Our Work

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. 

COVID-19 has exposed the vulnerabilities in Canada’s housing and shelter systems.

As we rebuild our urban futures, we cannot risk going back to the way things were—our systems are on the brink of collapse. But they are also on the cusp of transformative change.

CUI, The Shift, and 14 coast-to-coast partners hosted week of virtual film screenings and live panel discussions from coast to coast about what’s working, what’s not, and what’s next, as we (re)imagine the right to home.

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

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

Applications are now open for the Healthy Communities Initiative. Join this webinar to learn more about the Initiative, the eligibility requirements and how to apply using the online application portal. This event will take place with simultaneous interpretation in French and English.

Applications are now open for the Healthy Communities Initiative. Join this webinar to learn about simple actions that communities are taking to adapt public places to create vibrant and safe/accessible spaces. Get some inspiring ideas for adapting programming in community parks and other spaces. The session will highlight actual project examples that can inspire your application.

Indigenous communities have experienced the devastating effects of pandemics in the past, and through the resiliency of our communities and people, we are still here. Discover some innovative and positive responses to COVID in Indigenous communities, on-reserve and off, urban and rural, with a specific focus on the work of Friendship Centres in providing community services and safe spaces for community members.

Applications are now open for the Healthy Communities Initiative. Join this webinar to learn about community-based approaches that are improving how people get around and that also support positive social and health outcomes and safe physical distancing. We’ll share some inspiring examples from across North America.

Applications are now open for the Healthy Communities Initiative. Are you a first-time applicant looking to improve your funding proposal skills? Learn how to turn an idea into a project proposal, how to build a project outline and think through the steps from beginning to end. Find out about some of the common hurdles and pitfalls in proposal writing and the best approaches for success.

Applications are now open for the Healthy Communities Initiative. Find out how communities can use digital solutions to keep people safe and healthy, connect people and strengthen participation, encourage citizen engagement. Learn how communities are supporting people through the use of data, improving digital connectivity, extending public WiFi and using other digital technologies.

Presented in partnership with York University and Jay Pitter Placemaking, join Jay Pitter, award-winning Placemaker and Author; Anthony Taylor, Minneapolis-based Metropolitan Parks and Open Space commissioner and cycling advocate; and Mitchell Silver, New York City Parks Department commissioner and award-winning urban planner. The event will also feature opening remarks from Adam Vaughan, Member of Parliament and a musical interlude from Sam Carter-Shamai, Toronto-based urban planner and music enthusiast.

Join us from April 6-8 as we reimagine the municipal role in Canadian federalism, while also acknowledging the constitutional rights of First Nations. Organised by Massey College and the Canadian Urban Institute (with much appreciated support from the Maytree Foundation and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada), all are welcome to attend the Summit.

On April 19 the Government of Canada will table its first budget in two years. What will it mean for Canada’s hard-hit cities? Now in their second year doing battle against the COVID-19 pandemic, cities continue to be confronted with extraordinary economic and social challenges including devastated municipal tax bases, housing pressures, and transit shortfalls. Will the Budget be the answer for cities planning their recovery?

Join CUI’s President and CEO Mary W. Rowe, along with national city watchers Frances Bula and Doug Saunders of the Globe and Mail, Co-Founder of Black Opportunity Fund and Head of Global Real Estate Investments at TD Asset Management Colin Lynch, and former federal Minister and City Councillor Amarjeet Sohi.

Featuring Ethan Kent, Executive Director, PlacemakingX; Ramon Marrades, Director, Placemaking Europe; Lhazin Nedup, Planning Consultant, Urban Platform; and Ayanda Roji, General Manager: Corporate Research, Policy and Knowledge Management, Johannesburg City Parks.

Join us and a set of fantastic panelists for a candid conversation on public spaces and COVID-19. You’ll hear from leading placemakers and thinkers who will explore what’s working, what’s not, and what’s next for community-led solutions across Canada. It will also be an opportunity to learn more about the Canada Healthy Communities Initiative, a new $31 million investment from the Government of Canada to support communities as they adapt public spaces for the new realities of the pandemic.

Join us for a timely discussion on urban loneliness, and how to build connection and community inside Canada’s bustling city centres.

Join CUI’s Mary W. Rowe, alongside Jennifer Angel from Develop Nova Scotia, Malcolm Bruce from Edmonton Global,
Marcy Burchfield from Toronto Region Board of Trade, Stéphane Paquet from Montréal International, and Nadine Spencer from Black Business and Professional Association, for a conversation on how Canadian cities are tackling economic recovery as we emerge from COVID-19. In partnership with the Toronto Region Board of Trade’s Economic Blueprint Institute

Join us on Thursday, June 3rd from Noon to 1:15 p.m. ET for an intimate conversation with world-renowned architect, Douglas Cardinal. The event will open with a screening of the 30-minute documentary and move to a conversation led by interviewer Randy Herrmann, Director of the Engineering Access Program (ENGAP) at the University of Manitoba.

Notice is hereby given that the Annual General Meeting of the Canadian Urban Institute will be held on 8^th of June at 4:30 pm virtually via Zoom.

Are you a young person (12-25) living, studying or from Windsor? We invite you to participate in a 90 minute virtual workshop to explore how Windsor can be a better city for young people.  The City of Windsor has launched a new economic development strategy, Windsor Works, to help lead the city forward and out of COVID-19. A key tenet of this document is the need for Windsor to do better to attract and keep its talent, particularly its younger professionals.

Including Ashlyn Bernier, COO, SamDesk; Mohamed Elsaghir, Senior Manager C5 Northeast Community Hub; LeeAnne Ireland, Consultant, LeeAnne Ireland Consulting; Mayor Don Iveson, Mayor of Edmonton; Mayor Naheeh Nenshi, Mayor of Calgary; and Irfhan Rawji, Founder and CEO, Mob Squad.

2021 marks the 25th annual National Indigenous Peoples Day, first declared in 1996 by then Governor General of Canada Roméo LeBlanc to celebrate the unique heritage, diverse cultures and outstanding contributions of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples. This year, join us for an exploration of urbanism with Indigenous leaders at the fore of their professions.

Participatory Canada and its partners together present an extended edition of Canadian Urban Institute’s CityTalk Canada on Tuesday, June 22 from 11:00 AM – 12:30PM ET. Join us as we explore creative solutions to our greatest urban challenges and share lessons learned in North End, Halifax, N.S., Tolhurst/St- Benoît, QC and Regent Park, Toronto, ON.

What are the big ideas and specific policy actions that will be needed to close Canada’s gender gap? This event provides a summary of what advocates, experts and policy makers in Canada are currently doing to improve the wellbeing of women and girls – and showcases efforts emerging out of COVID towards achieving gender equity.

The first event of “Leading Canada’s ‘shecovery’ from the ground up” virtual events establish the context for the day, providing a close and personal look at the gender gap in Canada as we emerge from a global pandemic and she-cession. This session takes an intersectional look at what groups of women and girls decision makers need to be most focused on today.

Join us on June 29, 2021 as we talk to a diverse group of youth experts across Canada and unpack their experiences living in urban centres across the country during the pandemic. Building off of the Urban Youth Impact COVID-19 Report that analyzes data from six of the largest Canadian cities and relevant census metropolitan areas including, Calgary, Edmonton, Montréal, Ottawa-Gatineau, Toronto and Vancouver, we’ll explore how current issues such as race and discrimination, health, employment, cost of living and civic engagement affect youth and hear about their priorities and hopes for the future as we begin the journey to recovery. What do we need to change? And how can we leverage the experience and expertise that youth bring to the table to build more inclusive cities?

Encampments are becoming more common across cities in Canada and around the world. It’s a challenging issue that city leaders, health care professionals, activists and communities are struggling with. Are cities resorting to stopgap solutions that seem useless to solving our current affordable housing crisis?

Homelessness is a complex, life-threatening problem. It can be solved—but only if systems are built with that aim. On Monday, September 13, the Canadian Urban Institute is pleased to present our second Annual Leadership Lecture featuring Rosanne Haggerty, President of Community Solutions and an internationally recognized leader in developing innovative strategies to end homelessness and strengthen communities.

This year marks the 5th year of the AoCB conference, where we will focus on courage and real change: how to think more regeneratively, inclusively, and holistically about our cities as we build them.

Are you a young person living, studying or from Halifax? We would like to invite you to participate in a 2-hour workshop on Wednesday, September 22 from 6-8pm to explore how Halifax can be a better city for young people.

Join us for our next CityTalk, as we explore the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead post election with our amazing panel: Shauna Sylvester, Executive Director, Simon Fraser University’s Morris J. Wosk Centre for Dialogue, Carol Anne Hilton, Chief Executive Officer at Indigenomics Institute and Founder of the Global Center of Indigenomics, Mayor Mike Savage, City of Halifax, Chief Dale McFee, Edmonton Police.

UVIC Law partnered with Cowichan Tribes – the largest single First Nation Band in BC that includes urban- and rural-based communities, members and businesses – to deliver a transformative field school experience amidst the height of the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. This panel will discuss what surprised them about the work, the community and themselves during this experience, as well as the challenges, opportunities, relationships and learning that came out of the field school.

Join the South Island Prosperity Partnership (SIPP)  in conversation with experts in Indigenous Economic Development about why long-term architectures for collaboration are critical to the economic resilience and prosperity of the region, examples of successful partnerships across the country and what is needed to build this here.

Cindy Blackstock and Spirit Bear are returning to Victoria to launch the children’s book they wrote after their last visit to Lekwungen territory, about residential schools and also the removal of the Sir John A Macdonald statue from in front of City Hall. 

From Oct 18 – Oct 20, 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.

The three-day CUIxVictoria event is taking place on Lekwungen territory. All registrants of all sessions are encouraged to attend the Lekwungen Welcome. The first portion of the session is a welcome and Lekwungen teaching from Songhees Nation member Florence Dick and the Lekwungen Dancers. The second portion of the session is a panel discussion with some of the  Indigenous members of the City Family – the City of Victoria’s reconciliation body – reflecting on what it means to be Indigenous and Canadian at a moment when Canada is “under review.”  

For one of the first times in history, the Royal BC Museum  has handed over curatorial authority to the community for the creation of the exhibit, “Hope Meets Action: Echoes Through the Black Continuum.” The session explores the challenges: What felt hard and new? The opportunities: What felt exciting and new? And what’s next: What advice do panellists have to share for institutions and communities that want to work together to centre the voices of those who have been historically and also presently silenced?

Muslim women from the community will explore themes of Islamophobia, belonging,
racism and safety by sharing their local and global everyday experiences. Inspired by their calls to action from the National Summit on Islamophobia that took place in July 2021, the panel offers concrete recommendations for meaningful action on addressing ongoing faith-based hate, racism and colonialism on the traditional territories of the lək̓ʷəŋən peoples.

This youth only (ages 16-29) session is an opportunity to reflect on the content of CUIxVictoria from a youth perspective and to develop calls for action that different stakeholders can take to respond to issues of concern and interest to youth. 

The local food security movement in Victoria, BC, has experienced great change and shifts over the past 18 months, balancing entrenched hunger and poverty with people’s deep desire to connect to each other and the land.  Join us for a conversation with local food leaders working at the intersections of race and equity, to discuss some of the challenges and opportunities that they see in their own work and for society to work better as we emerge from the pandemic.

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.

The pandemic has brought forward national acknowledgment of the importance of exploring new and inclusive ways to move toward a world in which social and economic well-being is enjoyed by all. This Vital Conversation will ground participants in a discussion around current barriers to financial well-being and explore societal values regarding inclusion and growth that are required for a new economy.

This curated conversation between long-time activists and scholars and youth in Victoria BC currently working to protect the old growth trees at Fairy Creek and other climate actions will explore the difficult terrain of intergenerational climate inequity, climate anxiety and climate action. What are the steps we need to take together to ensure that youth and the planet we all love have a liveable future? How do we best incorporate Indigenous ways of knowing? What’s the role of cities in these climate futures? How do we best address intergenerational inequities? What do youth think adults should do to support them in their fight for climate justice? This session will address these critical and difficult questions, and more.

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. 

This session brings together  members of the City’s Welcoming City Task Force in a panel discussion to hear the story of the Welcoming City Strategy and learn what role can Victoria residents play in making our City a more welcoming place for newcomers.

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. 

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.