Homepage

The Case for the Core

The Case for the Core report presents three possible scenarios for Canada’s downtowns to provoke a sharp re-thinking, spur dialogue and inspire bold action.

Read More

CityTalk Leadership Lecture

The Canadian Urban Institute and its Board of Directors proudly presented the second annual CityTalk Leadership Lecture featuring Rosanne Haggerty.

Learn More

My Main Street

My Main Street is a $23.25-million investment by the Government of Canada through the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario to help drive business to local communities in the aftermath of COVID-19.

Read More

The Canada Healthy Communities Initiative (CHCI)

The Canada Healthy Communities Initiative (CHCI) is a $31 million investment from the Government of Canada to support communities as they adapt spaces and services to respond to needs arising from COVID-19.

Read More

COVID Signpost 365

To mark the one-year anniversary of the WHO’s declaration of the global pandemic the Canadian Urban Institute has released a seminal report that shares new findings drawn from the opinions of 180,000 Canadians about how COVID-19 hit Canada’s largest cities, and how people felt throughout a year unlike any other.

Read the Report

In It Together: Bringing Back Canada's Main Streets

In It Together: Bringing Back Canada’s Main Streets reinforces the value of main streets to cities and communities and assesses how they have been impacted through the COVID-19 public health emergency.

Read The Report

Main Street Design Challenge Playbook

The Design Challenge Playbook reflects the importance of design in revitalizing our streets and showcases creative and practical interventions to help us build back better than ever.

View the submissions

Cities call for united front eliminate homelessness and protect tenants

Convened by CUI and The Shift, the Right to Home Municipal Working Group issues an urgent Call to Action to end homelessness, protect tenants and ensure everyone in Canada has access to a safe, secure, place to call home.

Read the Call to Action

Initiatives

This is an all-hands-on-deck moment, one that calls for us to support our local governments and community agencies, and unleash our collective ingenuity.

Bring Back Main Street

A nationally coordinated research and advocacy campaign about finding the best solutions to ensure our main streets recover from COVID-19 and emerge more resilient than ever
#COVID19 #Downtowns #MainStreets

CityTalk Canada

Candid conversations, analysis, and commentary on the new urban reality under COVID-19
#COVID19

COVID Signpost

The Canadian Urban Institute is conducting cross-Canada research and convening conversations about what’s working, what’s not, and what’s next. These signposts offer important directions for urban Canada about the lingering challenges we must face as a nation.
#COVID19

CityShare Canada

A real-time, crowdsourced platform that houses resources, tools, and stories on how city-builders and residents are responding to COVID-19
#COVID19

CityWatch Canada

An interactive platform that tracks emergency response measures put in place by local governments across Canada, updated daily
#COVID19 #PublicFinance&Governance

CUI x Local

CUI x Local is a series of week-long virtual residencies to learn about local issues facing cities and connect the dots across urban Canada. We’ll be listening to and learning from local stakeholders on their most pressing challenges and surfacing examples of innovative and locally-driven solutions.

Insights & Publications

See All

The Case for the Core

Developed through consultation and research undertaken with leading international urbanists, community leaders and downtown-builders from across the country, the report presents three possible scenarios for Canada’s downtowns to provoke a sharp re-thinking, spur dialogue and inspire bold action. The report makes the case for why downtowns matter, and why the experience of COVID-19 presents a profound, radical opportunity to rethink and remake them.

Disponible en français

Edmonton Activates

Edmonton Activates introduces city builders to the people, place and potential of this city. It reflects some of the best guidance Edmonton can offer to Canadians who are seeking inspiration and new ways of doing things to improve the quality of life in our cities. Here is what we heard.
#COVID19

Calgary Transforms

Calgary Transforms summarizes what Calgarians told us is happening in their city today. We heard diverse perspectives on what it’s like to live there, what people are concerned about, how they view the city and its organizations and how many are coping with and driving positive change. People from the arts, academia, business and industry, community agencies and many other sectors told us what they see as their successes, where they think needs more work and what their hopes are for a post-pandemic future.
#COVID19

Events

See All

October 20, 2021

(11:00-12:30pm PT) Missing Middle Housing and Inclusive Climate Friendly Neighbourhoods
This workshop session explores key initiatives the City of Victoria is currently working on to create more inclusive, climate friendly neighbourhoods and a zero waste city. From creating missing middle housing, to the evolution of equitable and sustainable neighbourhoods, to on-the-ground tactics for a zero-waste community, join City staff and your neighbours to learn more about these initiatives and about how to get involved in helping to create a sustainable inclusive city for everyone. 
Register Here

October 20, 2021

(9:00-10:30am PT) Our Shared Future: Reflections from Youth – Calls to Action
Youth from the Victoria BC community will be attending many of the CUIxVictoria events. They’ll be meeting in a youth-only session on Tuesday evening, reflecting on the content of CUIxVictoria from a youth perspective and developing calls for action that different stakeholders can take to respond to issues of concern and interest to youth. All registrants of all sessions are encouraged to attend this panel to take direction from youth as to the most vital conversations and most vital actions for our shared future.
Register Here

October 20, 2021

(10:00-12:30pm PT) Lekwungen Walking Tour
Join Mark Albany, a member of the Songhees Nation, to understand downtown Victoria from a Lekwungen point of view. This is an opportunity to learn about important Lekwungen sites and cultural practices and of the history of displacement of Indigenous peoples that made space for the creation of the City of Victoria.   
Register Here

CUI is Canada’s Urban Institute

The Canadian Urban Institute is the national platform that houses the best in Canadian city building – where policymakers, urban professionals, civic and business leaders, community activists and academics can learn, share and collaborate with one another from coast to coast to coast. Through research, engagement and storytelling, our mission is to ensure Canada builds vibrant, equitable, livable and resilient cities. (Registered charity #121844419 RR000)
Read More