School of Cities was thrilled to host the Summer Workshop on Urban Mixed Methods across the Disciplines from July 30 – August 1, 2023 in Toronto. The workshop gathered a diverse group of talented doctoral students to explore innovative research methodologies that engage with the theme of urbanism and cities. Participants took part in discussion, refined their own research designs, and built networks with fellow scholars across disciplines.
During the three-day workshop, urban faculty presented lightning talks on research projects illustrating cutting-edge methods for qualitative and quantitative research design, data collection, analysis, interpretation and visualization. Students also spent two days in intensive, small group sessions on dissertation research design, receiving feedback from peers and faculty.
Twenty-two PhD candidates from across Canada as well as Germany, U.K., U.S. and Switzerland joined eight faculty leaders in-person in Toronto for the intensive workshop. This included 6 students and 2 faculty from India, who participated as part of School of Cities India, which exists to engage with students, faculty, municipalities and policymakers in India on multidisciplinary initiatives relevant to urban studies, data & training. SofC India is a key component of the University of Toronto Centre in India, founded in 2023 to engage with research, entrepreneurship and academia in India.
The workshop’s faculty leaders included:
- Yuko Aoyama, Geography, Clark University
- Karen Chapple, Geography and Planning, University of Toronto
- Melissa Chinchilla, UCLA Latino Policy & Politics Institute
- Subhrajit Guhartakarta, City and Regional Planning, Georgia Tech
- Aditi Mehta, Urban Studies, University of Toronto
- Balaji Parthasarathy, IIIT-Bangalore
- Sheryl-Ann Simpson, Geography and Environmental Studies, Carleton University
- Matthew Zook, Geography, University of Kentucky
My experience of academia lacks interdisciplinarity and access to cross-cultural studies — it was so exciting to be exposed to so many disciplines and backgrounds.
— Rashmi Subbanarasihma, IIIT Bangalore
I really appreciated the intimacy of the course and the invitation to reflect. The work of others in the room will impact my own – I have built new networks and new ways of thinking about my research.
— Nisha Nair, IIT Bombay
The opportunity to gather with other researchers in an informal and informative setting was amazing. The time it gives you to think about your own topic and approach is invaluable. This, together with the expertise of the professional academics, makes this an unmissable contribution to your studies if you have an opportunity to attend.
The Urban Mixed Methods workshop was an amazing opportunity to reflect on and sharpen my Ph.D. research proposal and methodology. I also engaged and networked with some brilliant Ph.D. students and faculty members in a space that encouraged critical thinking and dialogue: a rare opportunity so far in this journey.
