News

University of Waterloo student Neil Simmons and his classmates took first place at Toronto's TransitData Challenge 2026 by developing TTC ScheduleWatch, an interactive tool that tracks streetcar delays stop by stop across 100,000 trips. Connected with FCI Mobility Cluster Lead Dr. Jeff Casello through FCI Director Dr. Leia Minaker, the student team used live GPS data and neighbourhood demographics to highlight transit gaps and propose evidence-backed schedule improvements.

The Future Cities Institute founded by CAIVAN partnered with Velocity to host the Future Cities Innovation Challenge. The high-intensity, two-week sprint brought interdisciplinary student teams together to build data-backed business concepts targeting the Canadian housing crisis, modern infrastructure demands, and municipal service systems.

What started as an interdisciplinary i-Capstone collaboration has grown into a transformative partnership between the City of Iqaluit and the Future Cities Institute. Faced with complex infrastructure challenges in a harsh Artic environment, the city turned to Waterloo co-op students to bring fresh thinking and technical expertise to the table, and the results have been impactful.  

Engineering student Ahraz Yousuf spent a co-op term in Iqaluit, modernizing the city’s fleet management system. From implementing Fleetio software to building custom tools and leading multi-department training, Yousuf’s work has helped streamline operations and improve service delivery in the North. “I got to build something from the ground up,” he shared. “It allowed me to step outside of the traditional software development and into stakeholder collaboration.” 

This partnership continues to create opportunities for students to apply their skills in meaningful, community-driven projects, advancing real innovation in Canada’s northern cities. 

From AI-powered civic tools to sustainable housing solutions, University of Waterloo students came together to present interdisciplinary projects tackling real-world issues at this year's i-Capstone symposium. 

Held on March 26, the event showcased student creativity, teamwork and dedication to solving real-world urban challenges. Designed to unite students from every faculty, i-Capstone — the University of Waterloo’s first interdisciplinary undergraduate capstone program — enables students to tackle complex problems facing Canadian communities while working with real world partners, all for academic credit. This includes areas like sustainable housing, infrastructure and integrated urban planning.

A new collaboration between the University of Waterloo and the City of Iqaluit is allowing students to apply their skills to real-world challenges — all while making a tangible difference in the North.

New article alert from FCI member Michael Drescher!

How can cities balance urban growth with climate adaptation? Dr. Michael Drescher, from the School of Planning at the University of Waterloo, explores this challenge in his latest journal article: "Nature’s role in residential development: Identifying leverage points for climate change planning in Ontario, Canada."

The Future Cities Institute (FCI) proudly celebrates Robin Mazumder for his recent invited commentary published in Nature Human Behaviour. Mazumder's innovative concept, "neuromimicry," applies structural and dynamical insights from neuroscience to inspire the creation of healthier, more adaptable urban environments.

Congratulations to Dr. David C. Del Rey Fernández on being named Pratt & Whitney Canada’s new Industry-Sponsored Research Chair in Industrial AI! 🎉 As an Assistant Professor in Applied Mathematics at the University of Waterloo and a valued member of the Future Cities Institute, David's interdisciplinary research will drive innovation at the intersection of AI, computational mathematics, and sustainable aeronautics.

Look, it’s us! The Future Cities Institute is officially making waves in Waterloo News!

We’re here to help local governments (and others!) build better cities by bringing together global thinkers, industry leaders, and researchers to tackle today’s biggest urban challenges, on everything from housing, climate, infrastructure, and beyond. Our goal? Healthy, prosperous cities that are resilient, inclusive, and built for the future.

Read more about us and how we’re shaping tomorrow’s cities in hashtagUWaterloo news: https://bit.ly/4goIfoa