Upcoming Events

The Canadian Urban Institute is proud to be co-presenting The Art of City Building, a free annual conference designed to inspire conversations around urgency in action and change.

Originating out of Halifax, a city that lives at the intersection where the land meets the sea, Art of City Building 2020 brings together thought leaders and disruptors from around the globe to challenge and inspire us to think about their cities and ourselves in new ways.

We are at a critical intersection, where the opportunity for real change is before us. A global pandemic crisis. An economic crisis. A crisis of inequity and social injustice. A climate crisis. And, possibly, a crisis of existential fear and powerlessness in the face of these wicked problems. These significant challenges necessitate new thinking and bold action. The old paradigms for city-building no longer feel sufficient to meet the challenges and opportunities before us – for transformation. It is in this context that open and inventive dialogue has never been more urgent.

This year’s lineup of presenters includes:

• Julian Agyeman, Professor of Urban and Environmental Policy and Planning at Tufts University, Boston, US
• Alex Bozikovic, Author and Architecture Critic, Globe and Mail, Toronto, CA
• Tamika L. Butler, Juris Doctor from Stanford Law, national expert and speaker on issues related to equity, anti-racism, diversity and inclusion, organizational behavior, and change management, Los Angeles, US
• Albus Brooks, Vice President of Business Development and Strategy for Milender White, Development and Construction Firm, Denver, US
• Kimberly Driggins, Executive Director of the Washington Housing Conservancy, Washington, DC, US
• Jeff Goodell, Author, Energy and Environment Expert and Investigative Journalist, Rolling Stone, New York, US
• Eric Klinenberg, Professor of Social Science and Director of the Institute for Public Knowledge at New York University, New York, US
• Uytae Lee, Journalist, ‘Rethink the City’, CBC, Video Producer, Vancouver, CA
• Jay Pitter, MES, Award-winning Placemaker and Author, Toronto, CA
• Katherine Peinhardt, German Chancellor Fellow supported by the Alexander von Humboldt-Stiftung and hosted by the German Development Institute (Deutsches Institut für Entwicklungspolitik), Bonn, DE
• Mary W. Rowe, President & CEO, Canadian Urban Institute, Toronto, CA