Our Commitments

Acknowledging Traditional Lands

We acknowledge and respect that our work is conducted on the ancestral and unceded territory of the many Indigenous peoples that call this land home, including the Huron-Wendat, the Seneca, and most recently, the Mississaugas of the Credit. We recognize the ongoing role of colonialism and its consequences for Indigenous peoples, and the ways in which other systems of oppression intersect with colonialism to deny so many people a place to call home. We affirm our commitment and responsibility to advancing reconciliation with Indigenous peoples, fostering closer relationships between nations, and improving our own understanding of local Indigenous ways of knowing. We acknowledge the many whose footsteps have marked these lands for generations, and we are grateful for the traditional knowledge keepers and elders who are still with us today and those who have gone before us.

Institutional Culture and the Practice of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion

The School of Cities embraces equity, diversity and inclusion as a source of creativity and inspired scholarship. These values are embedded in the School’s leadership, institutional culture, and governance structures, manifested across its research, education, and partnerships/outreach, and in its activities. The School aims to reflect the diversity of people and communities of the local urban region, and is especially committed to the active participation of under-represented and equity-deserving groups, especially Indigenous, Black, immigrant, and racialized people, people with disabilities, and 2SLGBTQ+ people.