Our Work

Through responsive research, engagement and storytelling, CUI/IUC is building new forms of connective tissue across and within Canada’s communities to build a more vibrant, equitable, livable, and resilient urban Canada. Explore our library of work.

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Coming Up: November 4

Cities in the time of COVID-19: Why do local governments matter now more than ever?

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.

#Business #COVID19 #Density&CompleteCommunities #Downtowns&MainStreets #MainStreets

Coming Up: October 30

Saving Downtowns: How do we #RestoreTheCore?

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.

#Business #COVID19 #Density&CompleteCommunities #Downtowns&MainStreets #MainStreets

Coming Up: October 28

Cities in the time of COVID-19: How have visit patterns changed on main streets?

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.

#Business #COVID19 #Density&CompleteCommunities #Downtowns&MainStreets #MainStreets

Coming Up: October 16

Main Street Action Week: Planning and Urban Design for Pandemic Recovery

Joining CUI host Ariana Holt for our final session of Main Street Action Week: Planning and Urban Design for Pandemic Recovery - are presenter, Rob Leblanc President of Fathom Studio; Jill Robertson, Principal of Landscape Architecture at Dialog Design; Hazel Borys, President of PlaceMakers; Jason Syvixay Principal Planner at the City of Edmonton; and Eric Lucic, Divisional Lead of Regional Planning for City of Halifax. This event is co-presented with Fathom Studio.

#Architecture&UrbanDesign #COVID19 #Downtowns&MainStreets #Infrastructure&Development #MainStreets

Coming Up: October 15

Main Street Action Week: Rapid Placemaking for Main Streets

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.

#COVID19 #Density&CompleteCommunities #Downtowns&MainStreets #MainStreets

Coming Up: October 14

Main Street Action Week: Small Business-Friendly Policy for Main Streets

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.

#COVID19 #Downtowns&MainStreets #Infrastructure&Development #MainStreets

Coming Up: October 13

Main Street Action Week: Operational Trends and Actions for Retail Recovery

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.

#COVID19 #Downtowns&MainStreets #MainStreets

Coming Up: October 8

Cities in the time of COVID-19: What is the Role of Architecture in the Urban Recovery?

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.

#Architecture&UrbanDesign #COVID19 #Downtowns&MainStreets #MainStreets

Coming Up: October 1

COVID Signpost 200 Days: How Do We Realize the Right to Home in the Next 100 Days?

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.

#Business #COVID19 #Downtowns&MainStreets #Infrastructure&Development #MainStreets

Coming Up: September 30

COVID Signpost 200 Days: How Should Our Cities Prepare for Winter?

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 Managerat 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.

#Business #COVID19 #Downtowns&MainStreets #Infrastructure&Development #MainStreets

Initiatives

Programs and projects developed with partners to build vibrant, equitable, livable and resilient cities

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Restore the Core

Active

Restore The Core is focused on supporting the recovery efforts of downtowns all across Canada through research and by engaging with stakeholders and urban leaders across the country to reimagine the future of downtowns.

#Downtowns&MainStreets

CUI x Local

Active

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.

Bring Back Main Street

Active

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

Active

Candid conversations, analysis, and commentary on the new urban reality under COVID-19

#COVID19

COVID Signpost

Active

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

Active

A real-time, crowdsourced platform that houses resources, tools, and stories on how city-builders and residents are responding to COVID-19

#COVID19

Publications & Tools

Research and tools for action that promote effective urban policies and best practices

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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.

#COVID19

Town of Halton Hills Climate Adaptation Plan

The Climate Change Adaptation Plan (CCAP) has been developed to address the physical, economic, social, and ecological impacts of climate change, expected for the Town of Halton Hills in the next 30 years.

#ClimateChange&Resilience

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

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.The designs come from architects and students, planners and placemakers, community animators and artists. They range widely, from the highly prescriptive to the more conceptual. In some cases, they serve as blueprints; in other cases, they provide inspiration, with key details to be locally crafted.

#COVID19 #Downtowns&MainStreets #MainStreets

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

Insights

Briefs and videos featuring original insight, analysis, and stories about what’s working, what’s not and what’s next for urban Canada

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Planning and Urban Design to Bring Back Main Street

This solutions brief, from Fathom Studio, identifies opportunities to use planning and urban design to support the long-term recovery and resilience of main streets.

#COVID19 #Downtowns&MainStreets #MainStreets

Operational Trends and Potential Actions for Main Street Retail Recovery

This solution brief, from J.C. Williams Group, focuses on the role that local business organizations can take to help ensure that main streets remain lively areas of commerce. It presents an analysis of the trends and challenges experienced by retailers and suggests a series of potential actions for supporting the reopening, recovery, and renewal of main street commercial areas.

#COVID19 #Downtowns&MainStreets #MainStreets

Supporting Main Street Recovery Through Small-Business-Friendly Policy

This solution brief from, 360 Collective, focuses on the role governments can play in supporting main street retail business sustainability and driving recovery. It presents an analysis of the key requirements of business success and suggests retail policy solutions in 5 areas.

#COVID19 #Downtowns&MainStreets #MainStreets #PublicFinance&Governance