The School of Cities is hosting its fourth annual Summer Workshop on Urban Mixed Methods across the Disciplines on August 4-6, 2026 at the University of Toronto.
Every summer, the School of Cities hosts a multi-day workshop on urban mixed methods for PhD candidates from any university across Canada and globally. Students and workshop faculty gather to explore innovative research methodologies that engage with the theme of urbanism and cities. Participants take part in discussions, refine their research designs, and build networks across disciplines, while urban faculty present lightning talks on research projects that illustrate cutting-edge methods for qualitative and quantitative research design, data collection, analysis, interpretation, and visualization.
PhD candidates from all disciplines are invited to apply from across Canada and globally.
Students should have already defended their proposals and be currently engaged in urban research that would benefit from a mixed methods approach.
Travel and accommodation expenses are paid for those who are selected.
Applications closed on March 23, 2026. Applicants will be notified in May 2026.
Applicants should have already defended their proposals and be engaged in urban research that would benefit from a mixed methods approach.
Doctoral students whose proposal defence is scheduled for after the application deadline and before the workshop begins (i.e. between March 23 and August 3, 2026) are eligible to participate in the workshop. Applicants should enter their expected/scheduled defence date on the application form and include a letter of support from their doctoral supervisor or committee confirming their stage of candidacy and defence date.
PhD candidates whose doctoral programs do not have a formal proposal defence are eligible for this workshop if they are about to start or have started fieldwork for their PhD research. Applicants should include their research proposal and committee-approved plan of research with their application.
Please click on the link above to access the application form. The application requires your full name, a working email address, the name of your university, and the department you are enrolled in.
- Anticipated graduation year: enter the date you expect to graduate with your doctoral degree.
- Dissertation proposal defence: enter the date of your dissertation proposal defence.
- Enter a 50-word overview describing what you hope to gain from participating in the Summer Workshop.
- Upload your current CV in PDF format.
- Upload a four-page document in PDF format containing:
- a 1-page cover letter describing your current stage of dissertation research, and
- a 3-page summary of your research proposal that highlights how mixed methods is important to your research.
- Upload your full, defended dissertation proposal in PDF format.
Workshop faculty
- Yuko Aoyama, Geography, Clark University
- Karen Chapple, Director, School of Cities and Geography & Planning, University of Toronto
- Melissa Chinchilla, UCLA Latino Policy & Politics Institute
- Subhrajit Guhartakarta, City and Regional Planning, Georgia Tech
- Neema Kudva, City and Regional Planning, Cornell University
- 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
Please email us at research.sofc@utoronto.ca with any questions.
Student testimonials
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.
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.
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.