معرفی
Jonathan Cha is a doctoral student at the University of Quebec in Montreal (UQAM) in a joint program with the National Institute of Scientific Research – Urbanization, Culture and Society, and co-supervised by the Paris Institute of Urban Planning. He is affiliated with the Heritage Institute, the Canada Research Chair in Urban Heritage, and the Interuniversity Centre for Studies on Letters, Arts and Traditions (CÉLAT). As a certified landscape architect and member of the Association of Landscape Architects of Quebec (AAPQ), he serves as a practical training instructor and lecturer at UQAM's Department of Urban Studies and School of Design, as well as the Faculty of Planning at the University of Montreal, where he has taught since 2003.
- PhD in Urban Studies (UQAM/INRS), thesis: Montreal's Victorian Squares: An Urban and Landscape Figure Witnessing the Aspirations of an Emerging Society and Metropolis (1801-1914)
- Master’s in Urban Studies (UQAM/INRS) with focus on religious heritage conservation in Montreal's Rosemont–La Petite-Patrie borough
Cha specializes in urban heritage analysis, particularly the forms and meanings of public spaces, religious architecture, and their role in shaping metropolitan identity. His research integrates historical practices, urban morphology, and cultural landscapes, with applications in heritage conservation and urban design. He has consulted for the City of Montreal and development firms, contributing to design criteria and urban planning initiatives.
His work spans architecture, landscape theory, and urban history, with publications in journals like ARQ, Teoros, and Architecture Canada. He has presented at conferences in North America and Europe, addressing themes such as ethnic landscapes, deindustrialization, and the symbolic representation of heritage. As a member of the editorial board of ARQ, he edited issues on landscape architecture and childhood spaces.
