World Cities Week

Activity Name: A Year-in-Review on Future Cities and Urban Engineering in 2025 

Time: 9:30-10:30 AM 

Description: Update on Turkstra Chair Activities for Urban Engineering and Future Cities Institute updates on training and research since World Cities Week 2024.  

Activity Name: LEGO Activity: Build Your Own City 

Time: 12-1:30 PM 

Description: LEGO activity to build a city’s underground and above ground while meeting sustainability objectives.  

Activity Name: Workshop: Canada’s Lesser-Known Tornado and Hail Alleys 

Time: 9:30-11:00 AM 

Presenter: Aaron Jaffe, Engineering Researcher with the Canadian Severe Storms Laboratory (CSSL) 

Description: Aaron Jaffe, Engineering Researcher with the Canadian Severe Storms Laboratory (CSSL), will discuss and explore Canada’s various severe convective storms. From tornadoes to hail, you will learn all about these storms, including their impacts on built environments, the research that the CSSL does with them, and internship opportunities at the CSSL.   

Activity Name: Agree-Disagree Spectrum 

Time: 12:30-2:00 PM 

Description: Adrian Buttazzoni and Christina Tjandra invite you to share your perspectives on complex issues about smart cities by positioning yourself along an agree–disagree spectrum. This activity is meant to encourage the exploration of divergent perspectives on complex issues, as well as promote interpersonal engagement in a respectful and academic manner, so please come prepared to chat! 

Activity Name: University of Waterloo “In-Residence” Roles for Future Cities 

Time: 9:30-11:00 AM 

Presenters:  Andrew Farr (Engineer-in-Residence), Leslie Woo (Planner-in-Residence), Helen Kerr (Practitioner-in-Residence), Samantha Eby (Emerging Practitioner)

Description: The University of Waterloo’s Engineer-in-Residence, Planner-in-Residence, Practitioner-in-Residence and Emerging Practitioner in the School of Architecture share their visions for future cities from an engineering, planning, futurist/foresight, and architecture perspectives. We will also discuss the value of the “in-Residence” roles as they add value to the academic mission and how we reimagine future cities.  

Activity Name: Turkstra Talk by Andrew Farr 

Time: 1:00-2:30 PM 

Description: The Turkstra Talks is a distinguished speaker series that brings cities into our classrooms to revitalize our urban perspectives and motivate our connections to cities. This month’s talk is a special one for World Cities Week. Join the CAO of Halton Region, Andrew Farr, as he shares his Region’s impact and influence on the Canadian Engineering Grand Challenges. 

Activity Name: Career Exploration at Halton Region 

Time: 9:30-11:00 AM 

Presenter: Andrew Farr 

Description: An engaging career exploration event by Halton Region’s CAO, Andrew Farr, to discover the diverse career pathways within the public sector and gain valuable insights into the skills and qualifications to excel in these roles. Questions from participants are encouraged. 

Activity Name: Civil Engineers and Planners Working Towards Urban Prosperity  

Time: 12:00-1:00PM 

Presenters: Fam Saeed (PhD Student, Civil Engineering), Dr. Candice Chen (Postdoctoral Fellow, School of Planning and Future Cities Institute) 

Description: Fam Saeed will present on his research in civil engineering on Schedule Optimization for Construction Projects Considering Environmental Sustainability, and Dr. Candice Chen will present on her research in planning on Socio-Technical Transitions in Motion: Urban Pathways to Electric Mobility and Clean Energy. 

Activity Name: Recognizing UN World Cities Day and focus on Bogota 

Time: 9:30-10:30 AM 

Presenter: Mathieu Feagan 

Description: Oct 31st marks the UN World Cities Day which is a day of global observance for world cities and the importance of sustainable urban design and development. This year’s theme for the 2025 World Cities Day is “People-Centred Smart Cities.” The host city this year is Bogota, Columbia. Dr. Mathieu Feagan, Dr. Leslie Wexler and Dr. Duvan Lopez will share their research on Just Transitions with Bogotá's Peri-Urban Communities: Stories of Resistance, Urban Transformation, and Different Intelligences as a way to give spotlight on Bogota.