Urban place-making centred on equity and social justice
RESEARCH PROJECTS
Academic and professional urban research
I’ve put together a curated selection of my written pieces. Some are long, others are brief. Please feel free to reach out to me if you are interested in discussing any of the following topics!
WARDEN WOODS: COMMUNITY ASSETÂ AND OPERATIONS PLANNING AND STRATEGIES
The Warden Woods Community Centre (WWCC) is facing a situation that has become all too common for social-purpose organizations operating across Toronto. Their revenues reflect the reality of running an organization that values social-welfare over profit, but their expenditures reflect the reality of having to operate in a city that is getting more expensive by the day.Â
This report explores a range of options available to the WWCC in order to maintain long-term financial stability and acquire property. These financial considerations are offered alongside governance advice that is focused on ensuring WWCC has the knowledge they need to maintain community ownership of their facility. However, it is important to note that ownership is not always the best path forward. In determining whether to pursue ownership, it is necessary to consider the condition of the asset and the capacity of the organization.
REVITALIZING ST. JAMES TOWN: THE CONTROVERSY OF WELLESLEY-PARLIAMENT SQUARE
Over the past three decades, Toronto has experienced a rise in poverty and income gap that has contributed to growing social inequity and declining housing affordability. Through various policies, the City of Toronto envisions rental housing revitalization to provide new housing in entirely new complete neighbourhoods that are healthy, socially inclusive, and affordable.
The proposed Wellesley-Parliament Square development is one of such revitalization projects, aiming to add more rental housing, redesign the streetscape, and provide better public spaces at the heart of St. James Town. In this paper, I review the socioeconomic conditions of St. James Town to situate this development proposal. Then, I review relevant provincial and municipal policies to assess whether the development represents good planning. Finally, I analyze the project from stakeholder perspectives to explore its various social dimensions and highlight the importance of local socioeconomic context in planning decisions. Although rental housing provision is crucial to Toronto’s future growth, its execution must be sensitive to the needs of local residents and fit with other objectives of municipal planning.
PAYDAY LENDING REGULATIONS: TOWARDS ECONOMIC INCLUSION
Payday loans are insecure and short-term loans that one can borrow for emergency situations at extremely high interest rates. This business model puts payday loan borrowers, most of whom have low income, in financially vulnerable situations. Regulation for payday loans are highly contested as they provide an alternative to borrowers who often do not have access to traditional loans offered by banks.
I argue that financial access should be considered a fundamental right in the increasingly neoliberal economy. I explore why the demand for payday loans exist in the first place and the financial service gap they fill. Then, I review alternative frameworks of banking regulations and financial services in other cities to highlight Toronto’s current regulatory gaps.
PATHWAYS TO WORKER COOPERATIVE DEVELOPMENT: CONNECTIONS AND GAPS IN TORONTO'S ENTREPRENEURIAL ECOSYSTEM
Worker cooperatives have long demonstrated capacity to improve economic democracy and address social inequality. Many cities are building worker cooperative ecosystems, but what does this look like in Toronto? Through a tri-pathway framework, I assess the accessibility of worker cooperative-related information in Toronto's entrepreneurial ecosystem. Findings suggest that 1) Toronto's worker cooperative ecosystem struggles to assemble necessary components of an independent ecosystem to support cooperative growth; and 2) worker cooperative-related information is systematically excluded by the mainstream entrepreneurial ecosystem. I also propose policy recommendations to improve cooperative development opportunities.