Future Cities Institute launched at University of Waterloo

There's a new centre at the University of Waterloo dedicated to creating better cities.

The school welcomed a $10 million investment from real estate developer The Caivan Group on Wednesday to help launch the Future Cities Institute.

The institute is housed within the faculty of environment and will host researchers and students tackling challenges facing urban spaces.

"The way that the Future Cities Institute is going to make a difference in everyday people's lives is by changing some of the processes and structures that exist," said director Leia Minaker. "Building cities doesn't happen overnight. I'm hopeful that the changes that we contribute to are going to be changes that are seen by our kids and by us in the future."

Some of the issues that will be addressed include city planning, infrastructure, housing, and transportation.

"There's a lot of expertise around the world in very specific areas, whether it's wastewater management, transportation systems or urban planning policy," said Minaker. "There isn't a place for all of those people to come together and learn from each other. What we're going to do is accelerate a lot of the excellent work that's already being done by connecting researchers with partners in municipalities and industries."

The institute will also offer a master of engineering degree in future cities as well as a graduate diploma.