Homepage

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.

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

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

Read More

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

Read More

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

See All

COVID Signpost: 200 Days

Research on the impacts of COVID-19 on Canadian cities over the first 200 days of the crisis shows that our experiences with the pandemic have depended largely on who we are, and where we live.
#COVID19

COVID Signpost: Regional Perspectives

As we pass the 200th day of COVID-19, seven Regional Perspectives dive deeper into trends and changes in different parts of the country, and what it means as we look ahead in a time of uncertainty and anxiety, but also of collective purpose in urban Canada.
#COVID19

A Call to Courage: An Open Letter to Canadian Urbanists

Jay Pitter, award-winning placemaker and CUI Senior Fellow, Equity-Based Placemaking, releases A Call to Courage: An Open Letter to Canadian Urbanists, with a toolkit of resources for responding to anti-Black racism in urbanist practices and conversations.

Events

See All

December 11, 2020

CityTalk In Residence: How are Community Leaders Inspiring Change in Mohkínstsis (Calgary)?
Joining CUI host Mary Rowe for our next session “CityTalk In Residence: How are Community Leaders Inspiring Change in Mohkínstsis (Calgary)?” are Beth Gignac, Chief Operating Office of Calgary and Area United Way; Jason Ribeiro, Director of Strategy of Calgary Economic Development; Patti Pon, President & CEO of Calgary Arts Development, Karen Gosbee, Co-Chair of Community Action on Mental Health and Addiction Stewardship Group; and Tim Fox, Calgary Foundation’s Vice President of Indigenous Relations & Equity Strategy. 
#CUIxLocal
Register here

December 4, 2020

CityTalk In Residence: How are we shaping the future of Alberta cities?
Joining CUI host Mary Rowe for our next session “CityTalk In Residence: How are we shaping the future of Alberta cities?” are Don Iveson, Mayor of Edmonton; Bill Given, Mayor of Grande Prairie; Tara Veer, Mayor of Red Deer; Chris Spearman, Mayor of Lethbridge.
#CUIxLocal
Register here

December 2, 2020

What new powers do cities need?
Joining CUI host Mary Rowe for our next session “Cities in the time of COVID-19: What new powers do cities need” are Doug Earl of Charter City Toronto; Marianne Meed Ward, Mayor of Burlington; Richard Albert, Professor, University of Texas; and Julianna Charchun, Chief of Staff of the Mayor, City of Edmonton 
#Business #COVID19 #Density&CompleteCommunities #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)
Read More