Professor Roger Picton

B.A. (Honours), Trent University
M.A., Carleton University
Ph. D., University of Toronto

Research and Teaching Interests

Roger is interested in the everyday life of urban spaces and the contradictions embedded within urban environments. As an urban geographer, his research is oriented around questions of urban governance and the production of nature in small and mid-size cities. He is also fascinated by post-war urban planning and the connections between nature, ideology, power, and politics. Using the historical and geographical development of cities as an entry point, he is currently working on these research projects: URBAN GOVERNANCE AND POLITICAL ECOLOGY (The socio-natural dimensions post-war urban renewal and urban governance in Ottawa and Marseille (1940-1970), and recent contemporary dimensions in central city redevelopment in Ottawa; The historical development and recent privatization of Winnipeg’s aqueduct and local water services); ENTREPRENEURIAL CULTURE (The role of community-based organizations in promoting ‘entrepreneurial’ economic development in Franco-Manitoban communities). Roger teaches courses in urban geography, economic geography, urban planning, and the urban-rural fringe.

Selected Publications

Picton, R (2010) “Selling National Urban Renewal: The National Film Board, the National Capital Commission and Postwar Planning in Ottawa, Canada”, Urban History, 37, 2.