CityStudio Ottawa is a partnership between the City of Ottawa, Algonquin College of Applied Arts and Technology, Carleton University, and the University of Ottawa. It aims to explore municipal challenges from different perspectives by bringing together students, faculty and City staff. Today, Mayor Mark Sutcliffe and Councillor Laura Dudas, Chair of the Community Services Committee, welcomed students and faculty to City Hall for CityStudio’s 2024 HUBBUB. Held at the end of each academic year, HUBBUB is a networking event and exhibit showcasing a curated selection of student projects from each of the participating institutions.
At the event, students with top projects from each institution pitched their project or spoke about their CityStudio experience, as did City staff. Submitted projects are judged by a committee of one professor or faculty member from each institution and one City staff representative. The projects are scored for innovation, impact, scalability and problem-solving.
The Mayor congratulated all participants and highlighted how CityStudio is a platform to share ideas, bring together different perceptions and build meaningful relationships across organizations, for mutual benefit. Councillor Dudas shared, “The projects created by the students show a passion, insight and commitment to the quality of life in Ottawa. These inspiring young adults give me great optimism for the future leadership in our city.”
And the award goes to…
These are the top projects from each institution.
- Algonquin College
- Project: Plugging into the Future, by Andres Alvear, Luke He, Nungshi Singh, Panthi Chavda, Yash Gokhale
- Andres Alvear: “This project changed my mindset towards using a user-centred approach because I realized how the insights extracted directly from people's needs give a clear direction for meaningful intervention.”
- Carleton University
- Project: The SATURN Method: Self Advocacy for Children and Youth in the Healthcare Setting, by Chloe Sykes, Will Bordeleau, Jemma Woschitz, Natasha Kislev
- Chloe Sykes: “Far too often, children and youth's care falls through the cracks in the medical system, even in paediatric settings. It is my hope that I can be part of a future that prioritizes the healthcare needs of young people.”
- University of Ottawa
- Project: ‘Substance Use Health and Stigma’, Chelsea Zhang
- “This incredible learning opportunity has enabled me to delve into the real world and increase my scope of knowledge surrounding substance use and stigma in Ottawa.”
Participation growing every year
CityStudio was founded in Vancouver in 2011 out of the need to engage students in civic issues that matter where they live and work. It launched in Ottawa in 2022, with the initial projects focused on priorities in the City’s Community Safety and Well-Being Plan. Thanks to last year’s success, the program expanded to include Algonquin College and Carleton University. At the City, it is also being expanded to support the 2023-2026 term of Council priorities.
To date, CityStudio Ottawa had 950 students participating from across the three institutions. Sixty-two project proposals were matched with 43 City staff, including from the Ottawa Paramedic Service and Ottawa Public Health, who led the projects aligned with the schools’ courses or areas of concentration.
Poster exhibit open to the public
We encourage the public to learn more about the innovative work of CityStudio Ottawa by visiting the exhibit at City Hall in front of Jean Pigott Place, from now until April 26. There is a curated selection of projects on display and you can vote for your favourite as the People’s Choice Award using the QR code found there.
To stay up-to-date on the work of the Community Safety and Well-Being Plan, sign up for its e-newsletter.
For more information on City programs and services, visit ottawa.ca, call 3-1-1 (TTY: 613-580-2401) or 613-580-2400 to contact the City using Canada Video Relay Service. You can also connect with us through Facebook, X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram.