Surrey CityLab

What is CityLab?

Can our public university be part of the solution to providing more affordable housing in Metro Vancouver? Can Kwantlen devise novel design approaches that address cross-curring energy, biodiversity and climate change issues? Can KPU campuses better connect with local communities, including Indigenous hosts? 

This past Summer 2021 our six Policy Studies/POST2140 student teams (each with 3-5 students) have been actively working on preliminary thought experiments and provactions that focus on housing, greening, and mobility projects on or near KPU Campuses. Students have dovetailed these ideas with the recently approved KPU2050 Official Campus Plan. This Friday's POST 2140 Summer Showcase will provide you with a sampling of these amazingly diverse physical and polcy designs. 

On behalf of the students of KPU CityLab/POST 2140 -- "Redesigning the Post-Pandemic University" -- we would like to invite you to our online Student Summer Showcase on Friday, August 13th, 1300-1500 PT. To get a personal invitation to this online event, please drop an email to our course SLA, Dominic McLean. Thank you for spreading thw word!

POST 2140 Summer Showcase

How CityLab Connects with the City of Surrey and SFU

Working together to build a better community

Surrey CityLab is an innovative partnership between the City of Surrey, SFU and KPU. Students, City staff, faculty and the community co-create solutions to make Surrey more liveable, sustainable and engaged.

KPU and SFU CityLab courses focus on City of Surrey priorities, and students engage in experimental projects that benefit Surrey's diverse communities.

The Surrey CityLab joins a global network of cities adopting university partnerships to advance community priorities.

Read more about this exciting partnership here.

KPU CityLab Courses

Cohort courses work to advance the City of Surrey’s Sustainability Charter and/or the Newton Sustainability in Action Plan. Cohort courses may be 6 credits (6 class hours/week) or 3 credits (3 class hours/week). 

Past cohort courses include:  

Summer 2020: POST 2150 CityLab6, Cultivating [Virtual] Community (Surrey) 

Spring 2019: POST 2150, CityLab6, Cultivating Community (Surrey Newton) 

Summer 2019: POST 2140, CityLab3 Rethinking Community (KPU Surrey Campus) 

Spring 2019: POST 2900 Urban Projects (Surrey Newton) 

Fall 2018: POST 2900 Public Placemaking (Surrey Newton) 

Affiliated courses work on specific projects with City of Surrey staff, or engage with the City during field trips. Project work may comprise part or all of the term’s coursework. Past affiliated courses include: 

Spring 2020: POST 3110 & POST 4900 Responding to the Climate Emergency 

Fall 2019: GEOG 2250 The City 

Fall 2019: POST 3110 & POST 4900 Surrey’s Biodiversity Strategy 

How are CityLab courses different?

In CityLab, the community becomes the classroom. Assignments are hands-on, real world projects. Students explore Surrey, and design ways to make the community a better place to live.

Why should I take CityLab courses?

In CityLab, you will:

  • build strong relationships with faculty and other students
  • work and network with the staff at the City of Surrey
  • develop skills to work effectively in teams
  • co-design solutions to real community issues
  • showcase your work at City Hall or in the community
     

Join the CityLab community!

POST Citylab