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Civic Innovation Lab
The Civic Innovation Lab supports dozens of research initiatives shaping policy and practice. Your support strengthens its ability to address emerging priorities and deliver impactful research for Burnaby and beyond.
BE BOLD by creating sustainable, inclusive communities through research that matters
The Civic Innovation Lab embodies this legacy. It is where SFU’s research strength meets the real-world urgency of city-building, connecting scholars, students, and municipal leaders to design sustainable, inclusive, and more resilient urban environments. Philanthropic investment makes this kind of leadership possible by giving SFU the flexibility to move quickly, work across disciplines, and partner directly with communities when it matters most.
SFU tackles the toughest urban challenges by uniting research and community action—creating cities that thrive. Your support powers the Civic Innovation Lab, where bold ideas become practical solutions for climate, equity, and mobility.
Research that responds to urban change
Cities are where today’s most critical challenges collide: climate adaptation, sustainable transportation, equity and reconciliation, socially-connected housing, and the responsible use of data. These pressures do not arrive neatly packaged by discipline, and they cannot be solved in isolation.
Founded in 2022 as a partnership between Simon Fraser University and the City of Burnaby, the Civic Innovation Lab is a long-term accelerator for community-engaged research. It brings together faculty expertise, student energy, and municipal leadership to turn bold ideas into practical, people-centred solutions, while delivering tangible benefits to the citizens they serve—and offering partners and donors a direct way to shape the future of cities.
Why this work matters now
The pace and complexity of urban change demand institutions that are willing to take risks, test ideas, and learn in public.
By embedding SFU researchers and students directly into the urban ecosystem, the Civic Innovation Lab helps cities move from aspiration to action, while training the next generation of leaders to think across disciplines, sectors, and communities.
This is not research for research’s sake. These initiatives break down ivory towers because they are designed to shape how cities function, adapt, and thrive.
Your impact in action
Donor support powers the Civic Innovation Lab’s ability to move fast, take risks, and deliver results where cities need them most.
Your gift helps the Lab:
- Put students to work on real civic challenges through hands-on, experiential learning
- Drive applied research in climate action, mobility, equity, and community resilience
- Test and scale innovative approaches to policy, planning, and community development
- Build durable partnerships with municipalities and community organizations
The result is research that responds quickly to emerging priorities and makes a measurable difference in people’s daily lives.
The Lab supports 20+ active initiatives already shaping policy and practice by:
- Advancing equity in urban planning
Cities are piloting inclusive planning tools that position Burnaby as a provincial leader in equity-focused decision-making. - Rethinking sustainable mobility
Interdisciplinary teams are reducing vehicle kilometres travelled—going beyond electrification to strengthen climate resilience. - Testing new cutting-edge climate technologies
New technologies are being tested in municipal buildings to support 2030 climate goals and public climate literacy. - Protecting urban ecosystems
Research at Deer Lake is guiding long-term environmental stewardship and evidence-based planning for salmon-bearing waterways.
Every gift expands what’s possible—turning civic challenges into tested solutions cities can use now.
The future of our cities will be shaped by the choices we make now—about climate, equity, infrastructure, and how knowledge serves the public good.
By supporting the Civic Innovation Lab, you are backing a model of research that is courageous, collaborative, and deeply connected to community needs. You are helping SFU do what it has always done best: bring diverse voices together, take on complex problems, and create solutions that matter.
Join us. Be part of the solution. BE BOLD with SFU.