Events

Join Tai Huynh, Editor-in-Chief at The Local, to unpack how cities can be health promoting but they can also make us unwell. How they do this often isn’t very visible and goes beyond plainly obvious things like walkability or road safety. Using Toronto as a case study and drawing on his work at The Local, Huynh will discuss the social determinants of health within the context of a dense urban setting.

Over the span of two weeks, University of Waterloo students will collaborate in multidisciplinary teams to develop innovative solutions for urban challenges. These challenges address pressing issues that cities are facing. Our innovation challenges provide a dynamic, low-risk environment for students to explore creative ideas, with a strong emphasis on applying learning and research to real-world city contexts. Through industry collaborations, students gain rapid insights and feedback, learning how to transform ideas into impactful solutions that can drive positive change in urban development.

Join Sandy Little, Director of Strategic Initiatives at the City of Waterloo, to explore linkages between housing, health (with a focus on planetary health specific to climate change), and humanity highlighting homelessness and the importance of connecting and collaborating with municipal divisions, other levels of government, and community strategic partners in this work.

Join us for the i-Capstone Symposium on March 26, 2025, at the E7 Event Space (Second Floor Atrium), University of Waterloo. This annual event showcases the innovative work of fourth-year students from diverse disciplines as they tackle real-world urban challenges in collaboration with industry and community partners.

• Poster Presentations: 3:30 PM - 7:30 PM
• Welcome & Speeches: 5:00 PM - 7:30 PM (Guests are welcome to attend throughout the event.)

Explore interdisciplinary projects, engage with students, and witness the future of cities come to life through innovative research and design. Whether you're a student, industry professional, faculty member, or community partner, this is a unique opportunity to connect with the next generation of change-makers.

We look forward to seeing you there!

The Future Cities Conference is a premier gathering that connects researchers, innovators, and municipal leaders in tackling the challenges facing cities today. Through inspiring keynotes, collaborative break out sessions, and dynamic discussions, the conference fosters partnerships as well as solutions for sustainable, prosperous, and healthy cities. It’s a platform to share ideas, build networks, and kick start impactful change in city development.