Faculty of Environment
Research project description
Seeking an interdisciplinary PhD student to examine how foresight and futures-thinking can support municipalities in navigating long-term, equity-oriented urban climate transitions. The student will be embedded within a collaborative research initiative based at the University of Waterloo and will work closely with five municipalities across Canada to explore how participatory and strategic foresight approaches can be used to re-imagine urban futures, guide decision-making under deep uncertainty, and reduce the risk of maladaptation. This research will combine empirical investigation with conceptual development, contributing both to scholarly debates on urban climate governance and to practical tools and insights for municipal practitioners.
The accelerating impacts of climate change are placing unprecedented pressures on cities, while also creating space for innovation in governance, planning, and collective action. Canadian municipalities are increasingly on the front-lines of climate mitigation and adaptation, yet they remain constrained by short-term decision-making cycles that clash with the long-term time horizons climate action requires. Because climate impacts unfold over decades and key interventions take years to plan and implement, short-term-ism increases the risk of maladaptation. In addition, addressing climate change demands more than technical solutions; it requires imagination and the ability to envision alternative urban futures. Yet foresight remains unevenly developed at the municipal level in Canada. This project responds by convening municipalities, researchers, and civil society to collectively build foresight capacity.
Fields of research
- Futures studies and strategic foresight
- Urban climate governance and planning
- Climate adaptation, mitigation, and resilience
- Environmental and climate justice
- Municipal policy and institutional innovation
Qualifications and ideal student profile
Prospective graduate student researchers must meet or exceed the minimum admission requirements for the programs connected to this opportunity. Visit the program pages using the links on this page to learn more about minimum admission requirements. In addition to minimum requirements, the research supervisor is looking for the following qualifications and student profile.
- A motivated PhD student with a strong interest in climate change, cities, and foresight methods. The position is particularly well-suited to students interested in research that bridges theory and practice and contributes to real-world climate action.
- A background in foresight, urban planning, geography, environmental studies, sustainability science, or a related discipline.
- An interest in climate governance, adaptation, and/or mitigation at the municipal scale
- Familiarity with, or openness to learning, futures and foresight approaches (e.g., scenario planning, visioning, participatory methods)
- A collaborative orientation and interest in engaged, practice-facing scholarship
- Experience working with municipalities, civil society organizations, or participatory research processes is an asset, but not required.
Faculty researcher and supervisor
- Marta Berbes
Caivan Communities Assistant Professor, School of Environment, Resources and Sustainability (SERS)
View faculty profile →
Graduate programs connected to this project
Important dates
Resilient urban futures: Connecting practitioners and scholars to reimagine climate adaptation is an open and ongoing research opportunity. Expressions of interest can be submitted for any term.