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UN Sustainable Development Goals

SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

2025 SDG report

SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities icon
students crossing the street on Gould street on campus

SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

At TMU, we prioritize the creation of a green, pedestrian-oriented campus that also promotes sustainable commuting. Our commitment extends beyond the campus through our academic programs and research contributions in city building. Through initiatives in urban planning, civil engineering, and heritage preservation, TMU is actively shaping the future of sustainable cities and communities. We strive to promote inclusive, sustainable urban environments while supporting cultural and artistic expression through spaces like The Image Centre and various performance and community programs. 

TMU ranked #5 in the world in the 2025  (PDF file) Sustainable Campus Index (external link)  for its campus transportation mix

92% of the TMU community uses lower-carbon transportation to commute

Our goals in action

student on laptop in the student learning centre

TMU’s academic programs are designed to cultivate the next generation of city builders and designers of sustainable communities. Our School of Urban and Regional Planning offers innovative courses in urban planning, sustainability and community development. Additionally, TMU’s Department of Civil Engineering provides comprehensive education in environmental sustainability, infrastructure and urban transportation, preparing students to address the challenges of sustainable city design.

  • TMU’s School of Urban and Regional Planning (SURP) offers a variety of undergraduate and graduate programs that train students to shape communities for growth, sustainability and equity. This includes a one-year accelerated MPl program offering winter term intake for students with planning experience. 
    • SURP students may have the opportunity to participate in field trips to other cities as a key experiential learning portion of their curriculum. In 2024-25, this included trips to Chicago, Halifax, Montreal, Pittsburgh and Southern Ontario, and a six-day field research visit to Philadelphia, where students discovered the integration of historic heritage and urban revitalization.
  • In summer 2025, upper level Architectural Science students participated in The Architecture of Place: The City is the Museum | The Museum is the City travel design studio program in Toronto and Barcelona. The Barcelona Studio portion included a comprehensive learning experience that bridged theory and practice through direct engagement with the built environment. By observing and analyzing the city's diverse architectural context students gained a deeper understanding of how architecture reflects cultural values, urban conditions, and spatial habits.
  • TMU Libraries and Ted Rogers School Of Management (TRSM) established a joint 2025 OER Partnership Grant to encourage the creation and adoption of open educational resources (OER) with a focus on business titles. OER are learning materials that are openly licensed such that they are freely available to be adapted, copied, and shared. OER can be: courses, modules, textbooks, multimedia, assessments, and supplementary materials.
    • This grant advances the University’s priorities to foster an innovation ecosystem and ensure excellence in student learning experiences, and builds on TMU Libraries digital initiatives, expertise in Open Access and Open Education Resource publishing and dissemination, and academic priorities of access and openness. 
  • Introduction to Construction Project Management for Housing in Nishnawbe Aski Nation (NAN) Communities and Introduction to Tendering and Procurement for Housing in NAN Communities are distance-learning courses available asynchronously, so students can participate at their convenience. Focused on the roles, issues and needs of housing professionals in NAN territory, the courses equip learners with foundational knowledge to manage local construction projects. The aim is to reduce reliance on external contractors and support housing “by First Nations, for First Nations.”  
    • Insights from housing experts were combined with case studies relevant to NAN communities, such as the impact of winter road access and climate change on the scheduling and availability of materials. These case studies provide grounded examples to help learners better understand the construction process and begin to apply project management principles, such as risk assessment and monitoring, to their own practice and communities.

TMU’s research initiatives play a crucial role in advancing sustainable communities. Our City Building TMU initiative fosters interdisciplinary collaborations to tackle urban challenges, from sustainability to technological innovation. Research initiatives across the university focus on policies that promote sustainable urban growth, shape urban landscapes and advance cultural heritage preservation.

  • In October 2025, Canadian researchers, government leaders and industry partners gathered at TMU for the Sustainable Urban Transportation Research & Innovation workshop. Hosted by the Faculty of Engineering and Architectural Science’s Office for Research and Innovation, under the leadership of Professor Said Easa, the highly collaborative event brought together participants from industry and government along with researchers to share and discuss the latest technologies, innovations, and policies impacting transportation. 
    • The workshop opened with presentations from municipal, federal, and industry representatives, which covered smart traffic technology, transit electrification, asset management, urban mobility and sustainable urban transportation.
  • TMU Urban and Regional Planning professor Raktim Mitra is one of the lead researchers on the National Active School Streets Initiative. The goal of the project is to help participating communities successfully plan, implement and evaluate car-free zones around schools, which encourage students to walk and bike to school while finding moments of play and independence with their peers along the way. The project recently received $3 million from the Public Health Agency of Canada to accelerate the implementation of School Streets across Canada.
  • The Modern Literature and Culture Research Centre’s mandate is to research literary and cultural production in the modernist era (from 1880 to 1945), to preserve and advance modernist women’s heritage and to promote modern Canadian heritage within an international context.
  • The Yellowhead Treaty Map (external link)  is an accessible introduction to Indigenous perspectives on treaties in Canada. It describes the context, negotiation process and terms of treaties – as well as the implications of failing to honour them.
students walking on a cross walk on Church St. on campus

As part of its commitment to urban sustainability, TMU is continuously enhancing our campus through green building practices and sustainable design. We prioritize pedestrian-friendly spaces, fostering a vibrant and inclusive campus environment. Our Sustainable Building Guidelines ensure that all new construction and renovations adhere to high standards of energy efficiency and carbon reduction, contributing to a sustainable urban future.

  • As TMU grows, we must continue to provide an engaging network of public spaces that promote a vibrant, welcoming and inspiring campus life for our students, employees and the broader community. The  (PDF file) Campus Public Realm Plan's Campus Core Revitalization project has supported this with Nelson Mandela Walk and parts of Gould Street and Victoria Street designed to prioritize pedestrians.
  • TMU’s  (google doc) Sustainable Building Guidelines (external link)  ensure our commitment to carbon emissions reduction and environmental sustainability is reflected in the design and creation of our spaces. The guidelines include robust energy and greenhouse gas emissions performance targets, waste reduction and diversion goals and other requirements that promote sustainable building design. The guidelines apply to capital projects (new construction, additions and major renovations) and minor renovations with carbon and energy implications.
  • TMU ranked in the top five globally in the  (PDF file) 2025 Sustainable Campus Index (external link)  for its campus transportation mix. TMU supports sustainable commuting with secure bike parking, a bike repair station, bike share stations and electric vehicle charging on campus. Multiple subway stops and streetcar lines also border the campus. 
student on bicycle and pedestrians crossing street in front of campus building

TMU’s campus is designed to support a sustainable and vibrant student life. From access to affordable on-campus residences and a robust transportation mix, we provide students with options to maximize their university experience. TMU also offers recreational opportunities, such as free community skating events at the Mattamy Athletic Centre, and multiple green spaces that promote physical and mental wellness. These efforts ensure that students can thrive in an environment that fosters sustainability, creativity and well-being.

TMU serves as a hub for the local community, offering fitness, recreation and cultural programming. Facilities such as The Image Centre, Act II Studio and Chrysalis provide opportunities for public engagement with the arts. TMU’s fitness and recreation facilities are available to the broader community through memberships, fostering a healthy, engaged and connected urban environment.

  • The Image Centre (external link)  is Canada’s leading institution for the exhibition, research and collecting of photography, with a collection of nearly 400,000 photographic objects. Free exhibition tours are available Wednesday to Saturday.
  • The Act II Studio and Chrysalis at The Creative School host performances open to the public throughout the year.
  • Community members can obtain memberships for access to TMU athletics and recreation facilities, including fitness centres and classes, swimming, gyms, studios, squash courts and an indoor track.
  • Image Arts professor Alireza Khatami’s psychological thriller The Things You Kill was Canada’s official entry for Best International Feature at the 98th Academy Awards. The film also won the World Cinema Dramatic Directing Award at the Sundance Film Festival.
  • TMU Architectural Science professor Cheryl Atkinson has designed an eight-unit multiplex and two laneway houses for P&R Developments, gently intensifying the site to now accommodate 10 families where previously only a single family home used to exist. The design concept supports the idea of “missing middle” housing, the need for diverse and sustainable housing options in existing, transit served urban neighbourhoods.
  • Transit Innovation Yard (TIY) was launched in 2025 as a landmark collaboration between TMU and the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) to develop cutting-edge solutions for initiatives such as route optimization, better real-time service updates, and improved journey planning tools, to help create a better transit service for the City of Toronto. The initiative will leverage TMU researchers, start-ups, and more to help address pressing transit challenges.
  • Civil Engineering professor Khaled Sennah’s pioneering research on concrete traffic barriers and decks reinforced with non-corrosive glass fiber-reinforced polymer (GFRP) bars addressed one of Canada’s persistent bridge infrastructure challenges: corrosion of reinforcing steel by de-icing salts. By leading the first worldwide crash tests of GFRP-reinforced concrete barriers, he demonstrated that corrosion-resistant materials could reduce long-term maintenance costs while maintaining safety performance. 
    • These findings were adopted by transportation authorities, including in Ontario and Quebec, and incorporated into Canadian bridge design specifications, changing engineering practice beyond academia.
    • His collaborations with the Ontario Ministry of Transportation have produced design solutions now used in bridge projects across the province, directly benefiting communities and taxpayers. Sennah's designs are now visible on major Ontario highways, including the 401 and the 407.
Two students sitting on grassy field on campus

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