GUEST POST: We Are Cities looks for ideas on how to improve our cities

_ (This blog post originally appeared on Green Living Ottawa .) _

There’s a cool new initiative to foster healthy, sustainable, prosperous and liveable cities. It’s called ** We Are Cities ** .

We Are Cities is gathering ideas on how to improve and support cities, given the significance of urban centres to Canada. The campaign invites people to get involved in identifying what’s needed, and will bring the diverse perspectives and creative ideas together into ** a national action plan for cities ** .

Everyone is invited to participate, by ** submitting ideas online ** , ** voting for ideas online ** , and/or ** participating in local roundtables ** . There’s a roundtable in ** Ottawa ** on ** Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2015 ** , at the NCC’s Capital Urbanism Lab , facilitated by Citizens Academy .

So far, ideas range from building bike-friendly neighbourhoods, making cities physically accessible and expanding urban agriculture, to supporting inclusive decision-making, increasing investment in municipal infrastructure and establishing a national water strategy. Have a look at the ideas posted so far , and think about what an inclusive, resilient and sustainable Ottawa would look like to you.

We Are Cities is led by Evergreen CityWorks and Cities for People . A number of other organizations, including the David Suzuki Foundation and the International Institute for Sustainable Development, are also involved.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tjbRHZD96io