The Community Solutions Network is committed to help communities across Canada develop resilience and appropriate response to crisis. We continuously monitor the Canadian landscape to bring to you the latest news, content and resources, including data and technology solutions to address the current crisis.
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A space for collaboration
Ideas, inspiration and action to tackle tough challenges, together
Browse resources, connect with other leaders and see practical examples of approaches that can help your community thrive.
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Featured Content
Smart cities approaches for lasting impact
Montreal
Research Brief
Nourishing smart city solutions: Data collaboration and food policy
Author(s): Open North
Publisher: Evergreen
Date updated: January 2021
Podcast
The Future Fix Podcast: Supporting Main Streets
Author(s): Spacing and Evergreen
Publisher: Spacing and Evergreen
Date updated: November 2020
Capture_d’écran_2020-12-04_à_11.01.59.png
Toolkit
Financing Community Broadband
Author(s): Evergreen
Publisher: Evergreen
Date updated: December 2020
Toolkit
From consultation to co-creation in the open smart city
Author(s): Evergreen
Publisher: Evergreen
Date updated:
Get Started
There are many ways to take action
An Open Smart City is where all sectors and residents collaborate in mobilizing data and technologies to develop their communities through fair, ethical, and transparent governance that balances economic development, social progress, and environmental responsibility.
Events
What's coming up?
Date: March 9
Name: Innovation Workshop Series: Are we there yet? Using indicators to measure progress on climate adaptation
Location: Virtual: British Columbia
A BC focused innovation workshop centred around how to measure progress on climate adaptation and resilience.
About this Event
The Community Solutions Network is a program of Future Cities Canada, and is designed to help communities build service area capacity and improve the lives of residents using data and connected technology approaches. ICLEI Canada along with Evergreen and the Community Solutions Network are partnering to deliver a series of innovation workshops on the relationship between data, technology and climate resilience.
This workshop will provide an opportunity for municipalities, Indigenous communities, municipal networks, academics, and subject-matter experts from across British Columbia to connect, share, and ask questions around approaches to measuring progress on climate adaptation and resilience.
Through a presentation and a hands-on activity, together we will explore questions such as:
What are examples of performance metrics that can be used to measure your communities progress on adaptation and resilience?
How might you evaluate an indicator? And what qualifies as a ‘good’ indicator?
What are possible issues related to data (e.g. requirements, limitations, availability) that might affect your ability to measure progress?
A more rigorous approach to evaluate our progress on adaptation is needed so that we can support informed decision-making, course correct for continuous improvement, and ultimately enhance our collective climate resilience. Be a part of the conversation and register today!
Draft Agenda
10:00 – 10:15 am: Welcome and Introductions
10:15 – 10:35 am: Measuring Progress on Adaptation: Using Indicators and Other Performance Metrics - Presentation and Q&A
10:35 – 11:45 am: Breakout Room Activities
Part One: Selecting a ‘Good’ Indicator
Part Two: Identifying Data Requirements
11:45 – 12:00: Group Discussion and Workshop Wrap-up
Date: March 17
Name: Collision Day: Using Data & Tech to Solve Community Challenges
Location: Virtual: Quebec and francophone communities across Canada
This Virtual Collision Day is in partnership with Le Camp.
The Network’s Virtual Collision Days are match-matching and capacity-building events that connect emerging technology companies with community leaders. Through these virtual regionally-focused events across the country, start-ups will get the valuable feedback so critical in the early development stages, while community leaders will have the chance to preview the technologies under development that may help serve the needs of their residents.
Through peer-to-peer knowledge exchange and access to key resources on topics related to the future of smart cities, participants will gain valuable tools and create the important connections to advance their community’s needs.
Focus areas include such topics as security, data, procurement, governance, resiliency, and public engagement, to be applied to the unique challenges identified in each region.
If you're a municipal or community leader interested in attending this virtual event, please email us here.
Date: March 23
Name: Innovation Workshop Series: Preparing for changing climate - Using data to make progress on adaptation
Location: Virtual: Prairies
This workshop will provide an opportunity for municipalities, Indigenous communities, municipal networks, academics, and subject-matter experts from across the Prairies to connect, share, and ask questions around how to best use data to advance action on climate adaptation and resilience.
Following two presentations (one on data to inform climate risk assessments, and the other on data to support implementation), the session will be divided into two hands-on activities that you can choose from, based on where you are with adaptation efforts locally and which of the presentations was more applicable to your work. Activity One will focus on exploring climate data (both future climate projections and historic trends) for decision-making on adaptation, whereas Activity Two will focus on using data (e.g. geospatial mapping and baseline information) to advance implementation.
A critical part of addressing climate risk and building resilience in our communities is to understand the degree of change that will occur locally and what capacity we have to address those changes and reduce our exposure. Be a part of the conversation on how to better use a variety of data to continue making meaningful progress on climate adaptation and resilience. The registration process will be posted soon.
Draft Agenda
10:00 – 10:15 Welcome and Introductions
10:15 – 10:35 Data to Inform Climate Vulnerability and Risk Assessments
Presentation and Q&A
10:35 – 10:55 Using Data to Support Implementation
Presentation and Q&A
10:55 – 11:00 Transition to Breakout Rooms
11:00 – 11:45 Breakout One: Exploring Climate Data for Decision-making
Breakout Two: Using Local Data to Advance Implementation
11:45 – 12:00 Group Discussion and Workshop Wrap-up
Date: May 1-October 31
Name: Future Cities Canada Summit
Location: Virtual
Mark your calendars.
Future Cities Canada Summit will return in a re-imagined format for 2021.
Starting in May, each month you will be invited to come together for one-day online events with city builders across Canada to tackle the pressing issues facing our cities.
Our monthly event series will open up new conversations that pave the way towards our big finale: A week-long convening in October 13-17, 2021
If you aren't already subscribed to Future Cities Canada News, subscribe to our mailing list to be the first to know about this fantastic new series!
Smart Cities Challenge
Gain access to all Smart Cities Challenge applications!
Dive deeper into the smart city projects that communities across Canada are implementing using data and connected technology approaches to advance service area priorities and improve the lives of their residents. Learn more about these innovative ideas and the Smart Cities Challenge here.