News

The Future Cities Institute has joined forces with BUILD NOW, a $500-million initiative led by Habitat for Humanity Waterloo Region, to help deliver 10,000 new “missing middle” homes by 2030 across the Region of Waterloo. With 70% of these homes set aside for ownership and protected by a legal model that ensures lasting affordability, this is one of Canada’s most ambitious attainable housing efforts to date. 

At the heart of the project is a 25-acre living lab near RIM Park, where FCI researchers will examine how housing design and neighbourhood planning shape lives. Over 40 researchers from all 6 faculties at the University of Waterloo are already involved, bringing expertise in housing futures, urban health, and community resilience. 
 
With home prices in Canada up 77% over the past decade, and most solutions focused on rentals, homeownership is slipping out of reach, especially for younger generations. FCI is working to track what works, share evidence, and help co-create a scalable model for communities nationwide.

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. 

As Waterloo Region prepares to welcome one million residents by 2050, the Future Cities Institute has partnered with the Business and Economic Support Team of Waterloo Region (BestWR) to launch the Vision 1 million Scorecard, a first-of-its-kind academic–business collaboration. 
 
This public, data-driven tool tracks the region’s progress across five key areas: housing, transportation, healthcare, employment, and livability. Updated every six months, the scorecard highlights where the region is succeeding and where more focus is needed, helping guide investments and drive meaningful conversations across the region. 

As the academic partner, FCI is grounding the scorecard in data, equity, and long-term impact. With many regions facing similar growth challenges, this model has real potential to scale nationwide, and FCI is proud to help lead the way.

From overlooked parkettes to bustling plazas, Dr. Glover explores how thoughtful design, policy, and programming can turn public spaces into powerful catalysts for connection and community. 

“Placemaking isn’t just about aesthetics - it’s about people, purpose, and possibility,” says Dr. Glover.

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.

Future Cities Institute (FCI) member Professor Jennifer Dean was recently invited to present her research on active and sustainable transportation to the Federal Table on Healthy Cities. Professor Dean highlighted the critical challenges associated with developing a strong evidence base to guide decision-making around emerging micro-mobility technologies, such as e-bikes and e-scooters.

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.

FCI member in the News!

Jason Thistlethwaite, a member of the Future Cities Institute and a professor at the University of Waterloo’s Climate Risk Research Group, was featured in the Toronto Star discussing winter flood risks as temperatures rise.

His advice? A simple but effective hack: using pantyhose filled with road salt to prevent costly ice damming on roofs. With climate change making weather patterns more erratic, winter flooding is becoming a bigger threat to our communities.

“Flood season used to be in the spring in Canada, but now it just seems like it’s an all-around problem,” Thistlethwaite explains. His insights highlight the need for proactive climate adaptation strategies to protect homes and infrastructure.

Read more in the Toronto Star: https://bit.ly/4kelMxk