Cities for People

Opportunity

Most of us around the world call cities home, including here in Canada, where more than 80 percent of people live in urban areas. Globally, another 2.5 billion people will live in cities by 2050. Urbanization represents one of the greatest challenges of our times, particularly because of rising social inequalities, unprecedented demographic shifts, and environmental degradation. We must make fundamental changes to the way we think about and build cities if they are to become places where all people can thrive. Our aim in Cities for People is to support inclusive urban innovationInclusive urban innovation: the process of developing strategies and solutions that challenge current urban practices and institutions for systemic change, creating cities that better address changing societal needs, aspirations as well as environmental imperatives. that contributes to resilientResilience: the capacity of communities to self-organize, proactively absorb shocks and take advantage of opportunity. A resilient city is one where infrastructure and amenities are deployed to meet the needs of all. cities where all people and nature can flourish.

Our approach to city change

Cities are “systems of systems”—they encompass streets, buildings, public spaces, parks, libraries, residential spaces, institutions, social networks and economic activity. Viewing cities this way helps us find opportunities to support efforts to make positive changes. Following an experimental phase, in 2016 Cities for People began working with other entities to develop an approach for changing cities. We have teamed up with a host of institutions, municipalities and non-profit organizations to pursue the following priorities: 1) increasing equality, 2) strengthening the city as a commonsThe commons: our streets, parks, squares and other places where people gather to celebrate, learn, rest, play, trade, express collective aspirations, and provide for themselves and one another. The commons are spaces where we do together what we can’t do alone., 3) enabling city labs, and 4) supporting urban innovation networks. Cities for People provides backbone functions to facilitate learning, communications, and field-building across the system. We aspire to collectively advance change and create conditions to better equip cities to meet the challenges of our times.

Focus Areas

Equality: Increasing social and economic equality in cities

Neighbourhood revitalization and poverty reduction initiatives ensure more inclusive and resilient cities across Canada.

Commons: Understanding the city as a commons

By strengthening the civic commons, we support a culture of sharing and experimentation.

Labs: Experimenting and exploring to create change

Urban labs, experiments, pilots and prototypes offer spaces for transformative change that are flexible and multidisciplinary.

Networks: Building and supporting new collaborative infrastructure

Urban innovation networks provide a dynamic platform for knowledge sharing and build a sense of belonging.

Funder

We have provided major, multi-year grants to the following organizations: the Tamarack Institute for the Vibrant Communities-Cities Reducing Poverty initiative; Centraide for its Collective Impact Project that fosters neighbourhood revitalization projects in Montreal; and Evergreen, for developing a national strategy aimed at inclusive urban innovation and channeling unused and underused urban assets into new social purposes. We also have a number of smaller grants, and occasionally we issue calls for proposals for fresh project ideas.

Strategic learning partner

As we develop a listening platform and international learning platform, we aspire to bring new ideas back to Canada and to share our country's most promising urban projects with city innovators abroad. We share what we're learning with governments and foundations in Canada and internationally.

Capacity builder

Cities for People works with networks of urban innovators to identify new forms of collaboration and tools for transformation. We support these networks through online resources, strategic partnerships and national competitions (Civic Innovation Awards) and by commissioning research and publications.

Convener

Cities for People holds local and national gatherings to bring together urban innovators from various industries and institutions to collaborate in fostering transformative change and experimentation in cities.