The Leading Urban Change professional development program is an exclusive executive learning experience tailored for mid- and senior-level leaders working in the public, private, and not-for-profit sectors. Each year, the program focuses on a vital theme – in Spring 2026, the theme is cross-sector collaboration for urban transformation.
This School of Cities program empowers participants with the essential skills and tools to drive equitable urban transformation at local, regional, and national levels.
Program overview
Format:
Online synchronous and in-person sessions
Location:
School of Cities, University of Toronto and Zoom
Class size:
Under 25 learners
Duration:
7 weeks (26 hours of engagement)
Applications open:
December 9, 2026
Applications close:
February 20, 2026
Registration closes:
March 27, 2026
Program dates:
Apr 29 – Jun 11, 2026
Fees*:
Private sector: $3,800
Public sector: $2,500
Non-profit sector: $2,000
* Subject to 13% HST
* Does not include travel to and accommodation in Toronto for the in-person sessions
Each application is thoroughly reviewed to ensure the workplace initiative aligns with the program’s objectives and is a good fit for the cohort (this can be a current, upcoming, or previous initiative). If space is available, applicants will be notified of their admission and invited to complete their registration with payment for the program within two weeks. Please feel free to email us at education.sofc@utoronto.ca with any questions or concerns you may have.
How this program made a difference
“Leading urban change is important right now because I think we are in a moment that feels inevitable, and the systems that govern it feel invisible. LUC brings those things out into the light and forces us to examine them with knowledge and with data, but also with colleagues who have seen it from different angles – and that really brings to the surface the fact that none of this is inevitable.”
– Sandi Martin, Muskoka Community Land Trust, Spring 2025 learner
“I think when you ground yourself in being a student again, it gives you so many opportunities to be innovative – to change perspective, to find out something, to discover an idea you hadn’t thought of.”
– Anyika Mark, Little Jamaica Community Land Trust, Spring 2025 learner
“The professors were fantastic – beyond what I was expecting. But it came down to the people who you connect with – for what they bring and what you can give as well. I gained personal growth, career growth, business growth.”
– Richard Tseng, Hus Group, Spring 2025 learner
– Jordan Soggie, Homeway Benefits, Spring 2025 learner
– Anyika Mark, Little Jamaica Community Land Trust, Spring 2025 learner
Program description
Cities are where we solve global problems, because they create a platform for people to come together and innovate on solutions. But urban change is hard, as it demands navigating divergent priorities, regulatory environments, and stakeholder interests. Big problems in cities cannot be solved by a single department, ministry, think tank or company. Leaders must work together across sectors and be open to new ideas, tools, and tactics.
The six-week, intimate, hands-on Leading Urban Change program will remind you that urban development doesn’t need to be a zero-sum game, and will help you shift from a scarcity mindset focused on deficits, to an abundance mindset based on leveraging assets. It will also teach you how to build soft power – to convene people and surface ideas that draw others to the table. We approach leadership as stemming from aspiration and commitment.
Learners use the program to move a current or previous initiative forward through structured activities and applied learning – working through barriers, engaging stakeholders, and designing actionable strategies tailored to their leadership goals and local context.
Key benefits of the program
Leading Urban Change is a project accelerator. Learners will focus on an ongoing, completed, or forthcoming workplace initiative or challenge, exploring strategies and mechanisms to overcome barriers and identify growth opportunities. The program offers engagement with industry practitioners, experts, peers from across sectors, and opportunities to expand professional networks.
Some key benefits include:
- Practical tools to advance a workplace initiative
- Enhanced strategic leadership for cross-sector collaboration
- Frameworks for systems-level thinking across urban challenges
- Resources and insights into financing, governance, partnership, and engagement
- Opportunities to apply data storytelling and equity-centered approaches
- Access to an expanded professional network and expert instruction
- Option to collaborate in a profile write-up of your initiative, for publication on the School of Cities website
Program dates
🗓️ April 29, 12–2 p.m. EST
Session 1: Program introduction
🗓️ May 4, 9-5 p.m. EST
Session 2: Identifying values, mapping challenges
[In-person session]
🗓️ May 5, 9-5 p.m. EST
Session 3: Collaborative action and equity: Elevating narratives and teamwork
[In-person session]
🗓️ May 14, 12–2 p.m. EST
Session 4: Finance
🗓️ May 21, 12–2 p.m. EST
Session 5: Partnership
🗓️ May 28, 12–2 p.m. EST
Session 6: Engagement
🗓️ Jun 4, 12–2 p.m. EST
Session 7: Governance
🗓️ Jun 11, 12–2 p.m. EST
Session 8: Program wrap up
Program instructors
Karen Chapple (program lead): Director, School of Cities; Professor, Department of Geography & Planning, U of T
Nouman Ashraf (program lead): Associate Professor, Teaching Stream, Organizational Behaviour and Human Resource Management, Rotman School of Management, U of T
Lisa Helps (program lead): Executive Lead, BC Builds; former Housing Solutions Advisor to the B.C. Premier; former Mayor of Victoria
Enid Slack (session 4): Director, Institute on Municipal Finance & Governance, U of T
Matti Siemiatycki (session 5): Director, Infrastructure Institute; Professor, Department of Geography & Planning, U of T
Nation Cheong (session 6): Urbanist-in-Residence, School of Cities; Vice President, Community Impact and Mobilization, United Way Greater Toronto
Gabriel Eidelman (session 7): Director, Urban Policy Lab; Associate Professor, Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy and Institute for Management and Innovation, U of T
| Program and learner summary | ||
| Program overview | The Leading Urban Change (LUC) program is an action-oriented professional development experience for mid- to senior-level professionals in municipal government, the public sector, private industry, and non-profit organizations. This is not a traditional leadership course – it’s a hands-on, real-world learning journey where you drive the work. Learners bring an active or previous workplace initiative aligned with the program’s theme(s) and use the experience as a structured opportunity to move it forward. With access to practical tools, a community of peers, and expert guidance, you’ll work through barriers, engage stakeholders, and design actionable strategies tailored to your context and leadership goals. | |
| Program length and modality | 7 weeks – 26 hours of instructional time (6 online sessions of two hours each + 2 full days in-person at U of T) | |
| Program structure | Deep dives into cross-sector partnerships, financing, governance innovation, equity-centered leadership, and urban change frameworks Final presentations for learners to reflect on the evolution of their initiative and leadership approach and outline their next steps for moving the work forward | |
| Target audience | • Local government senior staff • Urban planners and designers • Policy advisors/analysts | Integrated land use strategistsReal estate developersCommunity development advocatesFinancial and economic professionals |
| Program learning outcomes | Upon successful completion of this program, learners will be able to: • Cultivate soft power techniques to engage stakeholders and foster partnerships to align diverse interests and gain buy-in across sectors for project realization. • Identify institutional, bureaucratic, and/or policy-related obstacles and explore strategies to address them, including identifying key decision-makers, allies, and/or resources. • Identify potential partners in government, private industry, non-profit organizations, community partners, etc., and develop collaboration strategies to align goals and mobilize resources. • Build connections with peers, experts, and key stakeholders to expand your professional network and articulate steps to leveraging those relationships in advancing on project and career goals. • Refine a current workplace initiative by integrating insights from experts and peers, and articulate a clear vision for action. | |
| Unique program elements | • Real-world application: work directly on your own current workplace initiative throughout the program. • Peer learning & collaboration: build long-term connections and exchange insights with a diverse, cross-sector cohort. • Practical solutions, not just theory: walk away with a refined strategy, implementation plan, and professional support network to advance your workplace initiative. • Opportunity to spotlight your initiative: each participant brings a current workplace initiative into the program. With support from our team, it may be published as a short School of Cities profile that outlines the context, key barriers, enabling conditions, and next steps to highlight the real-world challenges and opportunities leaders are navigating across the urban sector. (see examples in “Urban change in practice” section below) | |
| Learner recognition | Certificate of Completion from the School of Cities, University of Toronto | |
Session 1: Introduction to the program and learner opening presentations
This session provides context, opening reflections, and examples of LUC presented by program instructors. It’s also an opportunity for learners to frame their workplace initiatives and the challenges they’re facing to colleagues and instructors.
Session 2 and 3: Identifying values, mapping challenges and Collaborative action and equity: Elevating narratives and teamwork
Two days of in-person sessions cover a range of topics to assist and inspire learners on their urban leadership journey while beginning a deep dive into the initiatives that learners bring to the program.
Topics:
- Learning as leaders, teaming for impact
- Values, Problems, Solutions, Action framework
- From intent to impact: Obstacle removal and initiative mapping
- The power of partnerships to unlock initiative acceleration
- Data storytelling
- Connecting identity to impact: Centering equity
Session 4: Fiscal logic
This session will explore how to make the case for urban change from a fiscal perspective, based on an understanding of the components of the city budget, where municipalities get their money (and how your workplace initiative might generate revenues or incur costs), and how budgets differ across the orders of government.
Topics:
- How cities pay for services and infrastructure (including funding and financing mechanisms)
- Financial challenges facing cities and the impact on city priorities
- Interplay between revenue sources and patterns of growth
Session 5: Enhancing cross-sectoral collaboration for urban solutions
This session goes behind the scenes of building successful, high-impact partnerships that make it possible to implement complex urban developments such as housing, transit-oriented development, and sustainable mobility. The session will explore how to build trust and mutual accountability across sectors; mobilize and sustain resources for complex projects; and scale solutions across time and space.
Topics:
- Partnering across government, non-profit, and private sectors
- Goals, resources, and decision-making structures
- Resource mobilization
- Scaling and sustaining your workplace initiative
Session 6: Meaningful engagement and co-creation with communities
This session focuses on co-creating solutions with communities through true collaboration among residents, organizations, and governments. Participants will learn tools to create deeply supportive and highly accountable environments, identify meaningful data, and strategies to respond effectively when assumptions are challenged or plans change.
Topics:
- Self-locating within systems
- Designing for impact
- Cultural attunement
- Building and sustaining capacity
- Navigating conflict with care and creativity
Session 7: Getting it done
This session examines how to navigate institutional barriers and seize political openings to move ideas forward. It focuses on understanding the obstacles in your path, recognizing where authority and influence sit, and identifying opportunities for change across sectors and jurisdictions. The session looks at how to read power dynamics, engage government audiences, and use strategies that help overcome roadblocks and build effective campaigns.
Topics:
- Identifying barriers, power dynamics, and points of influence
- Spotting political openings and opportunities for change
- Navigating bureaucracy and engaging government audiences
Session 8: Final presentations, peer feedback, and program wrap up
This final session is an opportunity for learners to make closing presentations by looking back on their opening ones and reflecting on how their thinking, context, or approach has shifted during the program. What insights or challenges have emerged and how have the ideas, tools, or feedback from the program influenced learner initiatives and leadership approaches? What actions, adaptations, or strategies will be carried forward in projects and workplaces? The session also provides opportunities for peer reflection and feedback.
Who is it for?
Leaders with a passion and curiosity for integrating across traditional silos to build and execute an urban change agenda.
This program is for mid- to senior-level professionals from the public, private, and not-for-profit sectors who are driving urban change to build more equitable, sustainable, and connected communities. We welcome individuals and teams who are advancing workplace initiatives that intersect with policy, planning, design, development, infrastructure, and community wellbeing. The program is particularly well-suited to teams of two or more from the same organization or cross-sector collaborators working together on a shared initiative.
FAQs
Absolutely! The program is designed to accommodate participants at different phases of their initiatives, from initial concept to implementation.
Sessions are delivered through a mix of online and in-person formats with interactive workshops, activities, and discussions.
At this time, School of Cities does not offer scholarships, bursaries, or financial assistance. Participants are encouraged to explore funding opportunities through their employers, professional associations, or local grants to support their enrollment in the program.
Yes, this program qualifies for a T2202 form. To receive the form, provide your Social Insurance Number (SIN) when registering. The T2202 form will be issued at tax time for your records.
Currently, payment plans are not available.
The program is designed to be responsive and tailored to meet the evolving needs of professionals. Themes are selected based on emerging trends and challenges. To stay informed about upcoming opportunities, check the program’s webpage or subscribe to updates from the School of Cities in the page footer below.
Yes, participants who successfully complete the program will receive a Certificate of Completion from the School of Cities, University of Toronto. The program undergoes a rigorous quality assurance process to ensure it meets high academic and professional standards, including regular updates based on participant feedback and industry best practices.
Urban change in practice
These profiles share an overview of past program learners’ workplace initiatives and explore the challenges that shaped the work, the impact and potential for scaling, and the key lessons learned along the way.
Questions about the program?
Feel free to contact us about fee and payment options, program content and applicability, or anything else: email us at education.sofc@utoronto.ca
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Each application is thoroughly reviewed to ensure the workplace initiative aligns with the program’s objectives and is a good fit for the cohort. If space is available applicants will be notified of their admission and invited to complete their registration with payment for the program.