There is something incredibly hopeful about walking into a room filled with people who are already helping to shape the future of our city.
On July 15, 2026, CityStudio Vancouver welcomed students, educators, City staff, community organizations, and community members to HUBBUB 26 to celebrate student innovation and civic collaboration, held as part of PNW Climate Week.
Throughout the morning, students presented their work to the very people who had helped frame the challenges they were working to solve. Ideas were tested, conversations sparked, and attendees experienced firsthand what happens when learning extends beyond the classroom and into our communities.
Every project on display began with a real-world question from City of Vancouver staff. Every solution demonstrates what is possible when students are trusted and encouraged to apply their knowledge to the complex challenges facing our cities today, including a changing climate.
This is the heart of CityStudio.
We believe that inter-institutional and interdisciplinary collaboration creates unique opportunities to tackle complex civic challenges, the thorny problems of our times. Through experiential learning, students work alongside City staff, community organizations, faculty, and the CityStudio team to explore everything from early-stage ideas to practical solutions while building their skills, confidence, and relationships that will shape their careers and the future of our communities.
HUBBUB is where that work comes to life.
What makes our approach unique is who gets invited into the conversation. The challenges facing our cities cannot be solved by one profession alone. They require designers, planners, software developers, engineers, artists, educators, entrepreneurs, communicators, scientists, business leaders, and community builders working together.
This is why CityStudio intentionally brings civic challenges into classrooms across disciplines, helping students from every field understand how their skills can contribute to stronger, more sustainable, and joyful communities. These collaborations bring together diverse perspectives to generate new solutions while helping students envision future career paths and the impact they can have in their communities.
We are incredibly proud of every student who participated at HUBBUB 26, along with the faculty, City staff, and community partner collaborators who mentored, challenged, and supported these projects throughout the term. Together, they exemplify the kind of collaborative, creative, and community-minded civic leadership CityStudio exists to cultivate.
Congratulations to Our People’s Choice Award Winners
FoodHubBC (BCIT) Tied for most responsive to the project question and tied for most promising climate impact.
An app that supports food security by helping people find fresh, affordable, and nutritious food sources near them.
Indigenous Artworks Along the Line (SFU) Project that most inspires change.
Reimagining transportation corridors as places for Indigenous storytelling, learning, and reconciliation.
Language in the Landscape (SFU) Project that is most scalable or replicable and Tied for most responsive to the project question.
A pocket-sized zine that helps residents and newcomers connect and learn Indigenous place names and languages across Vancouver’s Host Nations.
Onion (BCIT) – Project with most potential for impact.
A heat map that visualizes food accessibility across Vancouver and simulates the impact of new food developments.
PrepMate (SFU) Most unique or creative project solution and tied for most promising climate impact.
A multi-functional tray and prep station for induction stoves focused towards renters in small Vancouver apartments.
Shaded (BCIT) Tied for most promising climate impact.
A community driven web application that will empower Vancouver residents to nominate and upvote locations in need of urban shade.
VanCooler (BCIT) Tied for most responsive to the project question.
A dynamic, shadow-aware web application that maps real-time shade to protect pedestrians from extreme heat and UV exposure using building heights.
HUBBUB 26 would not have been possible without our collaborators from BCIT and SFU, our City of Vancouver partners, participating community organizations, event sponsors, and an amazing group of volunteers.
A special thank you to PNW Climate Week for welcoming CityStudio into this year’s celebration, introducing our work to a new audience across the region and beyond.
Together, you’re helping cultivate the next generation of civic leaders and innovators, while building stronger, more sustainable, equitable, and joyful communities.
Event Sponsors:
Hemlock Printers
Rain or Shine Ice Cream
Serious Coffee
Community Organizations:
Understanding Emotions as a Pathway to Settler Accountability in Vancouver
UBC researcher exploring emotions through collaging that support reconciliation, accountability, and meaningful settler action.
Plastic Sunset – CoSphere (project of UBC)
Reducing microfiber pollution through youth advocacy, research, and policy change.
BEST Mobility – Better Environmentally Sound Transportation
Learn about various programs: Eco Voyage, Seniors on the Move, and Bike Valet.
iCoolKit – UBC CALP LAB
Practical tools that citizens can apply for climate change adaptation and mitigation.
Ethos Lab Summer Camps
Equity-focused STEAM programs empowering youth through learning.
Green Rainwater Infrastructure
CoV staff discover nature-based infrastructure improving climate resilience and urban water management.
False Creek: Community Connected by Water
Langara College exploring False Creek’s biodiversity through community, data, and storytelling.
Metro Vancouver
Interactive games by Metro Vancouver’s climate outreach team point residents to effective and achievable climate actions.
