Canadian governments are anticipated to pour as much as $750 billion into urban infrastructure projects across Canada over the next 10 years. With competing philosophies and differing needs from city to city, how can we ensure that cities are getting what they need to grow? Amid converging technology and population booms, will Canadians capitalize on the chance to create an inclusive economy? Or will the opportunity be wasted? These are the type of questions that will be asked at the upcoming CityAge: Toronto conference this week, an international global conference set to bring together industry and government leaders to discuss the many different aspects of city building.
Toronto skyline, image by Forum contributor skycandy
This Wednesday, November 22nd and Thursday the 23rd in the MaRS Discovery District at 101 College Street, CityAge will bring together an impressive roster of speakers and panelists from many fields including leaders in architecture, urban planning, journalism, education, and real estate, as well as representatives and politicians from municipal governments around the Greater Golden Horseshoe region. Among the many names set to speak at CityAge, UrbanToronto Publisher and Co-Founder Nada Laskovski will participate in a panel discussion focusing on how cities are leveraging their assets in new ways to build value and drive economic development. UrbanToronto is also serving as one of the many sponsors for this year's CityAge event.
Some of the speakers at this year's CityAge: Toronto, image courtesy of CityAge: Toronto
CityAge will kick off on Wednesday morning with a registration period, followed by a welcome conference presented by Global News anchor Farah Nasser, and opening remarks presented by Karen Greve Young, VP of Corporate Development and Partnerships for MaRS Discovery District. A series of panel discussions and presentations will then make up the bulk of the event's first day, concluding with an evening reception at Autodesk's MaRS offices.
MaRS Discovery District, image by Forum contributor TheKingEast
Day 2 will commence with a welcome presented by Conference MC Ralph Benmergui, CEO at Create Hamilton. Presentations and panel discussions will continue throughout the morning and into the early afternoon, including a panel session with UrbanToronto President Edward Skira, asking how can urban design best contribute to inclusive city-building? The day's events will conclude with a panel session discussing "University City Collaborations" with Oshawa's City Manager Jag Sharma, Alison Burgess, Manager of Research Partnerships at the University of Ontario Institute of Technology, and John Preston , Associate Dean at McMaster University's Faculty of Engineering.
There is still time left to register on the CityAge: Toronto website. To make the event more accessible, a fixed number of lower-priced tickets are available for students and start-ups. Additional information is available at the registration link above.