Our Work

Joining CUI host Mary Rowe our session “What is the future of our shared civic places as we cope with and emerge from COVID?” are Graham Singh, Executive Director of Trinity Centres Foundation; Carol Coletta, President and CEO of Memphis River Parks Partnership; Natalie Voland, President and Chief Vision Officer of GI Quo Vadis Inc.; and Tim Jones, CEO of Artscape.

Joining CUI host Mary Rowe for our next session “Cities in the time of COVID-19: Why do local governments matter now more than ever?” are Mayor of Calgary Naheed Nenshi; Nigel Jacob, co-founder of New Urban Mechanics; and Andrea Reimer, Adjunct Professor of Practice and Practitioner Lead, Global Policy Project, UBC School of Public Policy & Global Affairs.

Joining CUI host Mary Rowe for our next session in our ongoing series: How can we revitalize downtowns and #RestoreTheCore?  – are Susie Grynol, President of the Hotel Association of Canada; Carl Weisbrod, Senior Advisor at HR&A Advisors in New York City; Kate Fenske, CEO of the Downtown Winnipeg BIZ; Stephen Willis, General Manager of Planning, Infrastructure & Economic Development at the City of Ottawa; Andrea Jung, Planner of Homeless Services and Arts, Culture and Community Services at the City of Vancouver; and  Thom Mahler, Manager of Urban Strategy at The City of Calgary.

Joining CUI host Ariana Holt for our next session in our ongoing series: How have visit patterns changed on main streets? – are presenter Rupen Seoni, Senior Vice President and Practice Leader at Environics Analytics; Kevin Narraway, Marketing Manager at the Municipality of Port Hope; Graziella Grbac, the Executive Director of the Village on Main in Dartmouth Nova Scotia; and David Pensato, the Executive Director of the Exchange District in Winnipeg. This session is co-presented with Environics Analytics.

Joining Happy City co-hosts Emma Jones and Mitchell Reardon for our next session of Main Street Action Week: Rapid Placemaking for Main Streets – are Ebrahim Varachia, Principal at Bench Placemaking in Detroit; Andrew Nakazawa, Manager of Placemaking and Public Spaces at the Downtown Vancouver Business Improvement Association; Olivier Legault, Co-founder of WinterLab in Montréal; and Elora Wilkinson, Planner at the Halifax Regional Municipality. This event is co-presented with The Happy City.

Joining CUI host Andre Cote for our next session of Main Street Action Week: Small Business-Friendly Policy for Main Streets – are presenters John Archer, Chief Development Officer at 360 Collective and Judy Morgan, Principal at 360 Collective; Dr. Alexandra Flynn, University of British Columbia;  Judy Lam, Manager of Commercial Districts and Small Business for the City of Hamilton; Chris Rickett, Director of Municipal and Stakeholder Relations at the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation; and Antoinette Rodrigue, Chargée de projet, Développement et innovation, Association des sociétés de développement commercial de Montréal. This event is co-presented with 360 Collective.

Joining CUI host Lisa Cavicchia for our first session of Main Street Action Week: Operational Trends and Actions for Retail Recovery – are presenter Lisa Hutcheson, Managing Partner at J.C. Williams Group along with Louroz Mercader, Manager at York-Eglinton BIA in Toronto; Dane Williams, Co-founder of Black Urbanism TO in Toronto; Darryl Julott, Managing Lead at Digital Main Street; and Judith Veresuk, Executive Director of the Downtown Regina BIA. This event is co-presented with JC Williams Group.

Joining CUI host Mary W. Rowe for our next session in our ongoing series: What is the Role of Architecture in the Urban Recovery?- are Shirley Blumberg, Partner at KPMB; Ryan Gorrie, Senior Associate at Brooke McIlroy; Sam Oboh, Principal and Vice President of Design Intelligence & Client Design at Ensight + Architecture and past President of the Royal Architecture Institute of Canada; and Daniel Pearl, Founding Partner at L’Oeuf Architects and Professeur titulaire, School of Architecture at Université de Montréal.

Joining CUI host Mary W. Rowe for our second series of COVID Signpost, 200 Days: How Do We Realize the Right to Home in the Next 100 Days?- are Micheal Vonn, CEO of PHS Community Services in Vancouver; Nakuset, Director at the Native Women’s Shelter in Montreal; Martin Blake, Vice-President at Daniels Corporation in Toronto; Derek Ballantyne, Partner at New Market Funds and Chair of CMHC in Toronto; and Catherine McKenney, City Councillor of Somerset Ward, Ottawa.

Joining our guest host Catherine Craig-St-Louis of CUI and Rues Principales for our second series of COVID Signpost, 200 Days: How Should Our Cities Prepare for Winter? – are Olivier Legault, Project Manager at Rues principales and Co-founder, Winterlab; Isla Tanaka, Wintercity Planner at the City of Edmonton; Sheena Jardine-Olade, CoFounder of Night Lab; and Rami Bebawi, CoFounder and Partner at KANVA.

Joining CUI host Mary W. Rowe for our second series of COVID Signpost, 200 Days: What is the State of Our Cities at Day 200? – are Sadhu Johnston, the City Manager at the City of Vancouver; Jay Pitter, an Equity-Based Place-maker in Toronto; Andre Cote, the Acting Director of Research at the Canadian Urban Institute; and Ken Bautista, Partner Makespace Group and Co-Founder of Startup Edmonton.

As part of the Art of City Building 2020 conference, we invited Åsa Kachan, Mary W. Rowe, and Jennifer Angel to have a conversation with Eric Klinenburg on social infrastructure.

As part of the Art of City Building 2020 conference, we invited Andy Fillmore, Paul MacKinnon, Rodney Small, Jay Pitter, Albus Brooks, Uytae Lee, and Kimberly Driggins to discuss inclusive placemaking and development.

As part of the Art of City Building 2020 conference, we invited Mayor Lisa Helps from Victoria, BC, and Mayor Mike Savage from Halifax, Nova Scotia, to discuss coastal cities.

As part of the Art of City Building 2020 conference, we invited Mayor Mike Savage, Tara Wickwire, Alex Bozicovic, Katherine Peinhardt, Jeff Goodell, Julian Agyeman, and Tamika Butler to discuss Justice, Sustainability, and Climate Resilient Cities.

To mark CUI’s 30th anniversary, the Canadian Urban Institute and its Board of Directors are proud to have presented the first annual CityTalk Leadership Lecture featuring internationally renowned designer and urbanist Dan Hill for a provocative presentation on how cities can change, and a panel of Canada’s leading urbanists: Cynthia Dorrington and Zahra Ebrahim.

Joining CUI host Mary W. Rowe for our  series about what’s working, what’s not, and what’s next, as we (re)imagine the right to home – How can the right to housing equip local governments to end homelessness? – are Rebecca Alty, Mayor of Yellowknife, NWT; Ana Bailão, Ward 9 Councillor and Deputy Mayor for the south area of the city, Toronto, ON; Lisa Helps, Mayor of Victoria, BC; Scott McKeen, Ward 6 Councillor, Edmonton, AB; and Berry Vrbanovic, Mayor of Kitchener, ON.

Joining CUI host Mary W. Rowe for our  series about what’s working, what’s not, and what’s next, as we (re)imagine the right to home – Different futures: How do we (re)imagine housing in a pandemic world? – are Leilani Farha, Global Director of The Shift; Ruth Goba, Executive Director at the Black Legal Action Centre; Jeff Morrison, Executive Director at the Canadian Housing and Renewal Association; Margaret Pfoh, CEO of the Aboriginal Housing Management Association; and Michel Tremblay, Senior Vice-President, Policy and Innovation, at the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation. 

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Joining CUI host Mary W. Rowe for our  series about what’s working, what’s not, and what’s next, as we (re)imagine the right to home – Homeless during a pandemic: What are the challenges and looming threats? are Stephanie Allen, Associate Vice-President of  Strategic Business Operations and Performance, BC Housing; Eddie Golko, Participant, Us and Them; Krista Loughton, Filmmaker, Us and Them; Karen Montgrand, Participant, Us and Them; and Tim Richter, President and CEO, Canadian Alliance to End Homelessness. 

Joining CUI host Mary W. Rowe for our  series about  what’s working, what’s not, and what’s next, as we (re)imagine the right to home – What is the right to housing and why does it matter? Lessons from around the world – are Shivani Chaudhry, Executive Director, Housing and Land Rights Network (India); Leilani Farha, Global Director, The Shift (Canada); Paula C. Marques, Councilor, Local Development and Housing, City of Lisbon (Portugal); Brennan Rigby, The Shift Aoetearoa Project Lead, Community Housing Aotearoa (New Zealand); and Michel Tremblay, Senior Vice-President, Policy and Innovation, Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation.

Joining CUI host Mary W. Rowe for our ongoing series of candid conversations – How is the COVID-19 pandemic transforming young people’s lives and experiences? – are Josh Fullan, Maximum City; Joe Salmon, UBC Class of 2024;  Zoë Bennett, Youth Advocate; Jordan Bighorn, Community Education Development Association (CEDA); and Miatta Dukuly, Youth Advocate. 

Joining CUI host Mary W. Rowe for our ongoing series of candid conversations – How is the COVID-19 pandemic affecting ageing populations? – are Meghan Winters, Simon Fraser University; Rob Miyashiro, Lethbridge Senior Citizens Organization (LSCO); Brenda Vrkljan, McMaster University; Laura Tamblyn-Watts, CanAge; and Vanessa Campisi, City of Toronto. 

Joining CUI host Mary W. Rowe for our ongoing series of candid conversations – How is the pandemic transforming the way we move? – are Stephanie Cadieux, MLA for Surrey South, Surrey BC; Eddie Robar, Branch Manager at Edmonton Transit Service; Amina Yasin, Planning Commissioner at the City of Vancouver; Vancouver City Planning Commission; and Armi de Francia, Active Transportation Coordinator at the Town of Ajax and Founder of Transportation Equity Toronto.

Joining CUI host Mary W. Rowe for our ongoing series of candid conversations –How is the pandemic transforming the way we work? – are Armine Yalnizyan, Economist and Atkinson Fellow on the Future of Workers; Vicki Saunders, Founder of SheEO; Elizabeth Ha, Equity Vice-President at the Ontario Federation of Labour; Anila Lee Yuen, President & CEO at the Centre for Newcomers; and Gretchen Gscheidle, Founder and CEO at GM Gscheidle R+D.

Joining CUI host Mary W. Rowe for our continuing one-on-one conversation series is Drew Dilkens, Mayor of the City of Windsor, ON. 

Joining CUI host Mary W. Rowe for our ongoing series of candid conversations – How can we leverage the power of design and engagement to make better main streets? – are Anjuli Solanki, Program Director of The STEPS Initiative; Jason Robbins, Principal Architect at JC Robbins Architecture and 1st Vice President of the RAIC Board; Devin Segal, Director of Landscape Architecture at Fathom Studio; Mitchell Reardon, Experiments, Urban Planning & Design Lead at The Happy City; and Mark Lakeman, Founder of City Repair.

Joining CUI host Mary W. Rowe for our ongoing series of candid conversations – How are restaurants and nightlife adapting to the pandemic? – are Alicia Scholer, Vice President of the Responsible Hospitality Institute; Matt Webber, owner of Berkeley North; Patrick Watt, Senior Partner, Foodservice and Strategy Expert at J.C. Williams Group; Chef Vikram Vij, owner at Vij’s Restaurants group; and Wendy Nicolay, co-owner of Cascade Restaurant Group. 

Joining CUI host Mary W. Rowe for our continuing one-on-one conversation series is Patrick Brown, Mayor of the City of Brampton, ON.

Joining CUI host Mary W. Rowe for our continuing one-on-one conversation series is LaToya Cantrell, Mayor of the City of New Orleans, LA.

Joining CUI host Mary W. Rowe for our ongoing series of candid conversations – What do our cities need to lead the recovery? – are Don Iveson, Mayor of the City of Edmonton, AB and Chair of the Big City Mayors’ Caucus; and Carole Saab, CEO, Federation of Canadian Municipalities.

Joining CUI Senior Fellow Jay Pitter for the second session in a two-part series – Moving to Action: How do we respond to anti-black racism in urbanist practices and conversations? – are Orlando Bailey; Tamika Butler; Anthonia Ogundele; and Will Prosper. This is the second session in a two-part series. During the session, Jay will unpack recommendations from her A Call to Courage open letter and the panelists will present practice case studies applying equity-based placemaking principles. The second half of the session will be dedicated to Q+A for urbanists ready to take tangible actions to integrate more equitable approaches in their practice. It is recommended that participants watch the first event in this series and read the Call to Courage before attending the session. Image by Reza Nik

Joining CUI host Mary W. Rowe for our ongoing series of candid conversations – What have we learned from the first 100 days of COVID? – are Kate Graham, CUI Director of Research; Allison Ashcroft, CUI Regional Lead, Victoria; Michael Redhead Champagne, CUI Regional Lead, Winnipeg; Catherine Craig-St-Louis, CUI Regional Lead, Gatineau; Robert Plitt, CUI Regional Lead, Calgary; and Kourosh Rad, CUI Regional Lead, Halifax.

Hosted by Kourosh Rad, Rad Consulting, CUI Regional Lead, Halifax, NS. Welcome by Debbie Eisan, Community Planner, Mi’kmaw Native Friendship Friendship Centre. Featuring Cynthia Dorrington, President, Vale & Associates Human Resource Management & Consulting, Andy Fillmore, Member of Parliament for Halifax, and Elora Wilkinson, Urban Planner, Halifax Regional Municipality

Animé par Catherine Craig-St-Louis, Rues principales, Responsable régionale pour l’IUC, Gatineau, QC. Panélistes: Josée Chiasson, Directrice de la mise en valeur des pôles économiques, Ville de Montréal, Dimitri Espérance, Membre fondateur, Collectif La DAL, Nakuset, Director, Native Women’s Shelter of Montreal, et Violaine Ouellette, Directrice générale adjointe, Association des groupes de ressources techniques du Québec

Hosted by Arielle Kayabaga, Ward 13 Councillor, London, ON. Featuring Rino Bortolin, Ward 3 Councillor, Windsor, Shelley Carroll, Ward 17 Councillor, Toronto, Shelby Ch’ng, Northwood Ward Councillor, Thunder Bay, and Kemi Akapo, Ward 3 Councillor, Peterborough.

Hosted by Michael Redhead Champagne, Public Speaker & Youth Mentor, CUI Regional Lead, Winnipeg, MB. Featuring Rebecca Alty, Mayor, Yellowknife, Markus Chambers, Deputy Mayor, Winnipeg, Mark Head & Christopher Clacio, Inter Civics Commons, Pamela Goulden-McLeod, Director of Emergency Management Service, City of Saskatoon.

Hosted by Robert Plitt, Executive Lead, Evergreen, CUI Regional Lead, Calgary, AB. Featuring Erin Chrusch, Senior Strategist, Office of the Mayor, City of Calgary, William Ghali, Vice-President, Research, University of Calgary, Nneka Otogbolu, Director of Communications and Equity Strategy, Edmonton Community Foundation, and Jason Ribeiro, Director of Strategy, Calgary Economic Development.

Hosted by Allison Ashcroft, Managing Director, CUSP, CUI Regional Lead, Victoria, BC. Featuring Janine Theobald, Inclusion & Collaboration Manager, Greater Victoria Coalition to End Homelessness, Karen Ward, Drug Policy Advisor, City of Vancouver, Sarah Blyth, Executive Director, Overdose Prevention Society and Leilani Farha, Global Director, The Shift.

In this candid conversation with Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi, find out how his city is dealing with the challenges of COVID-19 and what the short, medium and long-term impacts on the city could look like

Featuring Dave Harvey, Executive Director, Park People; Carlos Moreno, Scientific Director, Chair ETI (Entrepreneurship – Territory – Innovation), Panthéon – Sorbonne University; Rena Soutar, Reconciliation Planner, City of Vancouver Parks & Recreation; and Cheyenne Sundance, Founder & Farmer, Sundance Harvest Farm.

Moderated by Jay Pitter, award-winning placemaker and CUI Senior Fellow of Equity-Based Placemaking. Featuring Orlando Bailey, Director of Engagement, BridgeDetroit & Detroit Host, Urban Consulate; Tamika Butler, Director of Planning for California & Director of Equity and Inclusion, Toole Design; Anthonia Ogundele, Founder, Ethós Lab; and Will Prosper, Co-founder, Montréal-Nord Républik & Hoodstock.

In this candid conversation with Toronto Mayor John Tory, find out how his city is dealing with the challenges of COVID-19 and what the short, medium and long-term impacts on the city could look like.

A candid conversation with Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson, on how his city is dealing with the challenges of COVID-19 and what the short, medium and long-term impacts on the city could look like

Featuring Daryl Cloran, Artistic Director, The Citadel Theatre; Heather Igloliorte, Concordia University Research Chair, Circumpolar Indigenous Arts and Julie Nagam, Canada Research Chair in Indigenous Arts, Collaboration and Digital Media, Co-Chairs, Indigenous Advisory Circle, Winnipeg Art Gallery; Noémie Lafrance, Artistic Director, Sens Production; and Michael Hidetoshi Mori, Artistic Director, Tapestry Opera

Featuring Sharmarke Dubow, City Councillor, Victoria, BC; Druh Farrell, Councillor, Ward 7, Calgary, AB; Émilie Thuillier, Mairesse, Ahunstic-Cartierville, Montréal, QC; and Kristyn Wong-Tam, City Councillor, Ward 13, Toronto, ON.

A candid conversation with Saskatoon Mayor Charlie Clark, on how his city is dealing with the challenges of COVID-19 and what the short, medium and long-term impacts on the city could look like

In partnership with The Bentway. Featuring Ilana Altman, Co-Executive Director, The Bentway Conservancy; Guillaume Aniorté, International Development Advisor, Quarter des spectacles; Jing Liu, Co-founder, SO-IL; Charles Blanc and Tristan Surtees, artists, Sans façon

Featuring Ahmed El-Geneidy, Professor, McGill School of Urban Planning; Howaida Hassan, General Supervisor – Urban Growth, City of Edmonton; Timothy Papandreou, Founder & CEO, Emerging Transport Advisors; and Tania Wegwitz, Senior Transportation Planner & Transit Lead, Watt Consulting Group

In this candid conversation with Jeff Lehman, Mayor of the City of Barrie, and Danny Breen, Mayor of St. John’s, find out how their cities are dealing with the challenges of COVID-19 and what the short, medium and long-term impacts could look like.

Featuring Danny Bridson, Urban Planner & Designer, Mandaworks; Nicole Harper, Editor-in-Chief, Digital Future Society; Marnie McGregor, Urban Affairs Advisor; and Charlotte Mitchell, Infrastructure Planner, Quod

Featuring Charles Montgomery, Founding Principal, Happy City; Michael Shuman, Director of Local Economy Projects, Neighbourhood Associates Corporation; Jake Stacey, Vice President, VanCity Community Investment Bank; and Judith Veresuk, Executive Director, Regina Downtown BID

A candid conversation with Mississauga Mayor Bonnie Crombie, on how her city is dealing with the challenges of COVID-19 and what the short, medium and long-term impacts on the city could look like

In partnership with WSP Canada. Featuring Deborah Harford, Executive Director, Adaption to Climate Change Team at Simon Fraser University; Mel de Jager, Senior Advisor, Climate Change and Resilience, WSP Canada; Shoshanna Saxe, Assistant Professor, Department of Civil and Mineral Engineering, University of Toronto; and Chandra Sharma, CAO, Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority

In conjunction with the University of Toronto Scarborough, The City Institute at York University, and the Goethe-Institut. Featuring Alexandra Flynn, Assistant Professor at the Peter A. Allard School of Law, University of British Columbia; Michael Götting, author, journalist, curator and theatre worker; Markus Kip, Urban Researcher at the Georg-Simmel Centre for Metropolitan Studies, Humboldt University; and Jay Pitter, placemaker, author, speaker and Bousfield Distinguished Visitor in Planning, University of Toronto

In partnership with WSP Canada. Featuring John Godfrey, former federal Minister for Infrastructure & Communities, and Amarjeet Sohi, Senior Advisor, ALAR Strategy Group

In partnership with ULI Toronto. Featuring Siri Agrell, former Executive Director, OneEleven; Brian Kelcey, Founder, State of the City; John Jung, Chairman and Cofounder, Intelligent Community Forum; Jean-Noé Landry, Executive Director, Open North; and Tara Pham, Cofounder, Numina

A candid conversation with Winnipeg Mayor Brian Bowman, on how his city is dealing with the challenges of COVID-19 and what the short, medium and long-term impacts on the city could look like

Featuring Queenie Choo, CEO, S.U.C.C.E.S.S.; Lisa Lalande, CEO, Century Initiative; Yasir Naqvi, CEO, Institute for Canadian Citizenship; and Ratna Omidvar, Independent Senator for Ontario

Featuring Leilani Farha, United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Right to Housing; Margaret Pfoh, CEO, Aboriginal Housing Management Association; Tim Richter, CEO, Canadian Alliance to End Homelessness; and John van Nostrand, CEO, Parcel Developments

A candid conversation with Halifax Mayor Mike Savage on how his city is dealing with the challenges of COVID-19 and what the short, medium and long-term impacts on the city could look like

In partnership with the Institute on Municipal Finance and Governance. Featuring Noreen Kassam, Director of Finance, City of Burnaby; Kelly Paleczny, General Manager, London Transit; Mary Persson, Deputy City Manager & CFO, City of Edmonton; and Enid Slack, Director, IMFG

Featuring Veronika Bylicki, Executive Director & Co-Founder, CityHive; Michael Redhead Champagne, Public Speaker & Youth Mentor; Ana González Guerrero, Co-Founder & Managing Director, Youth Climate Lab; Aaron Myran, Executive Director, Future Majority; and Linxi Mytkolli, Manager, Youthful Cities

A candid conversation with Victoria Mayor Lisa Helps on how the City of Victoria is dealing with the challenges of COVID-19 and what the short, medium and long-term impacts on the city could look like.

Featuring Gohar Ashoughian, University Librarian, Wilfrid Laurier University; Mary Chevreau, CEO, Kitchener Public Library; Åsa Kachan, Chief Librarian & CEO, Halifax Public Library; Maureen Sawa, CEO, Greater Victoria Public Library; and Paul Takala, CEO & Chief Librarian, Hamilton Public Library

Featuring Allison Ashcroft, Managing Director, CUSP Network; Elliott Cappell, Director, Climate Change and Resilience, WSP Canada; Laurian Farrell, Director, North America/Environment Risk Management, Global Resilient Cities Network; and Jeff Hebert, Partner, HR&A Advisors

Featuring Zita Cobb, Founder & CEO, Shorefast Foundation; Ted Howard, President & Co-Founder, The Democracy Collaborative; Colette Murphy, Executive Director, Atkinson Foundation; and Rosemarie Powell, Executive Director, Toronto Community Benefits Network

Featuring Mark Garner, CEO and Executive Director, Downtown Yonge BIA; Bruce Katz, Director, Nowak Metro Finance Lab, Drexel University; Mary Moran, President & CEO, Calgary Economic Development; Patrick Sullivan, President & CEO, Halifax Chamber of Commerce; and Karen Wong, Co-founder & CEO, TakuLabs

Featuring Jane Farrow, Principal, Dept. of Words & Deeds; Nicole Swerhun, Principal, Swerhun Inc; Zahra Ebrahim, Executive Advisor, Doblin; and Amanda Gibbs, Public Engagement Lead, City of Vancouver

Featuring Alex Bozikovic, Globe and Mail architecture critic; Franc D’Ambrosio, Principal at D’Ambrosio Architecture and Urbanism; Janna Levitt, Partner at LGA Architectural Partners; and Adam Lubinsky, Managing Principal at WXY Studio