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What's in Store for the Cores: The Future of Canadian Downtowns & Central Business Districts

Join us on March 4th for a one-day virtual gathering of national and international leaders across industries, communities, and government to discuss the most pressing challenges facing our country’s downtowns.

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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.

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COVID Signpost: 300 Days

The Canadian Urban Institute (CUI) continues to track the impacts of COVID-19 on Canadian cities, with a third Signpost report that signals a growing disconnect between virus-related research and recovery response.

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.

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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

CityTalk Leadership Lecture

To mark CUI’s 30th anniversary, the Canadian Urban Institute and its Board of Directors are proud to present the first annual CityTalk Leadership Lecture featuring Dan Hill.

Revisit the lecture

A Call to Courage: An Open Letter to Canadian Urbanists

Jay Pitter, award-winning placemaker and CUI Senior Fellow, Equity-Based Placemaking, releases an open letter to Canadian urbanists with a toolkit of resources for responding to anti-Black racism in urbanist practices and conversations

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The Case for a Canadian Urban Policy Observatory

Research recommending the development of a “one-stop-shop” housing the best quantitative and qualitative data on Canada’s cities

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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 #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

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January 5

COVID Signpost: 300 Days

The Canadian Urban Institute (CUI) continues to track the impacts of COVID-19 on Canadian cities, with a third Signpost report that signals a growing disconnect between virus-related research and recovery response.
#COVID19

In It Together: Bringing Back Canada's Main Streets

A new report from the Canadian Urban Institute (CUI) with partners across the country urgently shines a light on the impacts of COVID-19 on main streets in Canada, and offers dozens of actions for governments, business and community leaders to strengthen local economies, neighborhoods and communities.
#Architecture&UrbanDesign #COVID19 #Downtowns&MainStreets #MainStreets
Read The Report

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.

Events

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Coming Up: March 4

Why Downtowns and Central Business Districts Matter
How are Canada’s downtowns important to the Canadian economy? What are the global trends in commercial real estate, retail, and expected recovery investment? What impacts can we expect on Canada’s downtowns? Sign up for our opening panel to find out more!
#Downtowns&MainStreets
Register Here

Coming Up: March 4

The Future of Downtowns and Central Business Districts around the world
How are other international cities rethinking and remaking their downtowns? Sign up for our CityTalk to find out more!
#Downtowns&MainStreets
Register Here

Coming Up: March 4

Provocations on the Future of Downtowns: what’s possible?
What might downtowns look like in the future?  What are the possibilities for new ideas and approaches? Sign up for our lightning round provocation session to find out more!
#Downtowns&MainStreets
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)
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