You’ve made us realize that it is time for a rethink, and for courageous action. In 1946, Albert Einstein, spurred by the knowledge that the threat of nuclear annihilation meant that humanity needed to displace war as a means of resolving human conflict, ran an ad in the New York Times that read in part: […]
Learn moreOn May 14, the federal government announced the first four winners of the Smart Cities Challenge. Our Cities for People initiative helped with the Challenge design — advocating for social innovation and community needs to be at the heart of the Challenge. The winning proposals — from Montreal, Guelph and Wellington County, several Nunavut communities, […]
Learn moreThe Government of Canada launched a call for proposals on an ongoing basis under the Sustainable Development Goals Funding Program for 2019-2020 to support and leverage the work of stakeholders furthering Canada’s implementation of the 2030 Agenda. Organizations interested in receiving up to $100,000 in grant funding for one-year projects aimed at building awareness, increasing […]
Learn moreby Alex Gillis Building or expanding subway, streetcar or bus networks in major cities can help reduce carbon emissions, but given that these projects cost millions — even billions — how do we know our investments are spent wisely? Canadian researchers want to use an age-old idea, “the wisdom of crowds”, to develop a groundbreaking […]
Learn moreThis article was originally posted on the Future Cities Canada website and has been cross-posted here with permission. By Rebecca Chieu Inclusive and meaningful community engagement has always been a driving force behind Dr. Jayne Engle’s work. As head of Cities for People at McConnell Foundation in Montreal, she bridges innovative community action with policy and systems change. She is bringing […]
Learn moreOn Wednesday, July 15, The Ryerson City Building Institute will launch their State of City Building Project, which includes the first annual State of City Building Report and the Citylinx online database. Citylinx identifies and categorizes leading organizations that are involved in studying or advocating for excellence in city building. This growing list allows the public, key […]
Learn moreBy Alex Gillis In 1960, the life of Jan Gehl, a Danish architect and urban-design professor, suddenly changed. That year he obtained a degree in architecture and met his future wife, a psychologist, who challenged him and his friends: “Why are you architects not interested in people? Why doesn’t the school of architecture teach you […]
Learn moreThis is the fifth in a Placemaking Profile series in which we will share short conversations we’ve had with urban innovators – from those who are actively building places that foster social inclusion to those who listen, engage, and tell stories from the communities. For more information about placemaking, please click here. From our previous […]
Learn moreIn late March (20-28), Julian Agyeman, Tessy Britton, Gorka Espiau and Rony Jalkh joined us for The City as a Commons conference series in three Canadian cities. Throughout these two weeks of activities they participated in meetings on how to advance transformative city building and thinking. Below are some takeaways from these gatherings: To strengthen […]
Learn moreBoston is home to cutting-edge initiatives in social entrepreneurship (EforAll, the MassChallenge); neighbourhood revitalization and civic innovation (The Mayor’s Office of New Urban Mechanics, Dudley Street Neighborhood Initiative, Roxbury Innovation Center); and youth engagement and social innovation (YouthBuild, DesignX-MIT and Mission Hill School). The city also inspires practitioners who have done extensive research in sustainability, […]
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