Cities Institute: interdisciplinary research and partnerships for city building
The Cities Institute at the University of Alberta is an applied, interdisciplinary hub using research and real-world partnerships to build efficient, prosperous, inclusive, and sustainable cities.
Overview
The Cities Institute is an applied, interdisciplinary hub at the University of Alberta that harnesses research excellence and real-world partnerships to build efficient, prosperous, inclusive, and sustainable cities. It is powered by over 50 researchers across six faculties.
Research focus areas
- City-building challenges spanning housing, transportation, infrastructure, and environment
- AI-driven future urban economies
- Data-driven policy using advanced analytics, open data, and smart devices and sensors
Membership & engagement
The Institute works with government, industry, and community partners and is home to Canada's first Master's in Real Estate Development Plus (MRED+) program. Executive Director: Murtaza Haider.
About University of Alberta
The University of Alberta is a large, comprehensive public research university in Edmonton with multiple campuses and a strong applied research culture. Industry engages through co-located labs and pilot-scale facilities, as well as established co-op and internship programs that place talent with partners year-round. Integration with Alberta’s province-wide hospital system supports clinical research and accelerates translation. Companies also benefit from proximity to regional industry clusters and collaboration hubs on and near campus for joint R&D and prototyping. Supported by NSERC, CIHR, SSHRC, and Canada Foundation for Innovation funding—plus provincial and industry support—the tech transfer office manages IP, licensing, and startup formation with streamlined sponsored-research agreements.
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