Heather Braiden

Heather Braiden is an Assistant Professor at the University of Montreal's Faculty of Planning, School of Urban Planning and Landscape Architecture, having joined the institution in 2021. Her academic journey spans practical landscape architecture experience and rigorous scholarly research, with a focus on the complex relationships between natural phenomena and human interventions in shaping landscapes.

Professor Braiden's research interests center on urban landscapes, natural environments, industrial heritage, and climate change adaptation. She has particular expertise in post-industrial sites, contaminated areas, and the historical relationship between ice movement along the St. Lawrence River and the development of communities and built environments. Her work bridges historical analysis with contemporary sustainability challenges, examining how past infrastructure projects can inform current approaches to ecological restoration and green infrastructure.

Her recent publications demonstrate a consistent focus on post-industrial landscapes, river systems, and the intersection of historical infrastructure with contemporary environmental challenges. These works collectively reveal her commitment to understanding how landscapes evolve through both natural processes and human interventions, with special attention to the Canadian context.

• Member of the jury for the Frederick Gage Todd National Grant from the Canadian Landscape Architecture Foundation (LACF/FAPC), 2021
• Completed First Nations Principles of OCAP (ownership, control, access, possession) Fundamentals Training

Professor Braiden actively supervises graduate students across multiple programs and leads several significant research projects funded by SSHRC and the Canadian Landscape Architecture Foundation. She co-founded the national 'Land│Terre Design' research network, which promotes research focused on landscape architecture in relation to climate change, Indigenous issues, and industrial heritage. Her teaching spans numerous programs including the Bachelor's in Landscape Architecture and multiple Master's options in Planning, Urban Design, and Environmental Sustainability.

Her research lab focuses on examining how natural phenomena interact with human interventions to shape landscapes, with particular attention to ice movement along rivers, post-industrial sites, and infrastructure development. She leads projects that address decolonizing infrastructure perspectives, climate-positive design frameworks, and the application of artificial intelligence in landscape architecture design processes.