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.

A special thank-you goes to Dr. Nadine Ibrahim, whose leadership made this week possible, and to FCI postdoctoral researchers Candice Yixin Chen, and Adrian Buttazzoni for sharing their insights throughout the events.

We also extend our appreciation to our speakers and partners: Aaron Jaffe (Canadian Severe Storms Laboratory), Andrew Farr (Engineer-in-Residence), Leslie Woo (Planner-in-Residence), Helen Kerr (Practitioner-in-Residence), Samantha Eby (Emerging Practitioner), and Drs. Mathieu Feagan, Leslie Wexler, Duvan Lopez, and Fam Saeed.

World Cities Week 2025 showcased what makes our community so strong, practical ideas, shared expertise, and meaningful collaboration.