On May 15 & 16, the Global Cities Indicator Facility (GCIF) — part of Global Cities Institute, a research centre at the University of Toronto’s John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape, and Design — will hold the Global Cities Summit at the Sheraton Centre in Toronto. The Summit will be an opportunity for cities and their partners to learn, share, and exchange experiences, including a wide spectrum of ideas and innovative solutions for cities.

Plenary and panel sessions will focus on a number of topics including: city data, ISO international standards for cities, smart cities, urban resilience, mobility, competitiveness, governance, and more.  

Featured Panels include:

• Sustainable + Inclusive Prosperity for Cities
• Global Standards for Global Cities: The Changing World of International Standards for Cities
• Smart + Sustainable Cities: Innovations, Opportunities, and Partnerships
• Globally Networked Urbanism: Planning + Design for Well-Being
• Building Resilience + Overcoming Risk: Infrastructure Solutions + City Metabolism
• The Cities Panel: City Data for Informed Decision Making
• Governing the World's Cities: Building More Equitable + Inclusive Societies

Today, GCIF announced that Microsoft will serve as a Platinum sponsor. In 2013, the company launched CityNext, a global initiative to empower cities, businesses and citizens to re-imagine their futures and cultivate vibrant communities. Click here for the full press release.

A preeminent group of speakers from around the world will convene in Toronto for summit. Keynote speakers include: renowned Sociology Professor Saskia Sassen, Co-Chair of the Committee of Global Thought at Columbia University; Globe and Mail international affairs columnist Doug Saunders, author of the book Arrival City: The Final Migration and Our Next World; and Brock Carlton, Chief Executive Officer for the Federation of Canadian Municipailities.

For the full list of speakers, click here.

The Summit will also include an “Innovations Marketplace,” which will showcase an exclusive number of leading innovators with sustainable, cutting-edge solutions for cities.

ABOUT GCIF
Launched in 2008, the Global Cities Indicators Facility (GCIF) responds to the urgent need for a globally standardized set of city indicators. The GCIF hosts a network over 250 member cities across 81 countries and provides a globally standardized system for data collection that allows for comparative knowledge and learning across cities globally.

MEDIA CONTACTS:
Helen Ng, Program Coordinator
Global City Indicators Facility
Helen.ng@globalcities.ca
416-966-2368

Rachel Gilmour
rgilmour@andlogistix.com
416-593-7744