20 Finalists Announced in the 'Canada Smart Cities Challenge'

The winner of the Grand Prize for the Canada Smart Cities Challenge will receive $50 million CAD ($38.5 million USD).

1 minute read

June 4, 2018, 7:00 AM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Canada

Click Images / Shutterstock

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau recently announced the 20 finalists selected for the Canada Smart Cities Challenges. Chris Teale reports that the 20 finalists were selected from a list of 130 applicants.

Finalists will compete for a grand prize of $50 million CAD ($38.5 million USD), two prizes of $10 million CAD ($7.7 million USD) for those with populations of up to 500,000 people, and one $5 million CAD ($3.8 million USD) for those with populations of up to 30,000, according to Teale.

The website for the Smart Cities Challenge has more details on the kinds of proposals the competition will seek to reward. "A smart cities approach means achieving meaningful outcomes for residents through the use of data and connected technology. This approach can be adopted by any community, big or small," according to the website. The website also includes an interactive map for perusing the proposals of the finalist cities.

Friday, June 1, 2018 in Smart Cities Dive

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

Concrete Brutalism building with slanted walls and light visible through an atrium.

What ‘The Brutalist’ Teaches Us About Modern Cities

How architecture and urban landscapes reflect the trauma and dysfunction of the post-war experience.

February 28, 2025 - Justin Hollander

Complete Street

‘Complete Streets’ Webpage Deleted in Federal Purge

Basic resources and information on building bike lanes and sidewalks, formerly housed on the government’s Complete Streets website, are now gone.

February 27, 2025 - Streetsblog USA

Green electric Volkswagen van against a beach backdrop.

The VW Bus is Back — Now as an Electric Minivan

Volkswagen’s ID. Buzz reimagines its iconic Bus as a fully electric minivan, blending retro design with modern technology, a 231-mile range, and practical versatility to offer a stylish yet functional EV for the future.

March 3, 2025 - ABC 7 Eyewitness News

View of mountains with large shrubs in foreground in Altadena, California.

Healing Through Parks: Altadena’s Path to Recovery After the Eaton Fire

In the wake of the Eaton Fire, Altadena is uniting to restore Loma Alta Park, creating a renewed space for recreation, community gathering, and resilience.

March 9 - Pasadena NOw

Aerial view of single-family homes with swimming pools in San Diego, California.

San Diego to Rescind Multi-Unit ADU Rule

The city wants to close a loophole that allowed developers to build apartment buildings on single-family lots as ADUs.

March 9 - Axios

Close-up of row of electric cars plugged into chargers at outdoor station.

Electric Vehicles for All? Study Finds Disparities in Access and Incentives

A new UCLA study finds that while California has made progress in electric vehicle adoption, disadvantaged communities remain underserved in EV incentives, ownership, and charging access, requiring targeted policy changes to advance equity.

March 9 - UCLA Luskin Center for Innovation