Ali Katal: Future Proofing our Cities

Some people see the impact of climate change and the problems in their communities and feel overwhelmed. Others, like Ali, see a call to action.

"Our vision at PGL is to help create cities that are more sustainable, comfortable, and ready for the future."

By developing a groundbreaking City Digital Twin platform, he is helping planners and architects rethink urban design from the ground up, ensuring that sustainability and livability are built in, not added later.

Ali's work addresses a simple truth: cities have not always been designed with the human experience or the changing climate in mind. Traditional city planning often prioritized cars over communities. Now, with heatwaves, floods, and powerful wind events becoming more common, urban spaces need a different kind of blueprint.

"Using our City Digital Twin, planners can quickly and clearly understand how design choices impact outdoor comfort, from wind to heat to energy use."

The innovation journey wasn't easy. Ali's passion for better cities is deeply personal. Growing up in Iran, he watched his hometown transform from a lush, vibrant city into a dry, degraded landscape because of unchecked development.

"Now, living in Canada, I see the same pattern happening again, I feel a strong responsibility to act."

His lived experience gives urgency to his mission: to create tools that help cities become more resilient before it's too late.

But turning passion into impact took more than good intentions. "Moving from being researchers to becoming entrepreneurs came with a lot of challenges," Ali admitted.

In the early days, he and his co-founder, Mohammed, faced steep learning curves—from business basics to how to communicate their highly technical work in a way that everyday people could understand. Feedback from mentors sometimes stung. Yet Ali and Mohammed embraced it with humility, continually refining their message and strengthening their product.

Their perseverance paid off. Today, PGL's City Digital Twin is being used to improve urban environments in cities like Toronto, New York, and Boston. Ali believes the key to lasting change lies not just with planners and architects, but with all of us.

"Every choice—planting more trees, using better materials, creating more shaded spaces—can have a big impact on how livable and sustainable our cities are."

His call to action is simple: care about how your city is designed. Advocate for greener, cooler, more comfortable spaces in your own backyard.

If you've ever felt overwhelmed by the scale of climate change, Ali and Mohammed's story is proof that a commitment to a better future changes everything.

Your next step is to add your voice and become a Pathfinder. Click the Add Your Voice button to begin!