Learning From What Works: Leveraging local solutions to make better places

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Subject: Learning From What Works: Leveraging local solutions to make better places

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NEW REPORT RELEASED AT THE SUMMIT

Learning From What Works: Leveraging local solutions to make better places

In May 2025, the Canadian Urban Institute and the School of Cities at the University of Toronto issued a national call for innovative approaches to solving place-based challenges.

The resulting report profiles 89 inspiring local projects and organizations from across the country, whose community-based solutions are already showing success.

The solutions address housing, mental health, climate change, and more. The report also features a chapter about how to scale social innovations like these so Canada can expand on “what works,” building on local assets and trust to address our most pressing economic, social, environmental, and cultural challenges.

Six project solutions demonstrated immense opportunity to be scaled and implemented across the country. Last week, they were sent to the State of Canada's Cities Summit to share their solutions on a national stage.

Read the report and start "Learning From What Works" to support your local community, and meet the winning Local Solutions below.

Read the Report

Meet the Winners of the Local Solutions Competition

Live at the Summit, six Local Solution winners took the stage for lightning talks where they shared their projects, community impacts, and opportunities to scale on a national stage.

Robin Sokoloski

Data Narratives for the Arts, Mass Culture

A pan-Canadian initiative building data literacy and storytelling capacity for arts organizations across Canada.

>> Learn More

Danya Pastuszek

Communities Building Youth Futures, Tamarack Institute

A pan-Canadian project empowering youth around education and employment opportunities in rural and remote communities.

>> Learn More

Donna Chiarelli

Natural Assets Management, Natural Assets Initiative

A pan-Canadian Natural Assets Management Framework for mapping and valuing natural assets and integrating them into municipal infrastructure asset management.

>> Learn More

Rionel Comia

Affordable Housing Investment Program, City of Edmonton

An Edmonton-based Affordable Housing Investment Program Catalyzing housing by positioning the City as the first investor in affordable developments.

>> Learn More

Francesca Dobbyn

Supportive Outreach Service, United Way of Bruce Grey

"SOS" is a proactive, mobile outreach program offering flexible support in rural communities in the Bruce & Grey Counties, Ontario.

>> Learn More

Andre LeBlanc

Social Enterprise through Acquisition project, Community Sector Council of Newfoundland & Labrador

A project facilitating the transition of retiring small businesses into social enterprises.

>> Learn More

89 Local Solutions Across Canada

Local solutions “move at the speed of trust.” The projects featured in this report prioritize co-creation with their communities, and aim to be responsive to local needs. The goal of this publication is to inspire other communities to create their own solutions so that Canada can collectively tackle common challenges, place by place.

Members of the School of Cities team with Local Solutions Winners at the Summit

Scaling Social Innovation:

Doing More of What Works

How can we expand the reach of great ideas – like the ones featured in the report – across the country? The first chapter of "Learning From What Works" explores methods of scaling social innovations, using examples from Canada and around the world to highlight the importance of networks and funding, storytelling, and breaking down barriers to do more of “what works” and bring promising local solutions to new places and sectors.

Discover the Report