News

Professor Moos from the School of Planning collaborated with Skye Collishaw and Professor Tara Vinodrai from the University of Toronto on new research that shows people living in subsidized housing having more sustainable commutes (defined as the shorter distance travelled and lower car use) than otherwise similar renters. The findings have important planning and policy implications for the role of subsidized housing in terms of meeting housing affordability and climate change goals. The findings provide support for policies that promote investment in subsidized and affordable housing near transit as a housing affordability and sustainability strategy, particularly benefiting lower-income earners.

The research relies on Statistics Canada census data and is published in Housing Policy Debate.

The School of Planning is pleased to announce our Planner-in-Residence for the 2023-2024 academic year is Martin Quarcoopome. He will deliver PLAN 403 in the winter term to our 4th year undergraduate students and interact with the School community in various other ways throughout the year. 

The prestigious journal Science has recently published an article which the School of Planning's Prof. Dawn Parker helped to co-author. The article contains discussion amongst researchers within the field of social science from University of Waterloo, University of Toronto, Yale University and University of Pennsylvania on the role that AI can play in the future of the research profession. 

For those of you who were unable to attend this year's Futures Forum 2023 event, or would like to see it again, a recording of Bianca Wylie's keynote presentation "Public Engagement, Technology and the Art of Living Well Together" is now available on Youtube at the link below.

This afternoon, the School of Planning will celebrate the remarkable accomplishments of our 2023 graduates. Among this group of individuals are three doctoral (PhD) graduands who have proven their extraordinary level of academic aptitude and become subject-matter experts in areas related to planning. One of our newest PhD alumna, Dr. Niloofar Mohtat, was profiled along with other graduating PhD students from across the university. 

The School of Planning would like to extend a huge congratulations to Professor Pierre Filion for being inducted into the Canadian Institute of Planners' College of Fellows.  

Each year, the students from the University of Waterloo's Planning Students’ Association (PSA) and the Toronto Metropolitan’s Association of Planning Students (TMAPS) host the Waterloo - Toronto Metropolitan Undergraduate Planning Conference (WTMUPC) to build bridges, learn from each other, and connect in a fun way! This year's theme was "Cities in 2050", with threads of future, sustainability, and reconciliation.  

The School of Planning's Dr. Leia Minaker has recently published a report in partnership with Heart & Stroke which details how food and beverage companies employ dozens of tactics to market their products directly to children at point-of-sale locations across Canada, such as grocery stores and restaurants.

Updated March 2,  2023 - Domestic application deadline extended from January 15th to June 1st for MA/MES. Please contact potential supervisors prior to applying to discuss your interest in this program and confirm that they are still accepting new students.  

Congratulations to Alan Mak (Accounting and Finance), Matthew Van Bakel (Planning), Nathan Lee (Civil Engineering), and Samantha Kerry (Architectural Engineering) for winning the First Place Grand Prize at the Expand Your Empire Development Conference.