University of Waterloo School of Planning + studioDEEP

SPRING SCHOOL
2026

Spatial Planning

Made in Canada    April 27May 1


Registration Closed

In Spring 2026, students at the University of Waterloo School of Planning are partnering with studioDEEP for a five-day immersive programme on Spatial Planning and its contextualization in the Waterloo Region. The inaugural Spring School will bring Planning and Architecture students together on Main Campus.


LEARNING



Aerial view of University Avenue and Weber Street, Waterloo, Ontario, 1994. Waterloo Public Library, Local History Slide Collection.




About


This interdisciplinary Spring School is designed for students from both the University of Waterloo School of Planning and the School of Architecture eager to learn about and experiment Spatial Planning, uniquely tailored to the Canadian context.
This course challenges the traditional, siloed approach to urban planning and the fragmentation of knowledge production by treating the city as a dynamic, interconnected system rather than a collection of rigid, isolated sites governed by formal policy frameworks. Guided by the tutors and invited experts from the industry and public sector, the Spring School participants will engage with the Spatial Planning approach by studioDEEP: a holistic, forward-looking, cross-scale, and data-informed practice that links architecture, urban design, and planning policy.

In Europe — particularly in the Netherlands, Germany, and Switzerland — Spatial Planning is at the heart of how some of the most desirable and well-functioning communities have been developed. Projects like Schinkelkwartier in Amsterdam, Rosenstein District in Stuttgart, and Hunziker Areal in Zürich demonstrate how this approach efficiently brings together diverse voices, strategic economic interests, and place-specific knowledge early in the development process, enabling more adaptive, resilient, and livable neighbourhoods.

2050 Vision: Built Form Concept
Nieuwe Meer Innovation District Masterplan
Image of the Future: Birds-Eye View with Key Redevelopment Areas 
Urban Design Principles for the Riekerpark

Eye-Level Vision for the Schinkelhaven Harbour Area

Source: Municipality of Amsterdam. (2021). Projectnota Schinkelkwartier. https://openresearch.amsterdam/image/2022/1/10/projectnota_schinkelkwartier.pdf



In Ontario, current land-use planning is typically rigid, declarative, and reactionary, focusing on high-level and siloed policy objectives rather than cohesive, forward-thinking strategies. These plans often fail to provide a Spatial Development Vision—one that translates community’s aspirations into concrete, financially feasible, and site-specific realities. This lack of integration leads to systemic inefficiencies and missed opportunities for truly impactful urban development.

Together with the Spring School participants and invited experts, we will explore the city spatially, through the complexity of real-world practices of moving, living, and connecting with different places within and beyond administrative borders. As both a technical and political process, the Spatial Planning approach will inform the elaboration of speculative yet pragmatic future visions for the selected case in the Waterloo Region. By deploying a research-based design approach and visual storytelling techniques, participants will learn how to effectively translate their findings and urban transformation concepts into effective, persuasive, and inclusive spatial development strategies.

City-wide Spatial Development Vision (SDV)
Spatial Development Vision for the Mixed-Use Character Area
Emerging Built Environment (Eye-level SDV)
Emerging Built Environment (Eye-level SDV)

Source: studioDEEP (2025). East-End Danforth Vision - 143 Main St, Toronto (Ontario, Canada).
https://studiodeep.ca/project/east-end-danforth-vision-143-main/

Collaborators


Vladyslav Tyminskyi, Lead
studioDEEP
Designer and Spatial Planner
PhD Candidate
Oliver Frayne, Lead
University of Waterloo, Planning
PhD Student
Kregg Fordyce
studioDEEP
Founder, Architect and Planner
Max Kerrigan
City of Waterloo
Senior Urban Designer and Planner
Tristin Deveau
City of Waterloo
Senior Policy Planner
Stefano Pujatti
ELASTICOFarm
Founder, Architect
Lukas Vajda
PUBLIC WORK, Designer
Dr. Mark Seasons
 University of Waterloo, Planning
Director
TBC
Other Guests

Learning Objectives

1    Familiarisation w/ Spatial Planning as a Techo-Political Practice
2    Acquiring Research-based Design Skills & Techniques
3    Gaining Immersive Experience in Multi-stakeholder Collaboration
4    Acquiring Practical Knowledge in Interdisciplinary Teamwork



Learning Outcomes

1    Understanding of Spatial Planning & Its Applicability in Canada
2    Ability to Analyse & Spatially Translate Planning Policies  
3    Ability to Reveal & Map Diverse Networks of Urban Actors
4    Ability to Deploy Visual Storytelling Techniques for Speculative Design

Itinerary



StudioThis year, Spring School will be held in the Planning Studio in Environment 3, Main Campus. Home to the School of Planning Urban Design specialization at the University of Waterloo, this is where we will begin and end our days.

Environment 3, the University of Waterloo Main Campus. Photo from https://viracon.com/project/environmental-3-ev3-university-of-waterloo/


For more information on how to get here and get around the building, please visit: Getting Around

SiteThis year, we are partnering with planners at the City of Waterloo to a section of the University Avenue spine that runs between Seagram Drive and Weber Street, in Waterloo. An important artery, this corridor is home to a complicated diversity of land uses, users, acitivities, and spatial conditions. This spine is overlayed and shaped by a series of planning, design, and engineering policies which add to the analytical complexity for Spring School. Finally, the University spine is an opportunity to explore the multi-scalar relationships of Spatial Planning, and for students to document formal and informal urban phenomena that can inform imaginative speculation.



FAQ Who can apply to be part of Spring School 2026? 
Spring School is open to upper year undergraduate and graduate students at the University of Waterloo in Planning and Architecture.


Does this course count as an elective? 
No. This five-day intensive program does not count as a formal elective, nor does it count towards degree credits.

You will however receive a certificate of completion at the end of the program - and hopefully what you learn is valuable to your future studies and career!


How much does it cost?
Spring School 2026 is free for all students who participate. There is no cost for students.

In the shared interest of partnering together for a better built environment, we encourage any institutions to offer what they can: a classroom space and/or your professional insights can go a long way! Help is always appreciated.








Contact

Registration Closed



We have reached capacity with our registrations and are shortly sending out confirmation to our participants.

If you weren’t able to join us this year, stay tuned for another iteration or similar events in the future!

We’re really looking forward to working together!