June 13, 2025
Is municipal planning responsive to urban Indigenous housing needs?
An examination of housing plans and policies in British Columbia
Published in the Canadian Journal of Urban Research
by Maggie Low and Cleo Barton
We're excited to celebrate that SCARP Assistant Professor Maggie Low, co-chair of the Indigenous Community Planning program, has published (alongside Cleo Barton) this deep-dive into whether and how urban Indigenous housing needs are addressed in BC municipalities’ Official Community Plans and housing strategies, and how insignificantly they in fact are. Her regard to the future though is hopeful, as there are models and tools to help guide municipalities in their efforts to tangibly address urban Indigenous housing needs.
In the meantime, we're all grateful for Dr. Low's ongoing work as chair of SCARP's Indigenous Community Planning concentration, teaching a new generation of Planners to break with the colonial mode of Planning to work instead in real partnerships with Indigenous communities.
About the Canadian Journal of Urban Studies
More about Dr. Maggie Low
Maggie seeks to advance a better understanding of Indigenous sovereignty and to showcase the strength and strategies of Indigenous Nations and communities as they assert authority over their territories. Her current work is on Indigenous community planning, Indigenous well-being, Indigenous knowledges and climate change, and decolonization and reconciliation efforts within Canadian cities.