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Events, contests and other initiatives by The Tyee and select partners.

Reimagine the City with Visions from Vienna

Join this free public event to boldly conjure what our cities could be if we put citizens’ needs at the forefront.

YWCA City Shift 12 Sep 2022TheTyee.ca

A profile photo in a purple hue of Maria Vassilakou from the shoulders up over a purple background.
Join Keynote Speaker Maria Vassilakou, former deputy mayor of Vienna, at the Reimagining Our Cities event, presented by YWCA City Shift. Photo by Lucas Beck.

Imagine what our cities could be if equity, inclusion and justice were at the heart of decision-making. That’s precisely what will be discussed at Reimagining Our Cities, presented by YWCA Metro Vancouver City Shift on Thursday, Sept. 22, at SFU Goldcorp Centre for the Arts.

The free event invites the public to be a part of an important conversation featuring keynote speaker Maria Vassilakou, former deputy mayor of Vienna, Austria, and a panel that brings together diverse, multi-sectoral community leaders to boldly and creatively reimagine what our cities could be.

As deputy mayor from 2010-19, Vassilakou was responsible for urban planning, traffic and transport, climate protection, energy and public participation. During her tenure, Vienna consistently ranked as one of the most livable cities in the world.

Vassilakou will share how her administration achieved this through unique practices in urban planning that ensured equitable policy, legislation and resource allocation. From public transportation and social housing to walkable streets, Vienna is a city that considers all citizens' needs.

“We know that women from all backgrounds and identities have not had an equal voice in how we build and grow our cities,” says Erin Seeley, CEO of YWCA Metro Vancouver. “We’re so pleased to have Maria Vassilakou joining us for our Reimagining Our Cities event, during Gender Equality Week.”

“We can hear first-hand how her work contributed to building an equitable city for everyone,” adds Seeley. “If Vienna can achieve this, why can’t we?”

The evening is hosted by Andrea Reimer, founder and principal of Tawâw Strategies. Reimer is a former three-term Vancouver city councillor, Metro Vancouver director, one-time school trustee and former Green Municipal Fund council member. During her decade on Vancouver’s city council, Reimer led the city’s effort to be the world’s Greenest City and Vancouver’s framework for reconciliation. 

Following Vassilakou’s keynote will be a panel discussion featuring local community leaders with diverse lived and professional experiences. The panelists include Ginger Gosnell-Myers, a fellow focused on decolonization and urban Indigenous planning at the SFU Morris J. Wosk Centre for Dialogue; Kevin Huang, executive director of the Hua Foundation; Nic Wayara, founder of Hook or Crook Consulting; and Tiffany Muller Myrdahl, expert in urban and feminist geography and senior lecturer at SFU.

The event will conclude with a reading by Elliott Slinn, poet laureate for the City of New Westminster, who will create an original piece based on the evening’s discussions.

Reimagining Our Cities is an event created by YWCA City Shift which aims to make the region more equitable, prosperous and just by supporting Metro Vancouver cities to challenge assumptions, incorporate diverse perspectives and support actions that serve the entire community. YWCA City Shift is funded by Women and Gender Equality Canada.

Attendees can join in person and virtually via livestream. The event will have childminding and ASL interpreters onsite. For more information on the event, accessibility, and to register, please visit the event’s webpage. [Tyee]

This article is part of a Tyee Presents initiative. Tyee Presents is the special sponsored content section within The Tyee where we highlight contests, events and other initiatives that are either put on by us or by our select partners. The Tyee does not and cannot vouch for or endorse products advertised on The Tyee. We choose our partners carefully and consciously, to fit with The Tyee’s reputation as B.C.’s Home for News, Culture and Solutions. Learn more about Tyee Presents here.

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