A national call for transformative local solutions
This is a time of extraordinary uncertainty in Canada, but we know there are already great ideas at the local level for how to address our economic, social, environmental, and cultural challenges. Are you finding solutions in your community? We want to hear from you! The Canadian Urban Institute and the University of Toronto’s School of Cities are launching a national call for local ideas that work, to identify effective approaches to solving place-based challenges.
Share your solution
Local solutions are the building blocks for community resilience and better places. We want to learn about the made-in-community approaches that are already working and have the potential to scale.
We welcome submissions by and about communities large and small, and from individuals or teams of planners, architects, community organizers, policy thinkers, small business champions, data providers, urbanists, public servants, artists, activists and more. Solutions may relate to any aspect of your community, including:
- Supporting the success of great local businesses
- Making it easier for people and goods to move around your region
- Prioritizing Canadian-made products and services
- Accelerating the development of affordable housing
- Promoting health, happiness, and overall well-being
- Tracking community prosperity or vitality
- Boosting creative and locally rooted industries
Projects must already be underway or implemented in some form. Please only submit initiatives in which you or your organization have been directly involved. We’re looking to spotlight a wide range of efforts from across Canada—no project is too big or too small. If it’s making a difference, we want to hear about it.
Shape Canada’s urban future
Every submission to the call for ideas will be reviewed by a dedicated team who will evaluate the measurable impacts of proposed solutions and consider policy implications. Finalists will be selected not just as standout ideas, but as real, scalable models with the potential to be put into practice nationwide.
The person or team behind selected entries will be invited to participate in one of our regional roundtables, taking place across the country in Fall 2025. Hosted with local partners and leaders, these roundtables will provide an opportunity for local issues, challenges, and solutions to be highlighted and brought forward to a pan-Canadian audience.
And for our winning ideas: we’ll bring you to Ottawa, all expenses paid, to share your solution at the annual State of Canada’s Cities Summit this December. The summit is Canada’s leading urban event, bringing together 600+ city builders from across sectors and regions to shape the future of our communities. These winning ideas will also be profiled in a published report by the School of Cities.
Submit your solutions by completing this short form by June 15, 2025.
More about the State of Canada’s Cities Summit
The State of Canada’s Cities Summit is Canada’s leading urban gathering—bringing together city builders from across sectors and regions to shape the future of our communities. Now in its third year, the 2025 Summit returns to the National Capital Region for two days of bold ideas, practical solutions, and cross-sector collaboration. Day one will feature high-impact panels and solution showcases from leaders driving change. Day two offers hands-on workshops, breakout discussions, and targeted presentations that let attendees go deeper on the issues that matter most. Held at a pivotal moment—following a year of shifting political and economic realities—the Summit is a rallying point for governments, the private sector, and community leaders to align, act, and deliver real results. A must-attend for anyone shaping the future of public life in Canada.
