Black Public Joy Special Literary and Cultural Gathering with Jay Pitter
2026, Community Building, Equity + Justice, Education + Research
Sponsored by the David and Cecilia Ting Endowment
Black Public Joy book launch and reading is a special literary and cultural gathering featuring a live reading from Jay Pitter’s new book, followed by an audience Q&A. Using Jay Pitter’s public joy framework, which she defines as civic, cultural, and spatial infrastructure, the conversation will expand to include the place-based perspectives of Indigenous planner Jessie Hemphill. A special moment of honour will be held to recognize a local elder featured in the book, grounding the gathering in lineage, legacy, and intergenerational connection.
Extending beyond a traditional book event, the gathering, moderated by Aftab Erfan, is designed as a sacred storytelling space—anchored in culture, conversation, and connection—with a reception, music, and a live hair braiding ritual that honours the embodied, communal, and intergenerational dimensions of public joy.
Copies of Black Public Joy will be available for sale at this event thanks to Iron Dog Books, and Jay will be signing books during the reception. If you'd like to purchase a copy in advance, check out a local bookstore such as Iron Dog or Massy Books!
About the Book
Black Public Joy explores Black people’s public joy histories, sacred rituals, movements, and contemporary expressions—while positioning public joy as civic, cultural, and spatial infrastructure.
This event is sponsored by the David and Cecilia Ting Endowment and co-presented by SFU Public Square and the SFU Centre for Dialogue. It is part of the second offering of When the Map is Useless: Conversations for a World in Transition series — a multi-year series that convenes SFU and the broader community to strengthen public sense-making and civic discourse during a time of profound social, political, and ecological change. This initiative is supported in part by the North Family Foundation.
Doors Open: 6:00pm
Event: 6:30-9:30pm
The Djavad Mowafaghian World Art Centre,
SFU Goldcorp Centre for the Arts
149 West Hastings Street
Vancouver, BC V6B 1H4
On this page
When the Map Is Useless is a multi-year initiative that brings SFU and the wider community together to strengthen public sense-making and civic discourse in a time of profound social, political, and ecological transition.
When familiar frameworks no longer hold, this work invites us to think—and live—beyond easy answers. It centers on cultivating the capacities that matter most in conditions of uncertainty: engaging across difference to make sense of what is unfolding, adapting personal and collective leadership to meet the moment, and reclaiming shared decision-making even amid polarization. Through spaces for dialogue, reflection, and practice, the program works to renew the civic relationships we need to find our way forward.
Speakers
Jay Pitter
Jay Pitter, MES, is an award-winning public space practitioner and thinker whose work spans more than 25 North American cities. Named among Planetizen’s 100 Most Influential Urbanists and featured by outlets including the BBC, Los Angeles Times and Canadian Architect, Jay is known for shaping more joyful and democratic public spaces. She advances this goal through cultural planning, policy frameworks, site audits, and civic and institutional engagements for municipalities, corporations, and institutions such as UN Women.
As an urban planning adjunct professor and lecturer, she has developed courses and engaged students at numerous universities, including Princeton, Cornell, and Harvard. She is the co-editor of Subdivided, a city-building anthology, author of Black Public Joy, and creator of the Public Joy Framework. Her recognitions include the Heritage Toronto Award for developing the city’s first cultural district plan, serving as the John Bousfield Distinguished Visitor in Planning at the University of Toronto (2019–2020), and being shortlisted for the Margolese National Design for Living Prize.
Beyond her professional accomplishments and roles, Jay is passionate about inspiring communities to be stewards of one another’s joy—nurturing more prosperous, healthy, and connected communities during these divided times.
Jessie Hemphill (Tlali'ila'ogwala)
Jay Pitter, MES, is an award-winning public space practitioner and thinker whose work spans more than 25 North American cities. Named among Planetizen’s 100 Most Influential Urbanists and featured by outlets including the BBC, Los Angeles Times and Canadian Architect, Jay is known for shaping more joyful and democratic public spaces. She advances this goal through cultural planning, policy frameworks, site audits, and civic and institutional engagements for municipalities, corporations, and institutions such as UN Women.
As an urban planning adjunct professor and lecturer, she has developed courses and engaged students at numerous universities, including Princeton, Cornell, and Harvard. She is the co-editor of Subdivided, a city-building anthology, author of Black Public Joy, and creator of the Public Joy Framework. Her recognitions include the Heritage Toronto Award for developing the city’s first cultural district plan, serving as the John Bousfield Distinguished Visitor in Planning at the University of Toronto (2019–2020), and being shortlisted for the Margolese National Design for Living Prize.
Beyond her professional accomplishments and roles, Jay is passionate about inspiring communities to be stewards of one another’s joy—nurturing more prosperous, healthy, and connected communities during these divided times.
Moderator
Aftab Erfan
Dr. Aftab Erfan (she/her) is Executive Director of SFU Centre for Dialogue and Associate Member at SFU School of Public Policy. Previously, she served as the City of Vancouver’s inaugural Chief Equity Officer, and Director of Dialogue and Conflict Engagement at UBC. She holds a PhD in planning from UBC, a Masters in planning from McGill University, and a BSc in environmental sciences from UBC.
Aftab has extensive experience as a process designer and facilitator, specializing in hosting dialogues on contentious issues with warmth and creativity. Her experience spans 15 years and five continents. She holds numerous honours, including BC500 most influential business leaders in BC (Business in Vancouver), Research for a Better Life: The Storytellers Challenge (Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council), and Best Published Paper Award Shortlist (Association of European Schools of Planning).