U of T alumni and friends are invited to a thought-provoking talk by

Professor Deborah Cowen
Department of Geography & Planning, Faculty of Arts and Science
University of Toronto

In a country where the official narrative recognizes Canada's genesis, both materially and symbolically, in the driving of the railroad's last spike, it should hardly be controversial to insist that infrastructure is at the centre of political life. Yet buried in this claim is a more contentious question about how infrastructure binds us together.

How does infrastructure both connect and divide people and places? Whose lives are enabled by infrastructure, and whose are curtailed? In this talk, Prof. Cowen will explore infrastructure networks across spaces, tracking back and forth in time to scenes of colonial expansion, labour struggle and domestic warfare. She will also examine contemporary infrastructure expansion and investment, and how this plays a role in crafting political community. Finally, she will reflect on the myriad voices that insist on the unevenness of infrastructure in shaping individual and collective lives that will point us toward more sustainable, just and creative futures.

Prof. Cowen's presentation is part of an ongoing series of compelling lectures for alumni, hosted at venues across the GTA. U of T in Your Neighbourhood brings the University right into your community. Stay informed, inspired and connected, because together we are boundless.