VIEWPOINTS

Designed for Inclusion
— Braden Gray

From the nuclear family to the extended family and multi-generational needs: design’s role in diverse housing, recreation and social space

I was born and raised in Calgary. My Mom is Chinese and my Dad is English. He isn't really English any more than my Mom is really Chinese; both my parents and three out of four of my grandparents were born in Canada. In fact, my Chinese family came in 1902 (and paid the head tax), and my Dad's family came in 1905. I am as Canadian as they come, yet I don't fit what people typically associate with being Canadian. Growing up half Asian, I quickly learned the differences between people of Western-European descent and...everyone else. There were differences not only in the way people spoke, but in the customs they practiced, the religions they followed, and how they went about their homes and businesses. The internships that came with studying architecture at the University of Waterloo provided me with the opportunity to work and travel all around the world. During these internships, I noticed how different cultures utilized their spaces for different practices: homes were different because families were bigger, businesses were different based on who was using them; and leisure didn't have to be sport - it could be a BBQ in the park or checkers at a bench. I realized just how customized a space could be to respond to specific people’s needs and activities. 

Through the course of my life, I learned that there are big differences between the way Caucasian and visible minorities function, but in Calgary, I only saw design that reflected the needs of the majority. Whether at home, at work, or at play, spaces seemed to be tailored to fit the ideal of the suburban, nuclear, modern, two-kid family, rather than displaying as much diversity as did the people I grew up with.

It's no secret that Calgary has become increasingly multi-cultural over the last 20 years. [1] There has been an increase in the percentage of visible minorities moving to the city for social, economic, and political reasons. With increasing diversity in our city and country, our design solutions must also shift to better accommodate the everyday needs of all Calgarians, including visible minorities and immigrants. [2] The typical rhetoric around home, work, and play, usually perpetuated by those with Caucasian backgrounds, has changed. Where Calgary once had mostly nuclear family models, we now have extended or multi-family setups. Where Calgary's businesses once had large formal offices and facilities, there is now the demand for more informally realized stalls and markets. And, where Calgary once had recreation centres where you just participated and then left, we now have the need for more social spaces, and a greater understanding of 'recreation.' With a widening array of values, living and working situations, the design of our city must also change to reflect these needs. Without this change, our built environment risks becoming tone-deaf to the increasing diversity of people in the city. 

What do those changes look like in terms of our built environment and what are the overall lessons to be learned? Design and architecture are tools used to respond to people's routines. Whether at home, at work or in transition, design aims to quietly work in the background, helping (or hindering) people's daily patterns. Design is typically used to cater to the everyday demands of people's lifestyles; day-to-day decisions reflect a person's values, thoughts, and eventual priorities. Therefore, design becomes not only a reflection of day-to-day patterns, but also a reflection of the values and priorities of the people using those spaces. Design stops being effective when these spaces inhibit the goals of the people using them, rather than functioning in the background. Though we may design a space for a nuclear family, if a multi-generational one uses that space, it is going to function less than optimally. With a growing level of diversity in our city, how can design, both big and small, become more effective at responding to the changing needs of Calgarians?

Part 1: Immigration to Calgary

Part of the challenge of creating design that is responsive to Calgary's shifting cultural landscape is understanding that, it is indeed shifting. By defining the patterns of immigrant populations and their economic growth, it paints a clearer picture of how diversity is increasing in the City and how these new Canadians are faring financially.

I grew up in southwest Calgary in the 1990s. We lived in a middle-class suburban neighbourhood. I was lucky. I had access to sports, amenities were close by and my neighbourhood was safe and well kept. At the same time, I also couldn't understand why so few of my neighbours looked like me, or why my friends from other parts of the city complained about how far the nearest soccer field was. 

What do the statistics say about Immigration? Between 2006 and 2016, Calgary's immigrant population increased from 24.8% to 31%. This may not seem like much, but in a city of 1.2 million people this means almost 400,000 of us within the last 20 years have some sort of immigrant background.[3] Amongst these immigrants, our diversity has also increased, with 36% of us being members of visible minorities. These minorities consist of people from all over the world including Asia, the Middle East, Latin America, Oceania and Africa.[4] Calgary seems to be catching up to some of our most diverse cities like Toronto and Vancouver, which respectively have 51% [5] and 48% [6] of their populations identifying as visible minorities. 

Part 2: Research on Space, Inclusion and Multiculturalism

Despite growing up in southwest Calgary, my parents enrolled me in a charter school where I had no trouble making friends with a multitude of people from different cultures, backgrounds, and religions. I always tell people that growing up my best friends were Asian, Jewish and Muslim and that we tried to celebrate their holidays and traditions like we did our own. Many of my friends grew up with their grandparents; I did as well, though it was in the form of spending weeks at a time with them so my parents could take care of my immune sensitive brother. I always loved spending time with older people as a kid; there was never any shortage of stories, or candy. Every food eaten or holiday performed seemed to have a tradition or special circumstance; whether it was my own family or a friend’s, I grew up appreciating the richness of a bevy of different cultures and their origins.  

Can statistical data help us understand how to better respond to the diverse needs of new immigrants? The short answer is yes. Understanding that we have a significant population growth of visible minorities is one factor, but understanding how to respond to it from a design perspective is another. Many westernized countries with similar influxes of visible minorities have done significant amounts of research into how to best respond to their needs through reconfigured cultural and social landscapes. The biggest factor is creating inclusive opportunities for all members of society to participate and thrive. Multi-generational homes are one of the best ways to provide a level playing field for all our citizens.

The Multi-Generational Home

In Canada, if you are a part of an immigrant family, or are Indigenous, it is more likely that you will be living in a multi-generational home.[7] What is a multi-generational home?

Simply put, it’s a home that has space for multiple generations of families, rather than just the space for a single nuclear [8] family. Though uncommon in Canada, many countries over the past 50 years have embraced and thrived with this type of home and family setup. For example, in Pakistan and Brunei, more than 50% of all households contain six or more family members.[9] Though there is a plethora of reasons why people decide to live in a multi-generational home, the main driver is the size of the family and the number of children: the larger the family, the increased likelihood of a multi-generational home.[10]

The design of these homes is considerably different from what is typically seen in a North American, nuclear family home. As these homes become increasingly popular due to an increase in immigration, the way we design homes will also have to change.

Recreation Space for Everyone, not just Athletes

Recreation activity is at the core of Canadian culture and provides leisure time and physical exercise for youth and adults. This is critical to the ongoing health and wellness of all Canadians.[11] However, research shows "that by and large, recreational participation is lower among ethnocultural minorities as compared to the majority population."[12] Though cultural and social factors have been attributed to some of these lower participation levels,[13] other research is showing that providing more non-competitive-based and coached recreation opportunities can encourage increased participation amongst visible minorities.[14] For designers and architects, this means re-thinking our sporting spaces. Instead of designing for maximum competitiveness and for spectators, we need to start creating recreation spaces that are less competitive, more conducive to coaching, and provide a greater range of opportunities. Different cultures have different values, especially around recreation; we need to understand the differences before we can even start to address those needs.

Cities Planned for Inclusion

City planning plays a critical role in the inclusion or exclusion of new immigrants and visible minorities in our urban centres. Access to storefronts, roadways, parking, neighbourhood amenities, integrated social services and socially inclusive real estate and rental opportunities all play critical roles in the success of our urban environments.[15]

From a design standpoint, there are a few simple ways we can create inclusive and thriving urban areas for new immigrant and visible minority populations. The first way is to make impactful municipal investments in the infrastructure and community resources in areas with large immigrant communities. These communities need to be beautified and invested in municipally, equally or more so compared to wealthier communities. There should be the same perceived value in all of our communities, not just ones with higher property taxes. Municipal relaxations to allow for "hassle free permissions" for open-air markets and pop-up businesses are also a critical systemic change that needs to occur to accommodate new businesses that may not have the capital to jump through bureaucratic hoops. The second is to design accessibly-priced variability into all neighbourhoods; this would combat decades of engrained real-estate practices that create ethnic enclaves and ghettos.[16] Visible minorities should not have to live in one area of the city because it is the only area that is priced affordably, and planners should defend the rights of these people by creating affordable housing opportunities throughout the city, not just in one quadrant. 

With having so many of my friends being from visible minorities, I had access to many parts of Calgary, and as I got older it became no secret that the north east wasn't a "place you go" or "didn't have the safest neighbourhoods." This was strange because when I went to visit my friends and their families I didn't notice a lot of difference other than seeing fewer white people around. The homes were the same, the families were just as welcoming, and my friends were the same, so it was strange that many of my other friends perpetuated a very different narrative than what I had experienced.

Strong advocacy for the informal city or allowing for "hole in the wall" businesses and organizations has also become a popular position of many urbanists when supporting opportunities for small businesses and new immigrants looking to set up shop.[17] Many new immigrants do not have a lot of money, but still want the opportunity to thrive financially, and as a city, we need to provide easy, low-barrier opportunities for small businesses to grow.

Part 3: Spatial Examples of Inclusive Design

So what are designers, architects, and governments doing to respond to an increasingly multicultural landscape within their countries? How can design in Canada, and even more specifically in Calgary, become responsive to a changing landscape responsive to the needs of new immigrants and visible minorities? 

The design team at Studio North has been working with the development company Part and Parcel to come up with a solution to more responsive spaces. After recently winning the 2019 International Edmonton Missing Middle Infill Design Competition, Studio North and Part and Parcel have focused on developing a medium-density design that facilitates living in a multi-generational building and community. Dwellings are diverse in their square footage so as to respond to a multitude of family situations; they  also include shared outdoor spaces, a community hall, and public amenities like daycare facilities. Aesthetically, the design differentiates every dwelling, which is really different from the typical townhouse; this way there is the capacity for distinguishing between your home and your neighbour’s, which may not be possible in a more homogenous design. Cost was also a significant factor, and there is a range of price points for different units, so that new immigrants or lower income buyers still have an opportunity for procurement. 

Recently, garden suites have risen in popularity in Alberta and across Canada. A garden suite, garage suite, or backyard suite is a separate housing unit on the same property as the main home. Usually built on top of a garage space, garden suites provide an opportunity for additional privacy between the suite and the home. Originally conceived as a secondary rental property, these suites also serve the multi-generational family really well. They provide opportunities for separation between families, but with close enough proximity that you can walk over to your parents’ kitchen for dinner. These main house-garden suite duos provide a level of flexibility for a shifting narrative of family dynamics. Having a second living area can provide space for a range of different multi-generational situations, from newlyweds to retiring parents.  

As I got older, so did my grandparents; and my once fun-loving, beach-going grandparents were struggling to take their medication, drive to the grocery store, and just take care of themselves. Spending so much time with them when I was younger, I was heartbroken at their decline. I offered to go to live with them, but my parents staunchly said no, but they struggled themselves to keep them going. I desperately wanted them to move in with us, but our house just wasn't equipped for them; too many stairs and no bedrooms on the main floor. Eventually they moved into a home, but their decline just accelerated, and whenever I would go visit I couldn't help but feel a wave of despair wash over me whenever I was in one of those facilities. 

Informal Recreation. Informal Facilities.

Denmark has had a huge influx of immigrants to its major cities such as Copenhagen. Though Denmark's reputation has suffered from anti-immigration rhetoric in recent years, the country has produced many design-based solutions responsive to new immigrants’ social and leisure needs. Research shows that recreation-based opportunities for visible minorities are more successful when paired with coaching, non-competitive activity, and the type of informal spaces that promote these qualities. Superkilen, a project designed by Bjarke Ingels Group or BIG, responded to the influx of new immigrants in Copenhagen with a park design created to facilitate a range of non-formal leisure activities. The park has boxing rings, swings, slides, fountains, Bluetooth speakers, bike paths and workout areas, so it does not resemble a typical park. The idea was that if you provide more diverse-use spaces, you will attract more diverse types of people.

Conclusion

Immigration to Calgary has increased significantly in the past 10 years, and the diversity of the city has followed suit. As Calgary moves forward as a city, it will be critical that our built environments also shift to become more inclusive and capable of harnessing the strengths of our diversity. Leading Canadian designers and those across the world have done significant work in developing design and architectural solutions that address the growing needs of diverse populations. Architectural responses that have looked at the cultural nuances of visible minorities and immigrants have helped to create built environments that better suit a differing social norm than what has been typically observed in Canada. Though this design philosophy is in its infancy in our country, these new-built forms have been positively received and have made contributions to a more multi-culturally sensitive way of thinking. Multi-generational homes, opportunities for more informal recreational spaces, and hybridized building typologies are just the beginning of a new wave of design culture, meant to not only accommodate, but nourish the growing diversity of Canadians and their needs. Calgary has a long way to go, and just as I experienced growing up here, the division of functionality is something still very noticeable in our built environments. Spaces need to be designed by, and for visible minorities, and these distinctions in design need to be not only acknowledged but embraced so that all Calgarians can feel at home, regardless of how different homes may look.

References

[1] Unknown, Focus on Geography Series, 2016 Census: Immigration and Ethnocultural Diversity; Calgary, Statistics Canada, statcan.gc.ca, 2019, https://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2016/as-sa/fogs-spg/Facts-CSD-Eng.cfm?TOPIC=7&LANG=Eng&GK=CSD&GC=4806016.

[2] In Canada, 3 out of 10 people who are part of a visible minority immigrated to Canada vs. Canadian born visible minorities. Unknown, Immigration and Ethnocultural Diversity in Canada, Statistics Canada, Statcan.gc.ca, 2018, https://www12.statcan.gc.ca/nhs-enm/2011/as-sa/99-010-x/99-010-x2011001-eng.cfm.

[3] Unknown, Focus on Geography Series, 2016 Census: Immigration and Ethnocultural Diversity.

[4] Unknown, Focus on Geography Series, 2016 Census: Immigration and Ethnocultural Diversity.

[5] Unknown, Focus on Geography Series, 2016 Census: Immigration and Ethnocultural Diversity, Vancouver, Statistics Canada, statcan.gc.ca, 2019, https://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2016/as-sa/fogs-spg/Facts-CSD-Eng.cfm?TOPIC=7&LANG=Eng&GK=CSD&GC=4806016.

[6] Unknown, Focus on Geography Series, 2016 Census: Immigration and Ethnocultural Diversity, Toronto, Statistics Canada, statcan.gc.ca, 2019, https://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2016/as-sa/fogs-spg/Facts-cma-eng.cfm?LANG=Eng&GK=CMA&GC=535&TOPIC=7.

[7] Battams, Nathan, Sharing a Roof: Multi-Generational Homes in Canada (2016 Census Update), Vanier Institute, VanierInstitute.ca, 2017, https://vanierinstitute.ca/multigenerational-homes-canada/.

[8] Unknown, Nuclear Family, Dictonary.com, LLC, 2020, https://www.dictionary.com/browse/nuclear-family?s=t.

[9] Liu, Chia and Albert Esteve, Families in Asia: A Cross-National Comparison of Intergenerational Co-Residence1 Princeton University, Princeton.edu, 2014, https://epc2014.princeton.edu/papers/140179.

[10] Battams, Nathan, Sharing a Roof: Multi-Generational Homes in Canada (2016 Census Update).

[11] Unknown, Leisure-Time Physical Activity, Statistics Canada, Statcan.gc.ca, 2017, https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/82-229-x/2009001/deter/lpa-eng.htm.

[12] Aizlewood, Amanda, Pieter Bevelander and Ravi Pendakur, Recreational Participation among Ethnic Minorities and Immigrants in Canada and the Netherlands, University of Ottawa, UOttawa.ca, Unknown, http://web5.uottawa.ca/www5/pendakur/pdf%20docs/Recreational%20participation%20JIRS.pdf.

[13] Skille, Eivind Asrum, Individuality or Cultural Reproduction? Adolescents' Sport Participation in Norway: Alternative versus Conventional Sports, The Norwegian School of Sport Sciences, Sage Publications, 2005.

[14] ibid.

[15]  AAISA, Alberta Settlement and Integration Two-day Participatory Event Report, Calgary, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, 2016.

[16] van der Poorten, Kylee, The Geography of Immigrant (Dis)advantage: Future Strategies and Coalition Building for the Sttlement Sector, Housing Agencies, and Policymakers, AAISA, 2016.

[17] Jacobs, Jane, Vital Little Plans, edited by Samuel Zipp and Nathan Storring, Toronto, Random House Canada. 2016.

Bibliography

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Unknown, Focus on Geography Series, 2016 Census: Immigration and Ethnocultural Diversity; Calgary, Statistics Canada, statcan.gc.ca, 2019, https://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2016/as-sa/fogs-spg/Facts-CSD-Eng.cfm?TOPIC=7&LANG=Eng&GK=CSD&GC=4806016.

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Unknown, Immigration and Ethnocultural Diversity in Canada, Statistics Canada, Statcan.gc.ca, 2018, https://www12.statcan.gc.ca/nhs-enm/2011/as-sa/99-010-x/99-010-x2011001-eng.cfm.

Skille, Eivind Asrum, Individuality or Cultural Reproduction? Adolescents' Sport Participation in Norway: Alternative versus Conventional Sports, The Norwegian School of Sport Sciences, Sage Publications, 2005.

Fausto, Ariel Manalo, MERGE: The Hybridization of Architecture, Infrastructure, and Landscape, Texas A&M University, MIT Press, 1995.

Unknown, Nuclear Family, Dictonary.com, LLC, 2020, https://www.dictionary.com/browse/nuclear-family?s=t.

Aizlewood, Amanda, Pieter Bevelander and Ravi Pendakur, Recreational Participation among Ethnic Minorities and Immigrants in Canada and the Netherlands, University of Ottawa, UOttawa.ca, Unknown, http://web5.uottawa.ca/www5/pendakur/pdf%20docs/Recreational%20participation%20JIRS.pdf.

Unknown, Leisure-Time Physical Activity, Statistics Canada, Statcan.gc.ca, 2017, https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/82-229-x/2009001/deter/lpa-eng.htm.

Battams, Nathan, Sharing a Roof: Multi-Generational Homes in Canada (2016 Census Update), Vanier Institute, VanierInstitute.ca, 2017, https://vanierinstitute.ca/multigenerational-homes-canada/.

Unknown, Superkilen/Topotek 1 + BIG Architects + Superflex, Arch Daily Archdaily.com, 2012, https://www.archdaily.com/286223/superkilen-topotek-1-big-architects-superflex.

van der Poorten, Kylee, The Geography of Immigrant (Dis)advantage: Future Strategies and Coalition Building for the Settlement Sector, Housing Agencies, and Policymakers, Alberta Association of Immigrant Serving Agencies, 2016.

Jacobs, Jane, Vital Little Plans, edited by Samuel Zipp and Nathan Storring, Toronto, Random House Canada. 2016.

Unknown, What is a Multigenerational Home? HOV Lane, Khov, 2019, https://www.khov.com/blog/what-is-a-multigenerational-home/.

Braden Gray is a designer and sailing coach interested in pushing the boundaries of the apartment and exploring new thinking around the office and recreation. Recently, he's started two small practices: Blend Design, an architectural solutions company, and Weaselhead Sailing, both located in Calgary. 

Guest Editor: Iman Bukhari