2023 CivicLabTO
Symposium:

Recognizing that complex city challenges can benefit from multidisciplinary solution development, the core of the Symposium programming consisted of action-oriented meetings featuring small groups of faculty, staff, researchers, and City of Toronto staff.

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The meetings were an opportunity to: ​

• Connect with City of Toronto staff who are leading program and policy development

• Gain important insight into City of Toronto research and data needs and funded research opportunities

• Share data and ongoing work at the researcher and institutional levels in these key areas

• Form communities of practice and working groups for continued, strategic collaborations

• Meet peers across institutions

• Contribute to a roadmap for higher education institution / City of Toronto partnerships moving forward

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Hosted at Centennial College’s Progress Campus, the CivicLabTO Symposium also featured networking time, keynote speakers, catered lunch provided by Centennial College’s Culinary Arts program, and a tour of Centennial College’s A-Building expansion adjacent to the Symposium venue.

 

Schedule

Wednesday, November 15, 2023
Centennial College Event Centre

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9:00 – 9:30 am

Welcome
Opening remarks from Craig Stephenson, President & CEO, Centennial College 

9:30 am – 12:00 pm

Working Groups (Concurrent)
Public Health
City Building & Mobility
Housing & Neighbourhoods 
Inclusive Economic Development 
Climate & Resilience

12:00 – 1:00 pm

Lunch including remarks from Deputy Mayor Jennifer McKelvie

 

1:00 – 2:00 pm

A-Building Expansion Tour

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2:00 – 4:00 pm

Student Session - The Climate and Resilience Workforce

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Working Groups

Academic experts and City of Toronto staff will participated in break-out sessions focused on sharing insights into their work and identifying specific pathways for action on these mutual priorities.

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The Role of AI in Public Health

This session focused on the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in enhancing public health functions and priorities. AI has the potential to enhance public health’s capacity in disease surveillance, promoting awareness of risk and prevention strategies; as well as in promoting uptake of testing and in monitoring treatment. Several jurisdictions have developed guidelines for the use of AI in public health. TPH Associate Medical Officers of Health led a conversation about key public health issues in the city, in particular rising rates of sexually transmitted infections, and the potential utilities of machine learning and artificial intelligence in this and other public health issues.

 

City of Toronto leads:

Dr. Herveen Sachdeva and Dr. Rita Shahin, Associate
Medical Officers of Health, Toronto Public Health

 

City Building and Mobility: Big Picture Issues 

The City of Toronto’s City Planning and Transportation Services Divisions are actively cultivating a community of practice that extends to higher education experts of all disciplines interested in shaping the future of mobility in the city. Experts in city building and mobility presented their work and that of their institutions in this space, while learning more about the driving questions and issues being considered at the municipal level. Topics and areas of expertise included universal basic mobility, transportation equity, transportation innovation and disruption, electrification, transportation and climate change/resilience, Vision Zero and road safety from a policy perspective, micromobility policy and implementation, active transportation, rights-of-way and accessible/inclusive road design. 

 

City of Toronto leads: 
Jennifer Niece, Manager, Strategic Policy and Innovation, Transportation Services 
Michael Hain, Program Manager, Transportation Policy and Analysis Unit, City Planning

 

Addressing the Student Housing Challenge 

The need to provide safe, secure and sustainable housing for students in the GTA has never been greater. As part of the City of Toronto’s Housing Action Plan, the Housing Secretariat has undertaken development of an official Post-Secondary Affordable Housing Strategy. Researchers and staff leaders alike were invited to contribute to the plan to address housing affordability and precarity for students, staff, and faculty at Post-Secondary Institutions in Toronto, with an objective of leveraging existing resources and collaborating on solutions related to data, research, policy and more. Concepts and information explored included student demographics, availability of housing in different areas of the city, ongoing or completed research assessing student housing supply at the academic institutions and specific accommodations for diverse groups, opportunities to build affordable rental housing and/or rent-controlled housing on land owned by academic institutions; and institutional plans for new housing development within the next decade.

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City of Toronto leads: 
Valesa Faria, Director, Housing Policy & Strategy, Housing Secretariat 
Mercedeh Madani, Manager Policy & Program Planning, Housing Secretariat 
Ciara Hart, Senior Strategic Policy Consultant, Housing Secretariat 
Emily Martyn, Project Manager, Housing Secretariat 
Scott Leon, Management Consultant, Housing Policy & Strategy, Housing Secretariat

 

What’s Next for Economic Development in TO? 

When it comes to measuring success and ensuring prosperity and livability is shared across Toronto neighbourhoods, collaboration is key. This session was geared towards establishing dialogue between the Economic Development and Culture division of the City of Toronto and experts based at higher-education institutions whose research is focused on: a) advancing inclusive local economic development, and ensuring equitable distribution of benefit from expanded economic opportunity and growth; b) supporting Main Street retail and local BIAs, which have seen numerous challenges in recent years; c) restoring vitality to the downtown core post-pandemic. Academic research can help address these issues and can highlight others for prioritization. Participants included those working in the areas of business and economic development, arts and culture, and equity, diversity and inclusion who shared their latest research and insights regarding important issues as the EDC team moves forward through post-pandemic recovery and beyond.

City of Toronto leads: 
Dan Rosen, Senior Policy Advisor, Economic Development & Culture 
Aniska Graver, Policy Development Officer, Economic Development & Culture 
Rebecca Condon, Manager, Business Improvement Areas, Economic Development & Culture 
Mariana Mota, Manager, Policy & Research, Economic Development & Culture

 

Climate and Resilience – a Multidisciplinary Approach 

As the City of Toronto advances its net zero strategy, TransformTO, the Environment and Climate Division is leading the Climate Action and Resilience Research Fund (CARRF), which can fund research projects located at colleges and universities. Participants learned about the CARRF, and focused on ideas to strengthen work between the City of Toronto and higher-education institutions to close knowledge gaps, further engage students in climate action initiatives, and integrate climate action perspectives into strategies being developed across the municipality, ex. related to transportation, buildings, climate modelling, resilience, etc. What interesting initiatives are happening within post-secondary in this area? How could these help us to advance climate and resilience work at the City? This session was open to researchers of all disciplines with an interest in climate resilience and integrated urban strategies to address climate change. 

City of Toronto leads: 
Andrew Plunkett, Project Lead, Policy and Research, Environment and Climate Division 
Stephanie Gower, Program Manager, Policy & Research, Environment and Climate Division