Welcome to City Building Ryerson
As the global population becomes increasingly concentrated in urban centres, the health of our cities will have a profound impact on the success of our species. The stakes have never been higher. From climate change to population growth to a new pandemic, the challenges are as tremendous...as are the opportunities. It's possible to build a better future. In fact, we’re already doing so.
Urban research with global reach
With our collective future tied to the fate of cities, Ryerson research is devoted to the key issues that will define them. Our faculty are making decisive contributions in an array of fields. Just as urban health has never been more urgent, the work of our researchers has never been more important.
City Building Ryerson is a new university-wide collaboratory for research, learning and engagement
Announcements
Meet Our Academic Director (Interim)
Ryerson is pleased to announce Dr. Pamela Robinson (BAH, MPL, PhD) as the new interim Academic Director of City Building Ryerson. In this role, Dr. Robinson will provide leadership regarding the institutional orientation and strategic focus of City Building Ryerson. She will also foster interdisciplinary and collaborative initiatives, strengthen connections across graduate programs oriented towards city building, and seek synergies across the university's innovation ecosystem to accelerate and scale our efforts to tackle real-world challenges.
“It’s time for us to set our sights towards a new bold city-building horizon – one that builds upon existing excellence and strives to create new infrastructure to support community needs and aspirations, and allow us to respond to a changing external environment. The future of city building at Ryerson is growing beyond the planning, design and finance of cities to also embrace civic engagement, social innovation, politics and public administration, and urban sustainability challenges and opportunities including the growing climate emergency, smart cities and buildings, green infrastructure, immigration and settlement, and other disciplines. Ryerson researchers are leaders in these fields and, by virtue of our location, our campus makes an ideal living laboratory.”
COVID in Focus Webinar Series
New Ryerson Research in 20 Minutes
Join City Building Ryerson for COVID in Focus, our first series of webinars delivering new research insights in just 20 minutes! Catch up on the latest Ryerson thinking on urban themes in a short discussion of critical issues followed by a moderated Q&A.
In this collection of webinars, you'll hear the latest from experts about their studies into the COVID-19 pandemic and its many impacts on cities and urban communities, from architectural, public health and urban planning perspectives, starting with "How Our Homes Impact Our Health" with Dr. Terri Peters on September 24.
Who We Are
City Building Ryerson represents city building and urban innovation activity across the university. Want to know more?
The future of cities starts at Ryerson
Urban sustainability is the next frontier of city building
Humans place an incredible strain on the natural environment. If we are to mount a serious defence against climate change, our cities will need to find ways to be ecologically sustainable by reducing emissions and waste.
Immigration and inclusion will define our future cities
By 2050, experts estimate that upwards of 250 million people could be displaced by climate change. This profound shift in migration patterns will pose both an enormous challenge and an opportunity for the cities of the future.
As cities continue to grow, so too must democratic engagement
Of any vote cast in Canada, perhaps the most important is one for a city councillor or a mayor. With the global population concentrating in cities, the role our municipal governments play in fostering quality of life has never been more crucial.