The Fourth Annual Healthy Cities Virtual Conference
November 12-13th, 2025
Keynote Session – Nov 12th
| What are Healthy Cities? |
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| 12:00pm – 1:00pm |
About the Session
This opening session will provide an overarching perspective on the principles that define a healthy city. It will explore how the concept has evolved since its introduction, offering a clear definition of what it means for a city to be “healthy” in today’s context. The discussion will highlight where we currently stand, examining progress, ongoing challenges, and emerging opportunities for municipalities across Canada. This foundation will set the stage for deeper conversations throughout the conference on how cities can continue to advance health, equity, and sustainability.
Keynote Session Recording
About the speaker
Amanda O’Rourke
Amanda O’Rourke is the Executive Director of 8 80 Cities. She is an experienced placemaking leader, writer, speaker, and facilitator. She has over 20 years of experience leading strategic planning, partnership development, and managing high impact teams. She has led award-winning and transformative human centered public space design projects in cities and towns in Canada and the United States. Amanda has also led city leadership training and capacity building programs in North America, Europe and Australia. She is the co-chair of the Children, Play and Nature Committee for World Urban Parks, an Advisory Board Member to Healthy Places by Design, and a former Salzburg Global Fellow. Amanda was recently named one of the 10 most loved Torontonians in the last 10 years in Spacing Magazine.