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For a decade, Art of City Building (AoCB) has gathered residents, planners, artists, civic leaders, and change-makers to imagine Halifax not just as a place where things happen, but as the place we build together. From “Inspiring Conversations” to “New Perspectives,” each year has deepened our understanding of place, people, and possibilities. This 10th anniversary reframes “investment” beyond dollars—to include time, care, relationship-building, and intellectual energy as essential currencies for vibrant communities.
We ask: Who builds tomorrow? While sharing how thoughtful conversation translates to transformative action through the following program:
*Subject to updates leading up to event.
PROGRAM - FRIDAY, Sept. 11
Halifax Central Library (Paul O'Reagan Hall), 5440 Spring Garden Rd, Halifax, NS
09:00 Registration Opens
09:30 Conference Opening & Welcoming
10:00 Session One - Impact Circle
To mark 10 years of AoCB, we're reuniting past speakers who took the inspiration from this stage and turned it into real community impact. Expect honest reflections on what it took to go from idea to action - and what they'd tell their past selves.
11:25 Networking / Self Guided Lunch in Downtown Halifax
11:45 SESSION TWO
OPtion 1 - Housing and Community
A practical working session on how affordable housing actually moves from idea to delivery - where funding, approvals, and readiness intersect, and where projects most often stall. Rather than a traditional panel, our speakers walk through a shared case study from concept to occupancy, pausing at each point where things speed up or stall out.
Michael Kabalen (Kjipuktuk/Halifax) Braden Root-McCaig (Kjipuktuk/Halifax) Moderated by Shekara Grant (Weymouth Falls Community Land Trust, Kjipuktuk/Halifax)
Civic decision-making sits at a crossroads between democratic process and expert guidance. This panel brings elected officials and community voices together to talk candidly about how councils weigh competing priorities - and where citizens fit into that process.
Laura White (Kjipuktuk/Halifax) Kathryn Morse (Kjipuktuk/Halifax) John Young (Kjipuktuk/Halifax) Moderated by Jayme Butt (Downtown Halifax Business Commission, Kjipuktuk/Halifax)
14:45 Session FOUR - Climate and the City
This theme explores climate resilience and emerging solutions within cities and communities - how residents, institutions, and local leaders are adapting to environmental change. Attendees will hear practical innovations in energy, land use, and community-led climate action from voices spanning Halifax to Washington, DC to Reykjavík to The Hague.
Christ Church Hall, 61 Dundas Street, Dartmouth, NS
09:00 Registration Opens
10:00 Conference Welcome with Tim Ricessco (Dartmouth)
10:30 Session FIVE - Who Builds Tomorrow?
This session centres the people shaping cities from the inside - those who design our streets, drive our economic strategy, connect our movement systems, and craft our public places. Attendees will leave with a grounded, practical view of what it actually takes to build and run a city, straight from the people doing it.
12:15 Networking / Self Guided Lunch in Downtown Dartmouth
13:30 Breakout Sessions
OPtion 1 - "Surprisingly Simple Paths to Sustainable Events"
with Laura MacNutt. This session dives into circular economy strategies for events and productions - and the local partnership opportunities that make them possible. No moderator; just practical takeaways for anyone planning an event.
Option 2 - Film Screening: Why Cities Don't Build Basketball Courts (In-Person Only - Not Livestreamed)
Presented by Uytae Lee (About Here). Join us for the debut screening of an upcoming film from urbanist YouTube channel About Here, exploring the messy forces that shape our recreational spaces, and why some sports struggle to find room in our cities more than others.Uytae produces videos that educate and engage viewers on urban planning issues. He is the founder of About Here, a creative studio and YouTube channel dedicated to helping people understand their cities better. Alongside his video work, Uytae is an adjunct professor at the UBC School of Journalism and a commissioner on the board of BC Housing.
We strive to make AoCB inclusive and accessible to all participants. We invite participants to identify any accessibility accommodation needs by contacting us at artofcitybuilding@gmail.com by August 26, 2026.
Partnership Opportunities
The Art of City Building is a "pay what you can" conference, made possible by the incredible support of many volunteers, attendees, and partners. As we prepare for AoCB 2026, we are actively seeking partners who share our vision for thoughtful city building and who wish to help us maintain accessible civic conversations for all. We also welcome custom collaboration! Please contact us artofcitybuilding@gmail.com with collaboration ideas or for custom partnership opportunities.
