City Shapers was a civic education program offered in partnership with the SFU Morris J. Wosk Centre for Dialogue. Three cohorts took place from Fall 2019 to Summer 2020. This program, specifically designed for youth ages 18-30, explored pressing social issues (social isolation and resilience) with a municipal governance lens.
Throughout May-July, 60 young adults in two City Shapers program came up with creative and innovative ways to make our communities more resilient. This series of graphics depicts the many changes that these young City Shapers envisioned for our neighbourhoods, communities, and cities.
Created by Jay Castro, City Shapers: Resilient Communities Alumni
“I really enjoyed my time in the City Shapers program. It helped me feel more connected with the community and to learn about great things that community members have done in the past to bring people together in the city. It made me feel more confident to start a community project on my own. I agree with a lot of the things being stated in the graphics. Including increasing the diversity of people in positions of power and consulting with diverse community members before making decisions in the city. Increasing unique perspectives on complex issues may result with better solutions that could benefit more people in the long-term. This is how I think we can bring resiliency in our communities most effectively and efficiently.”
— Kendall, City Shapers: Resilient Communities (Jun-Jul)
Stay tuned for more research and learnings from the City Shapers program in the coming weeks and months.