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In a CTV News feature, Future Cities Institute member Dr. Jeff Casello shared his perspective on Metrolinx’s plan to expand GO Train service to Kitchener, emphasizing the need for timely action and clear government commitment. 

“I would hope that would be less than a two-year project. I think that’s really reasonable,” he told CTV News. “The construction companies that know how to do that work, we have that. What it really is about is a government priority to moving this forward and dedicating the resources in a meaningful way.” 

The Future Cities Institute was in attendance on October 15, 2025, at Bold Urban Futures: How to Build Healthier, More Resilient Communities, a packed evening of dialogue, connection and future-focused thinking in downtown Vancouver. 

Hosted at the TELUS Garden and part of the University of Waterloo’s Global Futures series, this special event brought together city-builders, University of Waterloo Alumni and partners working at the edge of change. 

FCI Director, Dr. Leia Minaker, joined an inspiring speaker lineup alongside Lisa Helps (Executive Lead, BC Builds at BC Housing) and Dr. Joyce Kim (Assistant Professor, Civil & Environmental Engineering and Cluster Lead on Housing at FCI) to explore how collaboration, innovation and evidence can help reimagine Canadian urban life. 

In a CBC News story, a CEO invites the community to help reimagine a mall in Saint John, New Brunswick, and turns to research voices like Pierre Filion, Master of Future Cities instructor and Waterloo emeritus professor, to unpack the urban questions behind this challenge. 

Pierre’s insights draw from his research on the decline of urban malls and their attempts to reinvent themselves. His perspective reminds us that thriving city centres depend not just on buildings, but on the people who fill them, residents, students, workers, and visitors shaping vibrant urban ecosystems.

FCI member Dr. Peter Crank has been awarded $78,000 from the Canada Foundation for Innovation John R. Evans Leaders Fund to support infrastructure for his new research project: Addressing urban (over)heating in a warming climate.
 
Through this project, Peter and supporting researchers, including FCI Director Dr. Leia Minaker, will generate critical data to help Canadian cities understand and reduce the health risks associated with rising urban temperatures. 
 
Their work will explore key links between: 
- Extreme urban heat and human health 
- Urban air quality and health outcomes 
- Urban green space and cooling potential 

Future Cities Institute Managing Director Eryn Stewart joined a powerful conversation with one of the world’s most respected voices in climate and development: Sir Andrew Steer. The conversation was presented as part of the TD Walter Bean Lecture 2025. 

Speaking to a full auditorium of Grade 8-12 students, Sir Andrew shared why this generation has what it takes to shape the future of our cities, our communities, and our planet through bold ideas and grounded action. Drawing on a career that has spanned the World Bank, the World Resources Institute, and the Bezos Earth Fund, his message was clear: leadership starts now. 

Eryn brought a sharp and Future Cities Institute lens to the discussion, reflecting on what it means to build resilient cities and how young people across Canada are already doing that work through applied research, community partnerships, and new ways of thinking. 

Watch the full lecture: https://youtu.be/hIlQ3jcPXkQ  

The University of Waterloo Faculty of Environment welcomed Sir Andrew Steer as the 2025 TD Walter Bean Professor in Environment, bringing decades of global insight to a packed lecture on the future of our cities, communities, and ecosystems. The lecture was presented as part of the University of Waterloo’s Waterloo at 100 vision and in partnership with the Future Cities Institute. 

Following the lecture, FCI Director Dr. Leia Minaker moderated a wide-ranging conversation on the scale of the climate challenge and the opportunities for action across sectors.

As extreme weather events strain the limits of Canada’s urban infrastructure, researchers are turning to the land itself for answers. In this new article for The Conversation Canada, Future Cities Institute member Michael Drescher and co-author Jeremy Pittman explore how Canadian cities can rethink flood mitigation, tree cover, and water systems by embracing nature-based solutions. 

Policy shifts, especially at the municipal and provincial levels, could unlock broader use of these approaches. Investing in tools that rigorously quantify climate adaptation benefits and fostering public–private collaboration are key steps. From crafting more actionable policies to integrating new decision-making tools, this work will require collective effort. 

Read the article: https://theconversation.com/canadian-cities-can-prepare-for-climate-change-by-building-with-nature-263608  

Big news! FCI is honoured to be among the inaugural recipients of the University of Waterloo’s Global Futures Fund. This support will help power our role in BUILD NOW: Waterloo Region, a bold initiative and living lab embedded in North America’s largest affordable homeownership development. With this funding, we’ll help advance research, education, and services to scale sustainable housing solutions, engage students through capstones and co-ops, and connect Canada’s housing innovation ecosystem to the ENoLL (European Network of Living Labs). 

For us at FCI, this is recognition of the impact that interdisciplinary, cross-sector partnerships can have in tackling urgent challenges like housing affordability. It’s also a celebration of what’s possible when universities, communities, governments, and industry work together to test and scale solutions in real time. 

The Faculty of Environment and FCI welcomed the latest cohort of the Master of Future Cities (MFC) program to campus for their on-site residency, an intensive deep dive introduction into systems thinking, urban collaboration, and interdisciplinary methods.⁣ 

In their first week, students explored how cities operate, and how to imagine, design and lead change across complex, interdependent challenges. They connected across sectors, built shared language, and tackled real-world problems through hands-on workshops and peer learning.⁣ 

The residency wrapped with team presentations that showcased just how much insight, ambition and clarity can be built in a short time, when the right tools and relationships are in place.⁣ 

FCI member Dr. Maria Strack was recently featured in The Conversation Canada, where she highlighted the vital role wetlands play in our climate future. Covering 14% of Canada and storing twice as much carbon as the world’s forests, wetlands are among the most powerful natural climate solutions we have.  

With a quarter of the world’s remaining wetlands, Canada carries a global responsibility to safeguard these ecosystems. In her opinion piece, “Canadian wetlands are treasures that deserve protection,” Dr. Strack calls for urgent action to protect wetlands as natural infrastructure, biodiversity havens, and irreplaceable carbon banks. 

Read the article: https://theconversation.com/canadian-wetlands-are-treasures-that-deserve-protection-261433