A smart, essential look at the ideas, trends, and news shaping cities and communities, from the Future of Good editorial team.
Impact investing in Canada has grown by a massive 81 percent in the last decade. At the same time, communities across the country are facing an affordability crisis. There is a tremendous opportunity to tackle this by applying the principles and practices of impact investing to real estate.
Canada is facing rocketing property prices, shortages of community housing, and displaced communities in gentrified neighbourhoods. A centuries-old solution is to merge real estate with social impact — but what does that look like in today’s world? This series on social impact real estate is crafted in partnership with Windmill Developments and Urban Equation.
No single sector can address the SDGs alone. The centre, the first of its kind in Canada, brings actors together working towards SDGs including gender equality, reducing inequality, sustainable cities, and climate action. The only way to achieve the targets is in collaboration and by starting to align our efforts.
Increasingly, real estate developers understand the importance of social impact in their work. But how can they expand their impact in a meaningful way, especially when moving beyond environmental sustainability to broader community benefit? This series on social purpose real estate is sponsored by Windmill Development Group, a real estate company with a triple bottom line approach that aims for zero ecological footprint.
Recycling has been seen as the perfect solution to our wasteful woes. But as news of plastic waste issues take over headlines, journalist Bill Bean dives into this through a historical look at the origin of Canada’s innovative household Blue Box Program — and how it continues to evolve today.
If we tackle complex social issues without including affected communities, we’re inevitably left with short-lived solutions. Below, two leaders explain why investing in new types of alliances and local leadership are critical for meaningful change. Crafted in partnership with Evergreen in the lead up to the 2019 Future Cities Canada Summit at Evergreen Brick Works in Toronto.
In many philanthropic and governmental initiatives, bringing youth to the table is often discussed — but never quite done enough. When it comes to these four Canadian initiatives, though, youth are not only building the tables themselves, but making a marked difference in the world while doing so.
As cultural perspectives shift, so do a country's expectations of its governance and systems — so it's not entirely surprising that in July, Canada’s federal government announced nearly $2 million in funding to help advance gender equality in Canada’s justice system. But exactly where is that inequality showing up most, and how are national women’s organizations tackling these issues?
Governments of all levels have struggled to address the high rates of opioid misuse and addiction and the startling number of opioid-related deaths in Canada. There are innovative approaches gaining traction that could hold the key to making advancements in communities.
For all their virtues, it must be said that smart cities can’t solve all the social issues rooted in complex and entrenched systems. Leader in the world of impact have a role to play in maximizing the social potential of smart city initiatives where you live.