Canadian Urban Institute

Background of the organization:

Established in 1990, the Canadian Urban Institute is a national organization where policymakers, urban professionals, civic and business leaders, community activists and academics come together for learning and peer support. CUI is now supporting local recovery at a national scale, working so that communities are able not only to recover from the impacts of COVID-19, but also to improve social infrastructure over the long-term, after restrictions have been lifted.

Grant Description:

A grant from the Foundation supports engaging five regional leads to contribute to three platforms: CityTalk Canada; CityShare Canada; and CityWatch Canada.

CityWatch Canada is tracking emergency response measures put in place by local governments in 60 cities across Canada, as well as monitoring municipalities in Canada with populations over 100,000. This has become the go-to place for real-time updates on local actions. CityShare Canada is a crowd-sourced, real-time platform that profiles resources, tools and stories of how city builders and residents are responding to COVID-19 with creativity and imagination. CityTalk Canada is engaging policy makers, thought leaders and practitioners in “sense-making” conversations on the impact of COVID-19 on urban life now, on the implications for how our cities will be resourced and governed going forward, and on how the planning and design of public spaces, streets, local businesses, recreation facilities, libraries, commercial life, transit, and support for vulnerable people must change.