Healthy Cities – Lessons learned since the 1986 Ottawa Charter and priority setting for the next 25 years in Canadian Cities

The Fourth Healthy Cities Virtual Conference will bring together researchers, practitioners, policy leaders, and trainees to reflect on the past, present, and future of healthy cities in Canada. Over two days, participants will explore lessons learned, set priorities for the next 25 years, and engage in critical conversations on how to translate knowledge into meaningful, scalable change.

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About the Conference

Day 1 – Diving into the Healthy Cities will examine what makes a city healthy, revisit the goals of the Ottawa Charter of 1986, and highlight how Canadian cities are responding to ongoing challenges. Leaders from municipalities across the country will share perspectives, followed by opportunities for trainees to present their research through a poster session.

Day 2 – Big Three in Implementation Science will focus on big three areas of implementation science Equity, Policy, and the Future. Sessions will spotlight how implementation science can address systemic inequities, bridge the gap between research and policy, and support sustainable change at scale.

By attending, participants will:

• Join an interdisciplinary and intersectoral community of practice committed to advancing healthy cities.
• Gain exposure to emerging research, challenges, and solutions at the intersection of health, equity, and urban life.
• Help identify new priorities, research questions, and training opportunities to shape the future of healthy city initiatives.

Conference topics include implementation science, convergence-by-design, food and health, Indigenous issues, equity, aging and chronic disease, transportation and housing, and training and policy.

This annual event is hosted by the Implementing Smart Cities to Build Healthy Cities (SMART) Training Platform, funded by CIHR, NSERC, and SSHRC. We are pleased to offer this conference free of charge. SMART equips the next generation of researchers to implement innovative, scalable, and enduring solutions to healthy city challenges in Canada and beyond.

Time	Agenda
12:00pm – 1:00pm	Keynote Session: What is a Healthy City? Speaker: 880 Cities This keynote session will explore the evolving concept of a “healthy city,” defining its core principles and examining current progress, challenges, and opportunities for advancing health, equity, and sustainability in Canadian municipalities.
1:00pm – 2:30pm	Session 1: City Leader Panel: Past, Present, Future of Healthy Cities in Canada Panelists: Nectar Tampacopoulos (Guelph), Peter Marriott (Vancouver); Reed Clarke (Edmonton), Josh Smee (Newfoundland), Barb Frazer (Indigenous) This roundtable will bring together city leaders to reflect on progress since the Ottawa Charter of 1986, assess how municipalities are advancing Healthy Cities, and discuss future directions.
2:45 pm- 3:45pm	Session 2: Student Abstract Session The top 20 abstracts will be featured in a rapid presentation session, and the top 3 presentations will receive prizes.
3:45 pm-4:30 pm	Session 3: Shaping the Future of Healthy Cities: A Trainee Forum Panelists: Dr. Katherine Frohich (CIHR) , Dr. David Ma (University of Guelph) This trainee-focused session will provide space for reflection on the day’s discussions, giving participants the opportunity to share insights, exchange ideas, and collectively brainstorm future directions. Representatives from industry, government, and academia will be present, offering trainees the chance to ask questions and engage in dialogue across sectors.

Time	Agenda
12:00pm – 1:00pm	Session 4: Building for the Future: Strategies for Scaling Change Speakers: David Messer (EllisDon) & Dr. Audrey Jamal (Strategic Partnerships and Societal Impact, University of Guelph) This session will explore strategies and frameworks for scaling successful city interventions, examining how healthy city innovations can be sustained and expanded for long-term impact.
1:00pm – 2:00pm	Session 5: Science, policy, and politics: Bridging the divide for healthier cities Panelists: Meridith Sones (Simon Fraser University), Patricia Collins (Queen’s University), and Linda Rothman (TMU) Moderator: Dr. Meghan Winters (CIHR Applied Public Health Chair, Sex and Gender in Healthy Cities, SFU) This panel explores how researchers can bridge science, policy, and politics to advance healthier cities, drawing lessons from Canadian impact stories on social infrastructure, bike lanes, and School Streets.
2:00 pm- 3:00pm	Session 6: Equity in Action: Implementation Science for Systemic & Sustainable Change Speaker: Dr. Patricia O’Campo (University of Toronto; MAP Centre for Urban Health) This session will explore how implementation science can be harnessed to confront structural barriers and drive systemic change, advancing equity and inclusion in the design and experience of city life.
3:00pm-3:30pm	Session 7: Closing remarks This session will offer reflections on the day’s discussions and explore the future direction of Healthy Cities, setting the stage for the next 25 years of urban health, equity, and sustainability.