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
FCI Joining Forces to Imagine the Next Chapter of Waterloo’s North Campus
Members of the Future Cities Institute joined a roundtable with the David Johnston Research + Technology Park leadership team to help shape the new strategic plan and district design for the University of Waterloo’s North Campus. Representatives from the Faculties of Environment, Health, Mathematics, and Engineering participated in a wide-ranging discussion on the future of the campus, exploring how North Campus can better connect students with emerging industries, community partners, and opportunities for collaborative innovation.
For the Future Cities Institute, the session reflects an important part of our mission. While FCI regularly connects students and researchers with industry, government, and nonprofit partners beyond the university, the conversation highlighted the impact the Institute can have on campus itself. FCI is determined to create time, space, and support for faculty and students to work across disciplines, shaping not only future cities but also the future of Waterloo.
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.
