Far away view of the city of Taipei

About the Research Centre on the Future of Cities

The way cities have been designed seems to be reaching its limits and puts at stake the livability of the earth.

Mission

Our strategies to meet these contemporary challenges :

Our approach

To develop tools for the analysis and interpretation of social, cultural, and economic urban issues, that will enable us to go beyond the models inherited from the 20th century.

Synergies and collaborations

To establish a major research hub at the University of Ottawa, to enable research and educational collaborations with a focus on cities and large urban centres, in Canada and internationally.

Method and perspective

To examine the evolution of urban lifestyles and spaces, as well as issues pertaining to the future of cities and the Anthropocene, in a multi-sited and interdisciplinary perspective.

Analysis

To propose new perspectives on the city and the Anthropocene to devise potential solutions to pressing contemporary issues.

Yick Cheong Building

“As 50% of the world's population lives in cities and the growth-at-all-costs model runs out of steam, it is essential to address the challenges of the environmental and urban crisis.”

Vincent Mirza

— Director of the Research Centre on the Future of Cities