (most viewed) articles. Here they are: 5 – Have You Ever Experienced Road Happiness? … More My Top Five Blog Posts in 2020
Tom woke up excited, he was joining a climate rally for the first time. He always considered himself a pro-environment person. But now, seeing Greta and all the protests happening around the world, he felt inspired, even called to participate. The experience was exhilarating, to be in a peaceful protest with hundreds of people publicly … More You believe in global warming, how about your bank?
This post is a real story about immigrants and an event that took place exactly six years ago. Dec 6 is a very special date for me because it is my canniversary. It is the day I landed in Canada and became an immigrant myself. Reflecting on my own experiences in the last four years … More Black Lives Matter pt. 2
Luis Patricio 