Democratizing Access to Water
Everyone is thirsty
Everyone needs to be able to wash
Everyone needs to use the toilet
Everyone needs to cool off
Architecture Without Borders Québec, with the support of the Bureau du design de la Ville de Montréal and the Government of Québec, is launching its first interuniversity community charrette. Designed outside a competitive framework, this initiative is grounded in a community-based, intersectional, and inclusive approach.
Participants and contributors will work closely together using co-creation methodologies, focusing on a central theme: the democratization of water use in Montreal.
The goal is to ensure access to water for everyone in public spaces: drinking, cooling off, personal hygiene, or washing clothes. Beyond basic functionality, this project places well-being, dignity, and public health at the heart of its reflection. By considering water as a common good, this charrette aims to promote social inclusion through design, responding to a “thirst for” change and equity.
Apply now
To learn more, you may download the participant toolkit (final version to be reseased in May).
Why participate?
- Engage and collaborate in a community project rooted in the city and its social realities
- Contribute your own expertise and ideas to a collective reflection
- Experiment with co-creation methods alongside people with diverse expertise and backgrounds
- Experience interdisciplinary collaboration in design
- Get involved in, discover, and deepen social design approaches
- Meet and exchange (build your network) with peers, planning professionals, community stakeholders, and researchers
Participation terms
- Receive a $300 stipend upon completion of the collaborative process
- Commit to attending three full in-person days of the community charrette
Charrette values
- Contribute to a horizontal process where ideas emerge collectively
- Recognize and value all forms of expertise (experiential, professional, etc.) equally
- Foster respectful, attentive, and open exchanges embracing diverse perspectives
*Organizers reserve the right to form teams to ensure a diversity of expertise.
Eligibility criteria
- Be eligible to work in Canada
- Be enrolled at UQAM, Université de Montréal, or McGill University
- Be a master’s or DESS student in a design or planning-related field
This charrette will bring together 12 to 15 students from:
- UQAM: School of Design
- McGill University: School of Urban Planning and School of Architecture
- Université de Montréal: Faculty of Planning
Key dates
March 31
launch of the call and registration opening
March 31 to April 30
online registration
Early May
notification of selected participants
May 20–22
charrette (3 days of collaborative team work)
This project is made possible through financial support from the Government of Quebec and the City of Montreal as part of the Montreal Cultural Development Agreement.
Who is involved?