Reprinted from Daniels (danielshomes.ca) – original here.
21 April, 2022, Toronto. – The doors opened today to the world’s first hub for in-person and virtual knowledge exchange on matters of accessible housing, green construction, urban equity and sustainable urban growth. Nestled in the heart of Toronto’s Regent Park, the World Urban Pavilion (the Pavilion) is a 4,000 square foot hub for innovation, exhibition and demonstration of the world of possibilities that places cities and towns at the heart of the Sustainable Development agenda.
The World Urban Pavilion has been designed as a knowledge exchange hub where stakeholders from around the world can come together to share learnings and best practices on sustainable urban development. The Pavilion is located in Daniels’ DuEast mixed-use development on Dundas Street East, within a fully-accessible building in an open, gallery inspired space. Its unique design and multifunctional space provide opportunities for collaboration and ideas to blossom.
The Pavilion is the culmination of a multi-year partnership between the Urban Economy Forum (UEF), UN-Habitat, Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) and The Daniels Corporation (Daniels).
During the opening, Daniels announced a contribution of $3 million over five years to support the Pavilion. The Pavilion is now known as the World Urban Pavilion in Regent Park – Powered by Daniels. This commitment ensures the Pavilion remains an accessible and free resource for both local residents and the world’s champions of sustainable urbanization.
The Regent Park is a neighbourhood in downtown Toronto, Canada, once known for the incresed crime rate, has now been turned into a vibrant place with thriving diverse communty. The Regent Park is part of UN-Habitat’s Sister Neighbourhood programme
Visitors to the grand opening were treated to a viewing of the inaugural exhibition of the Pavilion, titled Canada Home. This is a multi-phase exhibition that will bring attention to Canadian innovation related to housing, communities, and sustainability. University of Toronto’s Infrastructure Institute at the School of Cities combined both conceptual and practical installations in this exhibition that depict models and approaches to mixed-use buildings.
The opening of the Pavilion also marks the launch of a global hub for UN-Habitat’s signature SDG Cities Initiative: a global endeavor to set more than 1,000 cities worldwide on track to achieve the 17 Global Goals that leave no one behind in the fight to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure that all people enjoy peace and prosperity by 2030.
Offering personalized consultations and a sheaf of planning and data collection tools to mayors, city managers, civil society networks and urban citizens, the SDG Cities Global Hub will also serve as a knowledge repository for cost-considering, contextually relevant sustainability-oriented initiatives to power equitable and inclusive urban regeneration and development.
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To learn more about the Virtual Pavilion, please visit: https://www.worldurbanpavilion.org/virtual-pavilion