The international students at the Institute without Boundaries (IwB), an Interdisciplinary Design Strategy program at George Brown College in Toronto, embarked on a nine month-long project to study “smart cities”. Their unique and timely investigation focused on the trends and forces that impact the design and future of cities. One of the key outcomes from this project were the tools…
The Civic Commons Catalyst is a new initiative of Future Cities Canada which offers an array of programming to support and scale existing civic initiatives, prototype new participatory models and support resident-led activities. Learn more about the Civic Commons Catalyst via: https://futurecitiescanada.ca/programs/learning-networks/#civic-commons-catalyst Over the past 12 months Evergreen has engaged its growing audience over many webinars, building a following of…
The following blog by ICF Co-Founder Louis Zacharilla is part of the “No Place BUT Home” series. Part 8: Heroine's Walk: She hears it every night precisely at 7:00 PM. But tonight, she was running late for her shift and talking on her phone as briskly as she was scurrying to confront what is left of “The Beast” inside New…
New ICF Report, "Investment-Ready Abbotsford," Focuses on the Economic Transformation of a Midsize Agricultural Community The Intelligent Community Forum (ICF) released “Investment-Ready Abbotsford: The Story of an Intelligent Community”on May 20, 2020. The new research report details a multi-year program developed by ICF and the leadership of Abbotsford, British Columbia, Canada to deepen understanding of today’s economic development challenges and…
By Rob Jowett, NRU Planning and Development Reporter A new initiative being created by graduate design students could help Canadian municipalities determine the best ways to advance smart city initiatives that focus on humancentric design. Thirteen students with the George Brown College Institute without Boundaries (IwB), an interdisciplinary design strategy program, have spent the past ten months studying the make-up…
To view this video click here. The Future of Co-Existence & Unsocial Distancing In this No Place But Home: The New Abnormal panel discussion, ICF Co-Founders Lou Zacharilla and John Jung speak with Shyam Khandekar and Hassan Radoine. To view this video click here. Data Governance, New Technological Paradigm; Who's Really Taking Your Temperature? In this #NoPlaceButHome discussion, we move…
We are living in this pandemic era of COVID19. We are all wary of the public realm. Spatial distancing is the new normal. Urban designers, planners and architects are all scratching their heads about what to do both in this rescue and recovery phase and what the reimaging phase might look like with limited resources available after this protracted period…
Episode #1: Reducing health risks & planning actions for urban planning during COVID-19 – impacts on the public realm and built form To view the video, click here: Moderator: Lou Zacharilla, Co-Founder, Intelligent Community Forum; New York City Panel: John G. Jung, Chairman & Co-Founder, Intelligent Community Forum & ICF Canada; Toronto Joe Berridge, Partner, Urban Strategies, Inc. & Author…
Sidewalk Labs is no longer a part of the future of the Toronto Waterfront. This will be a celebration for many of the critics opposed to the privacy and data governance concerns that this project exhibited. But it will also send shockwaves through its supporters, who saw a brighter economic future for Toronto with Google, a sister-agency to Sidewalk Labs,…
By Robert Bell, ICF Co-Founder Limited Access to Jobs and Economic Opportunity It has become almost impossible to apply for a job today without internet access at reasonable speeds. Once in a job, employees in all walks of life are expected to have computer and online skills; the barista at the coffee shop must keep the Wi-Fi operating, and the…