Who We Are:

Urban Solutions is the professional service branch of the Canadian Urban Institute and houses the Institute's policy testing, innovation and evidence-based research capacities.

Drawing on our core areas of expertise in planning, economics, engineering and public policy, we undertake to enhance the development of municipal policy and provide solutions for the public and private sector not widely available in the marketplace.

Urban Solutions works with a wide range of stakeholders across Canada and internationally in both the public and private sectors to translate ideas into practical solutions and to find meaningful ways to discuss and actively address complex municipal and urban regional issues.

We provide all levels of government, businesses, associations, foundations and non-profit agencies with the opportunity to actively test, modify and refine policies, programs and strategies to help gain traction.

We also undertake to develop practical approaches for businesses and governments that can be easily evaluated, monitored and verified.

Areas of Expertise

Urban Solutions offers expertise in the following areas:

Policy testing and evidence-based research

Bringing a multi-disciplinary perspective to all our work, the Policy & Innovation Practice undertakes to advance policy development by drawing on our international and North American networks to identify and adapt best practices to local environments.  The breadth of this work encompasses social, cultural as well as infrastructure and investment strategies. In addition, the Policy & Innovation Practice brings this perspective to the city-region scale through growth management and other aspects of competitive city regions. Our approach integrates the principles of growth management, land-use planning and transportation strategies with market practices to provide an effective balance between the public interest, private sector demand and broader perspectives such as economic development, tax policy and demographic trends.
 

Urban land economics and financial modelling

The Public Investment Practice of Urban Solutions works with communities to create integrated, cohesive infrastructure investment strategies with a focus on building the tax base, not the tax burden. The CUI believes that all public investments, whether transit, economic development, or cultural assets should be carefully examined for their potential to enhance the community’s return on investment. Investment return is closely linked to quality of place and urban design. The Public Investment Practice uses Value Planning, an approach that focuses on the development of public and private investments from a “contribution” and “benefits” perspective, rather than focusing on the cost side of the budget sheet.
 

Energy planning, conservation and climate change adaptation

The Sustainability Practice of Urban Solutions is committed to integrating environmental conservation and management into Institute projects on the ground. Our approach to climate change adaptation planning is founded on the importance of working with local identified community stakeholders who have a direct need and requirement to ensure that a climate change plan will address the vulnerabilities of a city, while also offering pragmatic, practical, and economically feasible actions to adapt and mitigate. The Sustainability Practice also has expert knowledge in the fields of integrated community energy solutions (ICES), specializing in land-use, transportation and energy modeling (Energy Mapping), as well as policy development and district energy market support.
 

Spatial Analysis

Spatial Analysis and Data Practice undertakes to communicate complex concepts and present findings from data analysis in a compelling and visual manner by drawing on geographic information systems (GIS) and a suite of newly developed tools from Google and Microsoft.  This encompasses the creation of data layers to identify key real estate and other assets, land ownership as it affects strategies for creation of development parcels, the impact of rapid transit routing, as well as the portrayal of demographic trends affecting population and employment. The Institute has also developed specialized skills for using GIS to aid with comprehensive energy, greenhouse gas and infrastructure mapping to show the interconnected relationships of various decisions associated with climate change mitigation and adaption strategies.

Past Clients

Click here to see a partial list of past clients and research partners.

See what we're up to on the CUI Blog

Click here to see posts related to Urban Solutions on the CUI Blog.

Contact Urban Solutions

Please contact Brent Gilmour, Vice President, Urban Solutions, for more information about products and services offered by this branch.

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