The Canadian Urban Institute (CUI) is a national organization based in Canada dedicated to building vibrant, equitable, and sustainable cities. Established in 1990, CUI acts as a platform for collaboration among urban professionals, policymakers, community leaders, and the public, providing research, advocacy, and events that explore and address the challenges and opportunities facing Canadian cities.

History

The institute was established in 1990 by the

Municipality of Metropolitan Toronto The Municipality of Metropolitan Toronto was an Regional municipality, upper-tier level of municipal government in Ontario, Canada, from 1953 to 1998. It was made up of the Old Toronto, old city of Toronto and numerous townships, towns and vill ...

and the City of Toronto and led by veteran Toronto city councilor Richard Gilbert. Former Toronto mayor and federal cabinet minister, the Honourable

David Crombie David Edward Crombie (born April 24, 1936) is a former Canadian academic and politician who served as the 56th mayor of Toronto from 1972 to 1978. Crombie was elected to Parliament following his tenure as mayor. A member of the Progressive Co ...

, served as its president and chief executive officer from 2001 to 2007. Crombie was followed in the position by former

Winnipeg Winnipeg () is the capital and largest city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Manitoba. It is centred on the confluence of the Red River of the North, Red and Assiniboine River, Assiniboine rivers. , Winnipeg h ...

mayor Glen Murray. Murray stood down following his election to the

Legislative Assembly of Ontario The Legislative Assembly of Ontario (OLA; ) is the legislative chamber of the Canadian province of Ontario. Its elected members are known as Members of Provincial Parliament (MPPs). Bills passed by the Legislative Assembly are given royal as ...

in 2010 and was succeeded by former

Hamilton Hamilton may refer to: * Alexander Hamilton (1755/1757–1804), first U.S. Secretary of the Treasury and one of the Founding Fathers of the United States * ''Hamilton'' (musical), a 2015 Broadway musical by Lin-Manuel Miranda ** ''Hamilton'' (al ...

mayor

Fred Eisenberger Fred Eisenberger (born September 3, 1952) is a Canadian politician and former real estate agent who was the 57th mayor of Hamilton from 2014 to 2022. Eisenberger previously served as chair of the Hamilton Port Authority prior to his first ele ...

, who formally took office on February 7, 2011. Its current president and CEO is Mary W. Rowe.

Mission

The Canadian Urban Institute aims to advance the understanding and practice of urbanism in Canada. The CUI envisions Canadian cities as places where all residents can thrive, supported by resilient infrastructure, equitable access to resources, and inclusive public spaces. CUI works across several key action areas, including: * Main streets and downtowns * Housing and homelessness * Infrastructure and transit * Climate change, sustainability and resilience * Local economies * Regional leadership and governance * Equity and reconciliation

Programs

CUI holds conferences and seminars, conducts research, and produces publications on social and economic issues that impact the urban sector including social development, infrastructure, and sustainable housing. The organization presents annual Brownie Awards to groups that demonstrate leadership,

environmental sustainability Sustainability is a social goal for people to co-exist on Earth over a long period of time. Definitions of this term are disputed and have varied with literature, context, and time. Sustainability usually has three dimensions (or pillars): env ...

, and innovation. In 2020, CUI created three online platforms to provide information about the COVID-19 pandemic: CityWatch Canada, CityShare Canada, and Bring Back Main Street. In 2021, the institute launched My Main Street, a two-year program to revitalize cites' economies by providing small businesses with market research and $10,000.

International partnerships

Over the course of its history, the institute had an active international program that works in partnership with cities and regions around the world to improve planning, urban management, service delivery, environmental management, and local economic development. CUI has been active in a range of countries including the Philippines, Ethiopia, Jamaica, Cuba, Honduras, Peru, Paraguay, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and countries within Central and Eastern Europe such as Ukraine, Poland, and Latvia. The CUI is helping to advance regional economic development in

Ukraine Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the List of European countries by area, second-largest country in Europe after Russia, which Russia–Ukraine border, borders it to the east and northeast. Ukraine also borders Belarus to the nor ...

, local economic development in the Philippines, local government reform in Jamaica, and improved urban management in Ethiopia.{{Cite web , url=http://www.canurb.com/international/programming/current/ethiopia , title=CUI in Ethiopia | Canadian Urban Institute , access-date=2011-08-31 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111002092746/http://www.canurb.com/international/programming/current/ethiopia , archive-date=2011-10-02 , url-status=dead

References

External links

Official website
National institutes of urbanism Non-profit organizations based in Toronto Urban planning organizations 1990 establishments in Canada