World Urban Pavilion by UN-Habitat Established

Today, an international partnership was announced to establish the World Urban Pavilion in Regent Park to help foster the development of cities around the globe.

The partnership between the Government of Canada, UN-Habitat and the Urban Economy Forum (UEF) was announced by the Honourable Ahmed Hussen, Minister of Families, Children and Social Development and the Minister Responsible for Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), John Tory, Mayor of the City of Toronto, Eduardo Lopez Moreno, Director of Habitat Office in Mexico and Cuba Region and Head of Knowledge and Innovation at UN-Habitat and Reza Pourvaziry, Chair of Urban Economy Forum.

The Pavilion will act as a knowledge exchange hub to share best practices, innovation and research in urban development and revitalization from countries around the world.

The Government of Canada, through Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, will contribute $1 million for the construction of the Regent Park World Urban Pavilion by UN-Habitat and $1.25 million for five years of programming ($250K per year) through the National Housing Strategy Demonstrations Initiative.

Quotes:

“Today’s announcement is a step forward for housing. The world will be coming to Regent Park through this partnership with UN-Habitat and the Urban Economy Forum. There is so much we can learn from each other in terms of urban development, and the World Urban Pavilion will be an opportunity to showcase our own practices while learning from others around the globe.”

“I am proud that Toronto will be the new home of the World Urban Pavillion so that we can lead on a global stage when comes to urban development. I am pleased that the site will be in the heart of Regent Park which has been a development that has demonstrated Toronto’s excellence when it comes to city and urban planning. I look forward to seeing the new ideas and solutions that will come out of this space and the collaborative work that will occur with other leaders and countries from around the world.”

“The Sustainable Development Goals Cities Pavilion in Regent Park will provide sustainable and innovative urban solutions and capacity development to strengthen cities and countries to respond effectively to the challenges of urbanization, opportunities of urbanization and equitable and inclusive access to achieve shared prosperity for all.”

“Together, with CMHC and UN-Habitat, we have, for the past year, nurtured the idea to establish the World Urban Pavilion in Toronto’s Regent Park based on the resolution of UEFs annual forum. With today’s announcement, we are taking a great leap forward in realizing the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly SDG 11. The Pavilion will engage with cities, civil society, UN agencies and international organizations to drive transformation toward sustainable urban paradigms and lifestyles. Regent Park will be home to the Pavilion, where we will be able to highlight the lessons learned from the neighourbhood’s revitalization and share them with cities around the world to pioneer global campaigns and pilot projects to test new and innovative ideas in urban development.”

“The Daniels Corporation is thrilled to welcome the World Urban Pavilion by UN-Habitat to Toronto’s Regent Park neighbourhood. We commend Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, UN-Habitat and the Urban Economy Forum for creating a knowledge exchange hub which will project best practices in sustainable, inclusive urban development around the world.”

Quick facts:

• Today’s announcement was held in Toronto, the traditional territories of the Ojibway, the Anishnabe and the Mississauga’s of the New Credit. The territory is covered by the Upper Canada Treaties.
• The Regent Park World Urban Pavilion by UN-Habitat will be located on the second floor of DuEast Condominium, a new mixed-use development built by The Daniels Corporation.
• The World Urban Pavilion is scheduled to open in the spring of 2021.
• The Pavilion will be a global platform to advocate for sustainable urban development with  stakeholders across all sectors, including city leaders using data and information to support evidence-based policy decisions supported by people-oriented innovative solutions to development challenges faced by human settlements around the world.
• The Pavilion will provide an interactive channel for the United Nations to create a global network — in person and virtually — to realize its Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), especially SDG 11: “make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable.”
• The Pavilion will be a space to stimulate dialogue and debate on the future of cities with collaborators and international and local program partners including the University of Toronto’s School of Cities, Canadian Urban Institute and the Toronto Public Library.
• The Pavilion will provide an alternative voice for Canada to play a pioneering role in leading the implementation of SDG Cities and will put Toronto on the world map as a global hub for urban SDGs.
• Regent Park was chosen as home to the Pavilion because its ongoing community-centric revitalization is seen as an example to be shared in Canada and around the world.

Associated links:

As Canada’s authority on housing, CMHC contributes to the stability of the housing market and financial system, provides support for Canadians in housing need, and offers unbiased housing research and advice to all levels of Canadian government, consumers and the housing industry. For more information, follow us on Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook.

To find out more about the National Housing Strategy, visit www.placetocallhome.ca.

UN-Habitat is mandated by the UN General Assembly to promote socially and environmentally sustainable towns and cities and communities. As such, UN-Habitat has been at the forefront of supporting countries to have access to reliable data and information on urban conditions and trends, and to efficiently monitor and report on global agendas (e.g. 2030 Agenda, New Urban Agenda). The UN-Habitat’s vision of “a better quality of life for all in an urbanizing world” is bold and ambitious. UN-Habitat works with partners to build inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable cities and communities. UN-Habitat promotes urbanization as a positive transformative force for people and communities, reducing inequality, discrimination and poverty. Visit: https://unhabitat.org/about-us.

UN-Habitat promotes transformative change in cities and human settlements through knowledge, policy advice, technical assistance and collaborative action to leave no one and no place behind. Visit www.unhabitat.org.

The Urban Economy Forum (www.ueforum.org) is an international non-profit organization that engages with city leaders to build capacities and global networks to realize the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), focusing on sustainable urbanism and lifestyle.

The Daniels Corporation (www.danielshomes.ca) is one of Canada’s pre-eminent builders/developers, building more than 30,000 new homes across the Greater Toronto Area for over 36 years. Among its many initiatives, Daniels was chosen to partner with Toronto Community Housing to revitalize 53 of the 69 acres in Toronto’s Regent Park. Daniels is the developer of TIFF Bell Lightbox and the City of the Arts community on Toronto’s Eastern Waterfront. Understanding that quality of life is created by much more than physical buildings, Daniels goes above and beyond bricks and mortar to integrate building excellence with opportunities for social, cultural and economic well-being.

Information on this release:

Jessica Eritou
Office of the Honourable Ahmed Hussen, P.C., M.P.
Minister of Families, Children and Social Development
jessica.eritou@hrsdc-rhdcc.gc.ca

Angelina Ritacco
Media Relations, Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC)
416-218-3320
aritacco@cmhc-schl.gc.ca

City of Toronto
Media Relations
media@toronto.ca

Douglas Ragan
Programme Lead, Media Contact
UN-Habitat
Douglas.ragan@un.org

Urban Economy Forum
Media Contact
media@ueforum.org

Emma Conway
Media Contact
The Daniels Corporation
econway@danielscorp.com