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The Summit on the City: Recovering Canada's Downtowns

This two-day summit brought together leaders from across Canada and the US to transform our downtowns into more inclusive, just, and resilient places.

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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.

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CityTalk Leadership Lecture

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

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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.

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The Healthy Communities Initiative (CHCI)

The Healthy Communities Initiative (HCI) 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 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.

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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.

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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
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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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The Case for the Core

This 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.

 
Read Here

Windsor Blooms

Windsor Blooms sums up what Windsorites 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 institutions and how they are
coping with and driving change.
#COVID19

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

Events

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March 17, 2022

Black Influence in Urban Planning
The places where we live shape our lives in ways both trivial and profound—the power to shape those places is central to self-determination, growth and power. As we know, the built form has the power to either perpetuate or reduce social inequities, and the question of how to build liveable cities that serve all people continues to preoccupy planners and city builders across Canada. Join us for a discussion on March 17th from 12:00-1:00pm ET about Black influence in urban planning across Canada, and hear from community leaders working to make our cities more just and equitable for all.
Register Here

January 25, 2022

The Summit on the City: Recovering Canada’s Downtowns
Join us and leaders from every sector across Canada in crafting integrated, urgent, and practical solutions for downtown recovery.
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December 14, 2021

My Main Street: Innovative Placemaking Mobilization Session
Join our partners Re: Public Urbanism for a presentation on ambitious and inspiring placemaking projects, and how My Main Street funding can support bold and impactful work.
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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 RR0001)
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