While the government views Nunavik's energy transition from the perspective of the environment and energy demand (Paquet 2021), this essay proposes to frame it from the perspective of urban design adapted to Inuit culture and urban contexts. Two approaches are considered: while one borrows from the concept of "Arctic Indigenous Urbanism", the other draws on the principles of microclimatic planning.
First, in order to explore the values underlying the principles of Inuit urbanism, the living environment must be understood through Inuit's strong relationship with the Land, thereby as a planned, a social and a natural territory. Second, microclimatic planning pays attention to the relationship between climate and the forms taken by the built environment. In other words, the principles of Northern microclimatic design are based on the opportunities and challenges to create a more suitable living environment in/for the North.
The essay identifies useful principles for microclimatic village design in Nunavik in order to sustain a transition towards sustainable energy sources / use, drawing on the three territorial dimensions of Arctic Indigenous Urbanism.
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