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The practice of taiji quan, with its martial aspect of hand thrusting (tuishou in Chinese), relatively uncommon in Europe, is very often the pretext for the dissemination of emphatic discourses that are part of Chinese soft power. In this article, we'll be showing how taiji quan's rural origins diverged sharply from its 19th-century recovery by Chinese scholars. Even then, theoretical discourses took precedence over practice, defining an imaginary master shaped by the context of the existential crisis that China underwent in the 19th and 20th centuries. When taiji quan spread to the West from the 1960s onwards, these fantasies were taken up by the small world of sinologists. We observe with interest the different research cultures between the rather pragmatic Anglo-Saxon world and the infatuation of some French-speaking intellectuals with the theorization of the field, in particular its highly controversial association with Taoism, shamanism or internal alchemy. In the final section, we'll try to show that the general public of practitioners acts as a sounding board for these fantasized discourses, to the point of ignoring the martial origins of taiji quan to make it a discipline essentially associated with well-being and spiritual fulfillment. Whatever these terms may mean on an individual level, we are witnessing the emergence of a religious-type discourse based on a culturally hybrid representation of the body. The Chinese master has become its epitome.

Keywords: taiji quan, taiji quan, master, maître, tuishou, tuishou, art martial, martial art, pouvoirs extraordinaires, extraordinary powers, fantasme, fantasy, bricolage spirituel, spiritual DIY

Digitally mediated participation in planning processes has grown significantly. In an emergent digital turn for participatory planning scholarship, there is a growing body of research attempting to trace this growth and grapple with its implications. This paper explores how planning scholars and practitioners can deepen their critical stance toward digital modes of participatory planning. In Canada, this approach becomes especially important given the recent and widespread adoption of a specific digital platform type used to support participatory decision-making at the municipal level. Across the country, many towns and cities have embraced what I call Dedicated Digital Engagement Platforms (DDEPs). Despite their growing influence, these platforms for community involvement have not been previously quantified at a nation-wide level, nor thoroughly examined in planning scholarship. New evidence presented here defines DDEPs and documents the extent of their use by local and regional municipalities across Canada. In light of the growing prominence of these platforms, this article then provides the foundation for a more critical digital participation research agenda that draws on important debates in wider planning theory regarding democratic decision-making, the commercialization of deliberative democracy, and the platformization of public participation.

Keywords: participation du public, public participation, engagement numérique, digital engagement, plateformisation, platformization, aménagement municipal, municipal planning

The widespread adoption of mobile phone and other location-tracking devices, and the enormous amounts of data they produce, has provided municipalities with the opportunity to automate previously time-consuming and labour-intensive data collection processes. Municipal planners, in particular, have begun to integrate the aggregated data sets of private urban technology platforms into active transportation and broader infrastructure planning initiatives. To date, however, there has been limited research on the implications of this integration for municipal decision-making and governance processes. Using the Strava Metro data stream and its free-access model as a case study, this paper explores both the motivations behind municipal adoption of the Strava platform and the benefits that accrue from its usage. Through the application of a mixed methods approach, including the building of a use case database via a search of internet and academic literature sources and qualitative interviews with municipal planning staff, our research examines how Strava data is used to support the work of municipal planners and evaluates the strengths and weaknesses of that use. Our study finds that Strava Metro data aided municipal staff in the planning of cycling and pedestrian infrastructure, complementing available in-house data sets; helped spur new active transportation initiatives; and enabled innovation and professional curiosity on the part of planners. The paper concludes by exploring the ramifications of Strava data for community wellness and broader public realm improvements, as well as extending a discussion with respect to the platform’s sociodemographic representativeness and related limitations.

Keywords: Données, Data, plateformisation, platformization, évolution de la technologie, evolving technology, Strava, Strava

One of the many impacts of the Covid pandemic on Canadian cities was the complete collapse of short-term rental (STR) markets, as long-distance travel nearly vanished for more than a year. Many dedicated STRs shifted back to the long-term rental market, but others remained on STR platforms such as Airbnb but with minimum stays of one month or more—a land use we describe as “medium-term rentals” (MTRs). This paper provides a planning analysis of online-platform-mediated MTRs in Canadian cities and their housing-market, land-use, and regulatory implications. First, we identify and explore the regulatory grey zone inhabited by MTRs, which appear to be neither standard residential tenancies nor short-term tourist accommodations. Second, the paper provides a brief empirical overview of the emergence of MTRs during and after the Covid pandemic in Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver. Third, the paper uses a policy case study of situations in which Ontario’s Landlord and Tenant Board has been asked to adjudicate non-standard tenancies to establish whether there is a planning basis for distinguishing medium-term rentals from other tenancy types. The paper concludes by identifying a key planning principle which could allow Canadian municipalities to pull MTRs out of the regulatory grey zone: regulating type of stay instead of length of stay.

Keywords: logement, Housing, location à moyen terme, mediumterm rentals, réforme politique, policy reform, COVID-19, COVID-19, type de séjour, stay type

In the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, dozens of travel narratives about Iceland appeared in the United States. The majority of these were written by and for men and women of the wealthier, upper class, as those were the only Americans who could afford to make the long journey to Iceland. However, as the costs of steamship travel became more affordable, a more economically diverse collection of American tourists began visiting Iceland. In many cases, middle-class American women would journey to Iceland and then share their experiences by giving lectures and talks in social clubs, writing articles in more female-focused periodicals like Ladies’ Home Companion, or to giving interviews in their hometown newspapers. In this paper, I will explore the “feminine” space of the social club and the role it played in the perception of Iceland among middle class American women.

Keywords: gender, travel writing, Iceland, Iceland tourism, feminism

The Embodiment Lab, rooted in critical human geography, is grounded in embodiment, belonging, mentorship, care, and temporal dynamics to challenge norms in the neoliberal university. We argue that the Lab serves as a counter-practice within the academy by prioritizing our individual and collective well-being over productivity metrics. Weekly practices cultivate radical vulnerability, creating a foundation for a caring environment. Delving into multifaceted spatial dimensions our experiences suggest that the Lab becomes a living example of a feminist ethic of care. Belonging emerges as an antidote to the exclusions ingrained in academic spaces. The Lab empowers its scholars to challenge uneven power dynamics, fostering inclusion where diverse voices are heard. The Lab's emphasis on collective action and intentional processes of growth contrasts with a conventional fast, metric-driven tempo. In this paper, we offer a model to center care in lab spaces by reflecting on our own experiences in a space that values scholars as whole individuals rather than vessels of productivity. We illustrate the reflexive character of the Lab, acknowledging its adaptability and dynamism over time. Rejecting the neoliberal norms that too often dictate research spaces, the Lab exemplifies the messy and ongoing process of creating care-full academic spaces.

Keywords: embodiment, belonging, care, mentoring, time, feminism, lab