Johanne Brochu

Johanne Brochu holds a Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Design from the University of Quebec in Montreal and a Master’s degree in Specialized Urban Planning in Urban Design from the Institute of Urban Design at the University of Montreal. In 2011, she defended her doctoral thesis at the faculty of Environmental Design at the University of Montreal, which analyzes the relationship between heritage conservation and urban planning, and which was declared one of the best in its field.

Her research interests are centred on the relationship between theory and practice of urban planning, and between conceptual frameworks and project development. More specifically, her research is aimed at better understanding the specificity of urban planning as a discipline and as a practice project, which revolves around three main areas:
1) Critical analysis of conceptual trends in modern urban planning.
2) Morphological analysis approaches and their contribution to the conception of development projects in general and urban planning in particular.
3) The requirements and implications of projects conducted, to which we generally refer by the theories of the project.

The role of sensitive and aesthetic dimensions is the subject of special attention in managing existing and urban heritage, and in adapting urban practices. It is for this reason she has obtained a research grant, a research-creation component of Laval University, for a project on exploration reports as a red line for aesthetic experiences in urban planning. In addition to her academic activities, she also participates in projects for developing designs on different levels.

On par with her teaching in ESAD, in addition to her courses on urban planning, Johanne Brochu created the popular Perspecto magazine, which highlights students’ work.