News

Dr. Dawn Parker, a professor in the School of Planning, and the Urban Growth and Change Research Group have received CMHC’s Gold Roof Award for Housing

Research Excellence. Their work provides critical insight into housing supply and affordability challenges during Canada’s ongoing housing crisis.

Have we been asking the wrong questions about the housing crisis?

A new documentary by Dr. Brian Doucet in the School of Planning explores this idea by shifting the focus from how much housing we build to what kind of housing we create and for whom.

Dr. Brian Doucet, associate professor in the School of Planning, invited Mayor of Waterloo, Dorothy McCabe, to speak to students in PLAN 100: Urbanization Today – Introduction to Cities and Regions.

The School of Planning is pleased to announce our Planner in Residence for the 2025-2025 academic year is Leslie Woo. She will teach PLAN 403 in the winter term to our 4th year undergraduate students and interact with the School community throughout the year. 

Students in PLAN 408/648 concluded the term with a small apéro. Each student produced a booklet that connected various theory and design readings with a case study selected for the course. Congratulations to all the students on their impressive achievements this term. 

The School of Planning is proud to celebrate our exceptional Planning students, Emma O’Reilly, Adam Kelly, Emma Borho, Alexandra Kelly, and Mattea Schapp, who have been recognized by the Canadian Institute of Planners - Planning Student Trust Fund (CIP-PSTF) for 2025. 

The Region of Waterloo is taking steps to improve safety at its roundabouts to better protect pedestrians and cyclists. Dr. Jeff Casello emphasized the importance of providing clear, visual cues for drivers, especially when there are other roundabout users. 

With Canadian summers becoming increasingly hotter, Dr. Luna Khirfan urges cities to move beyond temporary “band-aid solutions” and adopt a comprehensive, unified strategy to create cooler urban environments.

In Maclean’s feature on solving Canada’s housing crisis, Dr. Dawn Parker discusses a bold yet simple solution: transform underused parking lots into much-needed housing. 

In a recent CBC article, Dr. Jeff Casello discusses how roundabouts can enhance safety by slowing down traffic and reducing conflict points.