With over half of the world’s population living in urban environments, cities are invariably centres of intense change and dynamic innovation. With this intensity comes the need for careful planning to ensure that our urban communities remain inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable. To underline the importance of careful attention to urban planning, the United Nations has made cities a priority of their Sustainable Development Goals (SDG).
To meet our SDG goals, government, industry, universities and civil societies must engage in dialogue and collaboration to determine the best pathway to future sustainability for urban communities. As a way to support this need for dialogue, and to further mobilize our broader Waterloo community, the University of Waterloo’s Faculty of Environment is collaborating with colleagues from across the University and external partners to bring a series of moderated panel discussions, with an opportunity for community feedback and networking, titled Imagining Canada’s Future Cities.
For our first event on January 24th, nearly 400 Waterloo alumni, friends and students gathered at the Toronto Reference Library. Moderated by Jean Andrey, Dean of the Faculty of Environment, a panel consisting of alumnus Kevin Tuer (BASC 89’ MASC ‘ 91, PHD ‘ 94), community leader and CEO of Evergreen, Geoff Cape, and Associate Professor and Canada Research Chair in Sustainability Governance and Innovation, Sarah Burch, discussed where our cities are currently, how we can shape our communities, and the role that the Sustainable Development Goals play as a framework to shaping our future.
Key themes arising from the discussion included the need to mobilize individuals through incentivizing/modeling behavior. Existing models that we can look to as a means of incorporating best practices were highlighted. Partnerships across sectors were underlined as integral components for any future discussions, and the audience noted that civil society must play a central role in this dialogue.
Further attention was drawn to the need for smart cities and smart technologies to be thought out carefully in order to protect and empower our citizens. And finally, the SDGs were highlighted as a great platform for benchmarking our cities and serving our communities.
“As we start to imagine Canada’s future communities, we should emphasize the positive impact our technologies, policies and innovations are going to have for the people that make up our cities.”
Heading into the final event in Vancouver, we will be exploring other key dimensions of our city communities; including food, health, economy, and sustainable finance. We look forward to gaining momentum as we seek to mobilize our partners and Waterloo community towards shaping Canada’s Future Cities and Communities.
Share your thoughts on potential solutions, ideas, or networks that can mobilize Canada’s Future Cities.
