Research briefs and reports

businesspeople with folders walking outdoor business people office workers in urban park

In research conducted for the Community Solutions Network, discover successful climate-resilient public space projects and examples of open data governance across Canada

Recent releases

Research Brief

Showcasing Solutions: Innovations in Public Spaces

Featuring case studies in Edmonton, Saskatoon, Winnipeg, Varennes (QC) and Mount Pearl (NL)

November 18, 2024

Research Brief

Smart and multi-solving public spaces

Community-oriented data and digital solutions can enhance public spaces by improving public engagement and climate readiness

October 28, 2024

Research Brief

Applying a Decolonized Approach as the Foundation to Creating Accessible Smart City Design

A starting point to empower individuals to consider their own learning journey.

October 14, 2022

Research Brief

Smart urban planning for climate resilience

Explore the potential of digital tools for climate-resiliency planning in your community

May 28, 2024

Research Brief

Innovations in public communications about climate resilience

Increase public knowledge and awareness about climate change and local risks.

May 28, 2024

Research Brief

Innovations in data collection, monitoring, and analysis to advance local climate …

Collecting the right data can identify climate risks and help guide the development of strategic climate action plans.

April 24, 2024

Research Brief

Smart Creative Mixed-Use Approaches for Climate Resilience

These case studies showcase creative mixed-use projects with climate resilience at the forefront - from prioritizing energy efficiency to natu…

November 29, 2023

Research Brief

How to leverage underutilized municipality-controlled real estate to create vibran…

This research brief was created for the Community Solutions Network

March 31, 2023

Research Brief

Climate Resilience for Municipalities in Canada

Smart tools and innovations can be leveraged by municipalities to build local climate resilience

October 11, 2023

Research Brief

Smart Resilience for Canadian Municipalities

Technology-based solutions can improve climate change resilience and can be applied to diverse communities of all sizes.

November 20, 2023

Research Brief

Finding Common Ground: Integrated Climate Action for Open Smart Communities in Canada

The Open Smart Community (OSC) and climate change movements can merge in productive ways

April 22, 2022

Research Brief

Smart Cities and Human Rights

In this brief, the authors outline the risks that smart city technologies pose to human rights as set out in Canadian law.

January 24, 2022

More research

Research Brief

Parks and Open Spaces: Challenges and Opportunities of Smart Technologies

Authors: Danielle Lenarcic Biss, Pamela Robinson This research brief explores the implications of deploying new technologies into public space…

March 24, 2021

Research Brief

Technology procurement: Shaping future public value

New technologies are raising a wide range of uncharted digital rights and digital governance issues, while also challenging long-established p…

March 3, 2021

Research Brief

Nourishing smart city solutions: Data collaboration and food policy

This research brief explores the issue of data collaboration among local community partners, drawing lessons from efforts to address food inse…

February 12, 2021

Research Brief

Shared mobility in Canada: Considerations for open smart cities

This research brief identifies how an open smart city approach could be applied to shared mobility in communities across Canada. From Uber to …

March 3, 2021

Research Brief

Creating Civic Value in Open Smart Communities

This white paper was produced for the Community Solutions Network, a program of Future Cities Canada led by Evergreen and lead technical partn…

November 4, 2021

Research Brief

Open Smart City Initiatives as Tools for Indigenous Data Sovereignty

This brief considers key policy components that any Open Smart Community initiatives would need to incorporate and implement into infrastructu…

December 10, 2021

Research Brief

Everyone Left: Smart City Maintenance and Continuity

This research brief was produced for the Community Solutions Network, a program of Future Cities Canada, as part of the Community Solutions Re…

November 25, 2021

Research Brief

Managing Urban Green Infrastructure for Climate Change Through a Smart City Lens

This research brief provides a smart city lens to natural asset planning and encourages municipalities to consider how data and technology can…

April 4, 2021

Research Brief

The State of Good Repair: Maintenance & Innovation in Smart City Projects

Using the State of Good Repair municipal standard as a starting point, this research brief highlights the infrastructure deficit in Canadian m…

April 4, 2021

Research Brief

Smart Home Technology-Facilitated Violence

Authors: Olivia Faria, Tracey Lauriault This research brief describes the challenges that arise when smart home technologies are used for abus…

February 1, 2021

Research Brief

A Case for the Circular Economy in the Age of Smart Innovation

This research brief was produced for the Community Solutions Network, a program of Future Cities Canada. As the program lead, Evergreen is wor…

January 15, 2020

Research Brief

The Importance of Communication in the Development of Smart Cities

This research brief was produced for the Community Solutions Network, a program of Future Cities Canada.As the program lead, Evergreen is work…

January 15, 2020

Research Brief

How Local Governments Aren’t Engaging the Public in Smart City Initiatives

This research brief was produced for the Community Solutions Network, a program of Future Cities Canada, as part of the Community Solutions Re…

December 5, 2019

Research Brief

The Challenge and Promise of Healthy Smart Cities: Health and Data in the Canadian…

This report analyzes Canada’s Smart Cities Challenge applications with an eye to the health of cities and residents, revealing that resident h…

December 9, 2019

Report

Open Smart Communities in Practice

This report documents the progress of several ‘smart city’ initiatives currently underway in communities across Canada. It will be particularl…

April 4, 2022

Report

Open Smart Cities Guide

What is an Open Smart City? Authors: Tracey P. Lauriault, Rachel Bloom and Jean-Noa Landy This document intends to guide city stakeholders (pu…

July 18, 2019

Report

Future Cities Canada: Data Governance Lab

Supporting communities to refine and test data governance frameworks. The use of data is at the heart of building a smart city and increasingl…

October 22, 2020

Report

Procurement Strategies for Citizen Engagement

This is one of four Community Solutions Advisory Service Case Studies that highlights the replicability of the open smart city approach and th…

May 5, 2020

Report

Breaking out of silos to solve wicked problems

This is one of four Community Solutions Advisory Service Case Studies that highlights the replicability of the open smart city approach and th…

May 5, 2020

Research briefs and reports

Recent releases

Showcasing Solutions: Innovations in Public Spaces

Smart and multi-solving public spaces

Applying a Decolonized Approach as the Foundation to Creating Accessible Smart City Design

Smart urban planning for climate resilience

Innovations in public communications about climate resilience

Innovations in data collection, monitoring, and analysis to advance local climate …

Smart Creative Mixed-Use Approaches for Climate Resilience

How to leverage underutilized municipality-controlled real estate to create vibran…

Climate Resilience for Municipalities in Canada

Smart Resilience for Canadian Municipalities

Finding Common Ground: Integrated Climate Action for Open Smart Communities in Canada

Smart Cities and Human Rights

More research

Parks and Open Spaces: Challenges and Opportunities of Smart Technologies

Technology procurement: Shaping future public value

Nourishing smart city solutions: Data collaboration and food policy

Shared mobility in Canada: Considerations for open smart cities

Creating Civic Value in Open Smart Communities

Open Smart City Initiatives as Tools for Indigenous Data Sovereignty

Everyone Left: Smart City Maintenance and Continuity

Managing Urban Green Infrastructure for Climate Change Through a Smart City Lens

The State of Good Repair: Maintenance & Innovation in Smart City Projects

Smart Home Technology-Facilitated Violence

A Case for the Circular Economy in the Age of Smart Innovation

The Importance of Communication in the Development of Smart Cities

How Local Governments Aren’t Engaging the Public in Smart City Initiatives

The Challenge and Promise of Healthy Smart Cities: Health and Data in the Canadian…

Open Smart Communities in Practice

Open Smart Cities Guide

Future Cities Canada: Data Governance Lab

Procurement Strategies for Citizen Engagement

Breaking out of silos to solve wicked problems

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