Dawn Cassandra Parker

Dawn Parker is a Professor in the School of Planning at the University of Waterloo, a Core Member of the Waterloo Institute for Complexity and Innovation, and the founder of the Canadian Network for Complex Systems. She is a pioneer in the development of agent-based simulation models of socio-ecological systems, including of urban land use and housing markets.

Her areas of disciplinary expertise include applied math, computer science, economics, geography, and planning. Her methodological expertise includes quantitative modelling employing analytical, mathematical programming, and simulation techniques; statistical modelling including spatial econometrics, quantitative and semi-structured survey research, and focus group research. Her current research application areas focus on how Canadian land-and-housing markets shape housing supply, suitability affordability, and equity. Companion research focuses on the environmental impacts of residential land use.

Her teaching experience includes course development and delivery of disciplinary (environmental, urban, and regional economics and planning), interdisciplinary (land-use and urban modelling and simulation, socio-ecological systems simulation modelling, systems approaches to transportation and housing), and research design courses. She has also led development of interdisciplinary educational programs, in computational social science (at GMU) and implementation science (through the SMART training platform).

Professor Parker welcomes inquires by qualified graduate applicants and by potential research collaborators. A current CV is available on request.

• Development of integrated socio-economic and biophysical models of land-use change, Agent-based modeling, Complexity theory, Geographic information systems, Environmental and resource economics

• GEMCC 652 - Climate Change and Community Planning
  • Taught in 2021, 2022
• GEOG 319 - Economic Analyses for Regional Planning
  • Taught in 2023
• PLAN 202 - Transportation and Housing: A Systems Approach
  • Taught in 2025
• PLAN 320 - Economic Analyses for Regional Planning
  • Taught in 2023
• PLAN 416 - Modelling the City
  • Taught in 2022, 2025, 2026
• PLAN 474 - Special Topics in Planning
  • Taught in 2021, 2022
• PLAN 606 - Modelling the City
  • Taught in 2026
• PLAN 627 - Climate Change and Community Planning
  • Taught in 2021, 2022
• PLAN 674 - Special Topics in Planning
  • Taught in 2022, 2025
• PLAN 710 - Research Design
  • Taught in 2024

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