Clarence Woudsma

Clarence is a faculty member in the University of Waterloo’s School of Planning and a Registered Professional Planner (RPP). He joined the University in 2004, moving from the University of Calgary where he started his academic career. The mobility of goods and people has always been a fascination and the challenges related to its impacts on our communities and the planet drive his interests and activities in both research and teaching. A seasoned administrator, Clarence has served the University and academic community broadly throughout his career.

• freight transportation

• logistics and last mile delivery

• trucking industry

• warehousing and distribution

• industrial location and property development

• climate change

Dr. Woudsma has published on a broad range of transportation policy and planning subjects over his career with an emphasis on freight transportation and supply chain management. Topics include climate change impacts and adaptation, deregulation/regulation, urban freight planning, freight related land use, logistics sprawl and last mile logistics. A consistent theme in his research has been the use of spatial methods and applications of Geographic Information Systems. Working with graduate students, Dr. Woudsma has also published on transportation topics from public transit to cycling and population change.

• 1987 BA (Hons.) Geography, Laurentian University

• 1990 MA Geography, Wilfrid Laurier University

• 1995 PhD Geography, McMaster University

• 2024 Outstanding Performance Award, Faculty of Environment, University of Waterloo

• 2024 Honourary Life Membership, Canadian Transportation Research Forum

• 2002 Distinguished Teacher Award,Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Calgary

• Presidential Nominating Committee (2025/2026)

• Interim Co-Associate Vice-President, Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs (July 1, 2024 to July 1, 2025)

• Assistant Vice-President, Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs, (June 1 , 2023 to July 1 2024)

• Lead, Future Cities Initiative ∆ Program, Faculty of Environment, Jan. 2022 to August 2022

• Chair, Department of Knowledge Integration, (Sept. 2020 to Jan. 2022)

• Member, President’s Advisory Task Force (April 2020 to May 2021)

• Director, Community, Health, Environment, Communications (CHEC) Initiative ( May 2014 to July 2017)

• Director, School of Planning, University of Waterloo (July 2008 to July 2020)

• Canadian Institute of Planners

• Ontario Professional Planners Institute

• Association of Canadian University Planning Programs (ACUPP)

• American Collegiate Schools of Planning

• Treasuer, ACUPP (2018 to Present)

• Statistics Canada – External Advisory Committee: Federal Transportation Data Initiative:

• Metrolinx - Advisory Panel for Project Evaluation

• Ontario Railway Advisory Panel, Ministry of Transportation Ontario (MTO)

• FCIT 609 - Mobility Futures
  • Taught in 2025
• GEOG 319 - Economic Analyses for Regional Planning
  • Taught in 2021, 2025
• PLAN 104 - Perspectives on Planning
  • Taught in 2021
• PLAN 203 - Transportation Planning and Analysis
  • Taught in 2021, 2023, 2024, 2026
• PLAN 320 - Economic Analyses for Regional Planning
  • Taught in 2021, 2025
• PLAN 471 - Planning Law
  • Taught in 2024
• PLAN 474 - Special Topics in Planning
  • Taught in 2025
• PLAN 477 - Freight Planning and Policy
  • Taught in 2021, 2023, 2025
• PLAN 677 - Freight Planning and Policy
  • Taught in 2021, 2023, 2025

* Only courses taught in the past 5 years are displayed.

• Rakha, S. and Woudsma, C.G. (2024) Unraveling the Interplay between Individual Characteristics and Perceived Accessibility, Journal of Transport and Health, Vol. 44 pp 1-17

• Skidmore, J., Woudsma C., and Casello, J, (2024), Assessing Station Access Strategies to Grow Commuter Rail Ridership, Transportation Research Board Annual Meeting, 2024 Washington D.C., *peer-reviewed paper, selected for meeting presentation

• Dave Attema and Clarence Woudsma, (2023) Curb Complexities: Evaluating Curbside Management Potential In Canadian Cities, in proceedings of the 58th Annual Meeting of the Canadian Transportation Research Forum, Toronto May 2023, pp 1 – 10

• Clarence Woudsma (2023) Industrial And Beyond: Exploring Logistics Spaces In The Post-Pandemic City, in proceedings of the 58th Annual Meeting of the Canadian Transportation Research Forum, Toronto May 2023, pp 60-64

• Woudsma, C.G., and Casello, J. (2022), The Climate Emergency – adaptation, Disasters and Resilience: A primer, Transportation Talk, Canadian Institute of Transportation Engineers, Volume 43, Number 4 – p. 9-15

• Shantz, A., Woudsma, C., Casello, J., and Guerra, E. (2021), Understanding Factors Associated With Commuter Rail Ridership – A Demand Elasticity Study of the GO Transit Rail Network, Transportation Research Record, Journal of the Transportation Research Board Annual Meeting, Washington D.C. p. 1-21

• Woudsma C.G., (2021), Disrupting Stuff: Material Flows in the Platform City, In Zwick A, and Spicer Z., (eds), The Platform Economy and the Smart City: Technology and the Transformation of Urban Policy, McGill-Queens’s University Press

• Woudsma C., (2020), Gig Workers in Canada’s Courier Industry, report prepared for Employment and Social Development Canada, p. 1-42, Ottawa

• Dean, J. and C. Woudsma (2019) New Mobility Analysis: Assessing Waterloo’s E-Scooter Pilot Project, University of Waterloo, School of Planning report prepared for the City of Waterloo, 51p

• Woudsma, C.G., Jakubicek, P., (2020) Logistics land use patterns in metropolitan Canada, Journal of Transport Geography, Volume 88, p 1 - 10