Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable
Research
Revolutionizing Infrastructure: Smart Monitoring for Resilient Cities
Professor Ayan Sadhu's research at Western focuses on implementing a rapid, remote, real-time, and robust (4R) monitoring system for civil infrastructure. Utilizing advanced signal processing, AI-powered drones, and augmented reality, his team aims to revolutionize bridge inspections and infrastructure maintenance. This initiative enhances real-time structural health monitoring and cost-effective infrastructure management, contributing to smarter, more resilient urban infrastructure.
Interdisciplinary Research to Address Barriers in Smart Cities and Communities
The Interdisciplinary Research to Address Technical and Social Barriers in Smart Cities and Communities initiative explores challenges like data privacy and ethical concerns. This theme at the Western Academy for Advanced Research builds on a collaborative framework that brings together experts from different fields, industry partners, and policymakers. Through activities such as lecture series, seminars, and workshops, the initiative aims to create ethical, data-driven urban planning solutions.
Teaching
Planning Sustainable Cities
The "Planning Sustainable Cities" course, offered by the Department of Geography and Environment, introduces key principles of community planning, emphasizing sustainable development in urban, regional, and rural settings. It covers planning theory, public interest, regulatory frameworks, and environmentally conscious urbanism. Through case studies from Canada and internationally, students explore the social, environmental, and economic facets of urban sustainability, learning to address urban challenges through discussions, presentations, and assessments.
Smart Cities and Communities Workshop
The Western Academy for Advanced Research hosted an all-day Smart Cities and Communities Workshop, addressing urban planning and design through digital technologies. Participants explored cutting-edge applications, leading developments, and emerging challenges in smart cities. The event featured insights from leading experts from universities across the world.
Centre for Sustainable Curating
Western’s Centre for Sustainable Curating focuses on ecological issues and environmental awareness. Located in the Department of Visual Arts, it emphasizes environmental and social justice, developing low-carbon exhibitions and artworks. The Centre collaborates with The Synthetic Collective, an interdisciplinary project of artists, cultural workers, and scientists, to study and visualize plastic pollution in the Great Lakes.
Outreach
Music for All
The Faculty of Music at Western offers a variety of performances and events throughout the 2023-24 season, including the Fridays @ 12:30 concert series, Opera at Western, and faculty and guest artist concerts. The faculty also hosts guest artist residencies and masterclasses with visiting artists, educators, composers, and scholars from around the world, many of which are open to the public. The 225-seat von Kuster Hall is home to more than 270 performances each year, primarily featuring chamber music and small ensembles.
Green Campus Tours
Western offers Green Campus Tours that highlight various sustainability features, including gardens, an old-growth forest, the Arboretum, a community garden, LEED® Certified buildings, sustainable transportation options, waste management initiatives, sustainable food, on-campus energy production, and GHG reduction efforts. The campus provides free public access to open and green spaces. Tours are available to both campus community members and the general public and can be booked online.
Centre for Urban Policy and Local Governance
Western’s Centre for Urban Policy and Local Governance addresses the challenges in urban policymaking by fostering interdisciplinary collaborations, supporting graduate training, and promoting public dialogue. As a hub for urban research within Western’s Network for Economic and Social Trends, it leverages programs like the Local Government Program and Urban Development Program. The Centre also leads the LoGov-RISE Project, focusing on urban-rural dynamics and metropolitan governance in Canada.
Operations
Green Roof Installed at Western
Western has installed a green roof on the Claudette MacKay-Lassonde Pavilion building. This green roof enhances the building’s energy efficiency, extends its lifespan, improves aesthetics, and helps manage stormwater runoff, reducing stress on urban stormwater systems. The roof also supports Western’s commitment to sustainability by mitigating the urban heat island effect and filtering pollutants from stormwater.
Off-Campus Housing Services
Western’s Off-Campus Housing Service offers a wide range of housing options with over 5,000 listings annually for students and staff. The service includes housing mediation to help resolve disputes between students and landlords and Off-Campus Advisors to assist with housing concerns. It ensures equal advertising opportunities for all landlords and provides valuable tools and information to facilitate a positive renting experience for students. The service is dedicated to supporting the university community in finding suitable off-campus accommodation.
Cultural and Scientific Engagement Spaces
Western offers public access to a range of cultural and educational spaces, including museums, galleries, and exhibition areas. These venues, such as the Cronyn Observatory, McIntosh Gallery, Museum of Ontario Archaeology, and ArtLab, provide opportunities for the community to engage with science, art, and history. Each space is open to the public and showcases unique collections, exhibitions, and programs that contribute to education and cultural enrichment.
- Cronyn Observatory – Established in 1940, the Hume Cronyn Memorial Observatory at Western is a hub for astronomical outreach, offering public stargazing events and educational presentations.
- McIntosh Gallery – Founded in 1942, McIntosh Gallery is a public art gallery at Western, offering exhibitions and visual arts education, free and open to the public.
- Museum of Ontario Archaeology – An Affiliated Research Institute of Western, this museum holds over two million artifacts from Ontario's archaeological sites and supports research through its labs and library.
- ArtLab at Western University – ArtLab showcases ongoing student exhibitions from Western’s Visual Arts department, open for public viewing throughout the academic year.
Sustainable Transportation
Western promotes environmentally and economically sustainable transportation options, including:
- Cycling: Nearly 350 bicycle racks, a Bike Shelter, and rentable lockers encourage cycling as a healthy, cost-effective choice, with secure parking to prevent theft.
- Public Transit: The subsidized bus pass program provides unlimited bus transportation to all full-time students.
- Electric Vehicle (EV) Charging Stations: Western is set to install 74 new EV charging stations, bringing the campus total to 80.
- Carpooling Program: Carpooling reduces costs, congestion, and energy use, ideal for long-distance commuters.
- Western Active Transportation Society is a Western community group of faculty, students, and staff who are passionate and dedicated to active transport at Western.
