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: December 2

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
#COVID19 #Density&CompleteCommunities #LocalEconomy #MainStreets

Coming Up: November 25

Cities in the Time of COVID-19: What is the future of universities in cities?
Joining CUI host Mary Rowe for our next session “Cities in the time of COVID-19: What is the future of universities in cities?” are Dr. Meric Gertler, President of the University of Toronto; Dr. Mohamed Lachemi, President of Ryerson University; and Dr. Annette Trimbee, President of MacEwan University
#COVID19 #Density&CompleteCommunities #LocalEconomy #MainStreets

Coming Up: November 24

Can COVID-19 push governments to provide adequate housing?
Presented by the Housing Research Collaborative is our next session "Can COVID-19 push governments to provide adequate housing?" with Carolyn Whitzman, Adjunct Professor at the University of Ottawa and Housing Policy Consultant; Penny Gurstein, Professor and Director of the Housing Research Collaborative, University of British Columbia; Andrés Peñaloza, Research Assistant at the Housing Research Collaborative; and Julie Lawson, Honorary Associate Professor at the Centre for Urban Research, RMIT University, Melbourne.    
#COVID19 #Density&CompleteCommunities #LocalEconomy #MainStreets

Coming Up: November 10

Cities in the time of COVID-19: What is the future of our shared civic places as we cope with and emerge from COVID?
Joining CUI host Mary Rowe for our next 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.
#COVID19 #Density&CompleteCommunities #LocalEconomy #MainStreets

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.
#COVID19 #Density&CompleteCommunities #Downtowns #LocalEconomy #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.
#COVID19 #Density&CompleteCommunities #Downtowns #LocalEconomy #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.
#COVID19 #Density&CompleteCommunities #Downtowns #LocalEconomy #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.  
#COVID19 #Downtowns #Infrastructure&Development #LocalEconomy #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.
#COVID19 #Downtowns #Infrastructure&Development #LocalEconomy #MainStreets

Coming Up: September 29

COVID Signpost 200 Days: What is the State of Our Cities at Day 200?
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.
#COVID19 #Downtowns #Infrastructure&Development #LocalEconomy #MainStreets

Initiatives

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

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Leading Canada’s She-covery From the Ground Up

Archived

On June 24, 2021, the Canadian Urban Institute and the Pay Equity Commission of Ontario held a summit on addressing the post-COVID gender gap in Canada’s cities. Prior to the summit, CUI released a conversation primer, which provided a snapshot of what we know today about gender and COVID in Canada’s cities, based on a survey of more than 180,000 Canadians conducted and provided in-kind by Advanis.

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

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

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

Publications & Tools

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

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Victoria Nurtures

This report is an invitation to discover Victoria, to dip in and out, visiting its corners and its main streets, to hear how the city is moving. It reflects what we heard and offers some of the best guidance Victoria can offer.

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

A Municipal Comparison of Affordable Housing and Homelessness Delivery: Profiles across 11 Canadian city regions

This technical report provides a scan of the ways eleven Canadian cities and urban regions structure their responses to affordable housing and to homelessness. Selected jurisdictions are Victoria, Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary, Saskatoon, Winnipeg, Peel Region, Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal and the Halifax Region. This data was collected from public sources and, where possible, verified through interviews during 2021.

 

Unboxing Uptown: The transformation of a main street from the inside out

Unboxing Uptown is the result of a nine-month research and engagement project completed by the Canadian Urban Institute (CUI) with the City of Brampton. Research for this project revealed that approaches to creating main streets in the context of new development are nascent and evolving. The City of Brampton has a unique opportunity to learn from and improve on this work.

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.

 

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

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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Mind the Gap: The Post-COVID Gender Gap in Canada’s Cities

This report highlights how the gender gap has widened in Canada’s cities over the past year, drawing on a combination of labour force data and a survey of more than 200,000 Canadians during the pandemic. With an intersectional lens, the report highlights dimensions of the gender gap which should be prioritized by policy and decision makers alike.
#COVID19

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

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

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 #PublicFinance&Governance

COVID200 Regional Perspective: The Territories

Jay Massie dives into trends and changes at Day 200 in the Territories, and what it means as we look ahead in a time of uncertainty and anxiety, but also of collective purpose in urban Canada.
#COVID19

COVID200 Regional Perspective: British Columbia

Allison Ashcroft dives into trends and changes at Day 200 of COVID-19 in British Columbia, and what it means as we look ahead in a time of uncertainty and anxiety, but also of collective purpose in urban Canada.
#COVID19

Events

Forums and events that link city builders to the most effective solutions and ideas

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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.
Register Here

Coming Up: December 14

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.
Register Here