3rd Annual Fit Cities Fit Towns Canada Conference - May 30 & 31, 2023
Dr. Karen Lee, Housing for Health in the Division of Preventive Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Alberta, and its partners were pleased to host our Fit Cities Fit Towns Canada 3rd Annual Conference.
Participants learned about practical ways to impact community environments for health and wellbeing, and innovative strategies to improve our buildings, streets, neighbourhoods and their amenities for health.
This conference introduced the Healthy Community Guidelines: an evidence-based practice-informed Guidelines co-created by over 100 multi-sector partners across 6 provinces in Canada. The Guidelines highlight strategies at 3 scales, i.e. Neighbourhood, Site, and Building, that can improve healthy living.
Conference presentations and discussions, with videos linked below, provide enhanced knowledge and skills for healthier planning, development, design, and construction in our towns and cities provincially and nationally. Presentations featured international, national and local speakers on panels at Neighbourhood, Site, and Building scales. International speakers included Gehl and LK Policy Lab.
Conference Recordings
Day 1 - May 30, 2023
Dr Karen Lee - Welcomes, Opening Remarks and Prayers
Mosom Rick Lighting, Elder in Residence for Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry, University of Alberta
His Worship Mayor Bob Young, Mayor of Leduc
His Worship Mayor Tom Pickard, Mayor of Whitecourt
Dan Huang, President, Canadian Institute of Planners
Keynote Panel 1 (NEIGHBOURHOOD)
Sofie Kvist, Architect MAA, Cand. Arch, Project Lead, Gehl
- International Case Studies for Healthy Community Guidelines (HCG) Strategies (Built Environments for Active Living, Healthy Food and Beverage Access, Social Connections)
Celia Lee, MEDes, Executive Director, Sustainable Calgary
- YYC Playbook and Other Initiatives
- Improving Urban Design and Transit in Edmonton (Including HCG, Safety, Inclusive Design)
Communities Choose Well (Breanna Morin, BA, Program Officer of Engagement & Reconciliation + Emilia Grindlay, BSc., Program Officer, Healthy Eating & Partnerships + Patrick MacQuarrie, BA, Program Officer, Impact and Storytelling
- Smaller and Indigenous Community Strategies for Improving Active Living and Healthy Eating
Q&A with Panel and Moderator (NEIGHBOURHOOD)
- Q&A moderated by Dr. Kate Storey, PhD, CIHR/PHAC Applied Public Health Chair & Associate Professor, School of Public Health, University of Alberta
Closing Remarks/Summary, Day 1
Day 2 - May 31, 2023
Welcomes
Her Worship Mayor Cathy Heron, Mayor of St. Albert, and President, Alberta Municipalities
Dr. Laura McDougall, Senior MOH, Provincial Public and Population Health, Alberta Health Services
Henry Edgar, Vice Chair, Urban Development Institute
Martin Sampson, CEO, Canadian Parks and Recreation Association
Keynote Panel 2 (SITE)
- GEF Seniors Housing - Lauderdale Terrace Pilot Development Site (Seniors Affordable Housing)
Karen Wilk, DDiv., Former President, Laurier Heights Community League
- Community Food/Fruit Forest
- Mixed-Use and Retail Improvement in Both Larger and Smaller AB Communities
- New SW Edmonton Hospital
Q&A with Panel and Moderator (SITE)
- Q&A moderated by Dr. Lisa Allen Scott, Ph.D., Director, Healthy Settings, Promoting Health, Alberta Health Services
Keynote Panel 3 (BUILDING)
Laurie Kerr, FAIA, LEED AP, President, LK POLICY LAB
- Municipal Policies Internationally to Synergize Sustainable and Healthy Buildings, and Opportunities Through Certification Systems such as LEED
- Buildings Incorporating Healthy Community Guidelines Strategies including those using WELL Building Certification (e.g. Institutional Buildings in Canada)
- Residential Buildings in Suburban Neighbourhoods in the Metropolitan Edmonton Area, including Housing for Health Mixed-Income Pilot Development in Leduc
Q&A with Panel and Moderator (BUILDING)
- Q&A moderated by Dr. Eleni Stroulia, PhD, Director of AI4Society Signature Area, Acting Vice Dean & Professor in Department of Computing Science, University of Alberta
Closing Remarks & Prayers
Mosom Rick Lighting, Elder in Residence, Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry, University of Alberta
Dr Karen Lee, Conference Closing