The University of Waterloo’s Future Cities Institute (FCI) founded by CAIVAN brings together a global network of interdisciplinary researchers from a variety of fields, industry leaders, practitioners, students and community members to develop new tools and approaches for building healthy and prosperous cities.
Help shape the Vision 1 Million Scorecard
We’re working to make the BestWR Vision 1 Million Scorecard a powerful tool for understanding how ready our region is for a population of one million. We need your insights on critical areas like housing, transportation, health, employment, and livability; where are we prepared, and where do we need to improve?
Your feedback is confidential and will directly inform updates to the scorecard. Thank you for helping us build a better, more resilient future.
Fostering – We promote the integration of research, teaching, and knowledge mobilization to drive innovative city and community solutions.
Healthy – We embrace a One Health approach, recognizing the interconnectedness of human, environmental, and planetary well-being.
Prosperous – We create the conditions for communities to thrive socially and economically by fostering employment, innovation, education, and inclusive growth that benefits citizens.
Future – We explore multiple plausible futures, not just preferred ones, ensuring adaptable and resilient city and community strategies.
Cities and Communities – We engage with municipalities and Indigenous communities to collaboratively shape sustainable development.
News
Ideas in Action: Highlights from World Cities Week 2025
That’s a wrap on World Cities Week 2025!
This year’s program brought together students, researchers, and practitioners for a dynamic mix of panels, workshops, and hands-on sessions exploring how cities can adapt, connect, and thrive in an ever-changing world.
Each conversation reflected the energy and creativity that define the University of Waterloo and the Future Cities Institute, where ideas move from research to real-world impact through collaboration across disciplines.
Voices of the Future: Exploring AI and Agentic Tech at Waterloo
The Future Cities Institute gathered at the University of Waterloo for a fast-paced hackathon exploring how AI and agentic technologies can support the cities of tomorrow.
Co-sponsored by the Future Cities Institute and ElevenLabs, the day brought together students, researchers and builders to design tools for housing, mobility, and community services, with a strong focus on voice and co-pilot applications.
A huge thank you to guest judges from Google, NVIDIA, and ElevenLabs.
AI and the Future of Traffic Management
FCI member Dr. Jeff Casello joined CTV News for a live interview on the use of AI-powered traffic lights, highlighting both the promise and the practical realities of bringing this technology to different urban contexts.
Reflecting on a Quebec town’s success using AI to ease gridlock, Dr. Casello noted that adaptive systems can meaningfully improve traffic flow when supported by the right infrastructure. Larger cities like Toronto, he explained, face additional layers of complexity that make implementation more challenging. Higher traffic volumes, layered governance, and older infrastructure make it more difficult to replicate Kirkland’s dramatic success. As Casello noted, while Toronto could benefit from adaptive signals, it won’t see the same “really large increases in performance.”
Events
Ideathon 2026
We’re excited to let you know that Ideathon is now open for Winter 2026, a fast-paced, creativity-first challenge designed for students who love brainstorming, problem-solving, and building ideas that matter. It’s an opportunity to work on a real urban challenge in Waterloo Region.
Earn a $325 honorarium, as well as a certificate of completion.
This Ideathon focuses on adaptive reuse, where student teams will reimagine vacant commercial, industrial, and heritage spaces into sustainable, community-centred solutions.
You’ll collaborate with students from different programs, apply creative and analytical thinking, and explore how design, sustainability, and economic feasibility come together in the real world.
The Ideathon will run from January 22-29th, and has a time commitment of 16 hours. On the final day, you will pitch your solution to a panel of judges. Mandatory sessions include the virtual kickoff, and the final day of presentations.
All years and level of study are invited to apply.
Apply now: https://uwaterloo.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_26u6xf1UGUHmXhc
The Experience Ventures program, powered by the Hunter Hub for Entrepreneurial Thinking at the University of Calgary, empowers college and university students to make a meaningful impact alongside real-world innovators.
Nadine Ibrahim: The Future is Now, so What Are We Building?
Building cities we care about, together
There is no force for change more powerful than a community that understands what it values and why. This event invites that conversation.
Join the Future Cities Institute for a talk and discussion with Nadine Ibrahim, Associate Professor at the University of Waterloo and Turkstra Chair of Urban Engineering.
Nadine’s work explores how cities can be designed, governed, and experienced in ways that support strong communities and better outcomes for people. She brings a holistic lens to urban challenges, connecting social, cultural, environmental, and economic perspectives to help leaders and practitioners think differently about how cities grow and change.
At FCI, Nadine plays a key role in building communities of practice that bring together municipal leaders, researchers, and practitioners to learn from one another and move ideas into action. Her approach makes complex urban systems understandable and relevant, whether you work in academia, government, industry, or community spaces.
This event is an opportunity to reflect on what we care about in our cities, how those priorities are shaped, and how shared learning can help inform better decisions for the places we call home.
All are welcome.
Future Cities x Velocity Speed Hack
Urgency matters when cities face real challenges.
We are very excited to support the upcoming Speed Hackathon, run by Velocity, and open to all students at the University of Waterloo, no matter your program or background.
No technical experience required!
In just three hours, you will be matched into teams to ideate, research, and shape early-stage solutions to some of the most pressing challenges facing cities today. This fast format is designed to build confidence and move ideas forward quickly.
Problem spaces include:
• Accelerating housing development and approval processes
• Using AI to improve municipal decision-making
• Rethinking infrastructure through nature-based approaches
• Creating more affordable and efficient mobility options
