A team of researchers from UdeM’s Faculty of Environmental Design has received the award for Best Paper at the international Scan24 conference. Co-authored by Dr. Toumadher Ammar, Dr. Hugo Bérard, Rashid Mushkani, Sarah Tannir, and Dr. Shin Koseki, the paper presents the results of the “AI EDI Public Space” project, which assesses the qualities of Montreal’s public spaces using responsible and inclusive AI algorithms. The Scan24 conference took place from November 6 to 8 in Tunisia, and gathered worldwide French-speaking researchers to explore new digital tools for the construction and the urban planning domains.
Developed at the UNESCO Chair in Urban Landscape and led by Shin Koseki, the project proposes an original approach to developing local AI systems that respond to issues of social injustice and public space accessibility. Individuals coming from various marginalized groups, such as women, seniors, people with disabilities, members of the LGBTQIIA+ communities, as well as cultural or ethnic minorities; actively participated in the production of the AI algorithms. These algorithms, currently under development, aim to improve our understanding of how public spaces can either exacerbate or mitigate against social inequalities. They also help in better designing inclusive public spaces that accommodate for social diversity. In addition to researchers and citizens, several Montreal-based organizations contributed to the project, including Sid Lee Architecture, l’Enclume, Dark Matter Lab, and the Canadian Coalition of Inclusive Municipalities. In its first development phase, the project received support from Quebec’s Ministry of Economy, Innovation, and Energy, IVADO, and the University of Montreal. The project team is currently seeking new financial partners to continue its development.
For the full article here (FR): https://www.shs-conferences.org/articles/shsconf/pdf/2024/23/shsconf_scan24_01005.pdf