Canadian Urban Institute

The Canadian Urban Institute (CUI) has an active international practice. An important part our mandate is to share with the world Canada’s experiences of managing its urban regions and their rural hinterlands. We export Canadian expertise, import good practice from other places, and facilitate the networking of applied research on a global scale.

Our international work takes place in the context of a world facing environmental and economic crises through a period of unprecedented urbanization. With the majority of the developing world’s population now living in urban areas, cities and towns form the front line of the development campaign. This urban transition offers developing countries significant opportunities to advance sustainable economic growth and development, to improve the quality of life for all citizens, and to realize the mission of reducing poverty. But whether this potential is realized depends on the quality of urban management and the national and local policies affecting it

The CUI has a number of programs and initiatives underway around the world. We form our international partnerships with local authorities and their civil society and private sector constituents. We help our partners imagine a sustainable urban future and world towards it.

Our international practice has four objectives:
1.To strengthen the capacity of our international partners to advance urban region sustainability and poverty reduction through collaborative governance

2.To improve the accountability of local government institutions and the effectiveness of their service delivery

3.To improve equity of access by citizens and communities to local government planning and decision-making, with a strong emphasis on gender equality

4.To mobilize Canadian urban professionals, organizations and know-how in our international activities.

CUI is a leader in the design, management, implementation, financial administration and performance monitoring of large international cooperation programs. We have worked on a variety of projects related to policy development, regulatory reform, capacity building, civic engagement, planning and growth management, environmental protection, climate change adaptation, energy solutions, food security, social development, youth development, local economic development, institutional change for municipal and metropolitan governments, and urban finance. We have developed specialized experience in post-disaster recovery and post-conflict stabilization.

CUI’s international initiatives have been implemented with partners in South-East Asia, the Caribbean, Latin America, Central and Eastern Europe, the Balkans, Commonwealth of Independent States, and Africa.

The CUI gratefully acknowledges the financial support of the Government of Canada provided through the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA). Our international work has also been funded by UN-HABITAT, the World Bank, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, and the Australian Agency for International Development.
 

Please visit International Partnerships for more information.