The School of Cities is a source of expertise and analysis on all aspects of the complex global challenges facing urban centres. Our Director, affiliated faculty and visiting experts often provide comments to the media and we regularly release stories and updates on the most pressing issues facing cities.
Announcements
Karen Chapple reappointed for a second term as Director, School of Cities
The School of Cities (SofC) is pleased to announce the reappointment of Karen Chapple for a second term as director.
School of Cities at the World Urban Forum, a global stage for urban solutions
At the World Urban Forum in Baku, Azerbaijan, the School of Cities joined global conversations on housing and sustainable urban development. A key milestone was the signing of a memorandum of understanding with UN-Habitat, establishing a new partnership to advance collaborative research, training, and policy initiatives that support more inclusive, resilient, and data-informed cities.
Meric Gertler joins the School of Cities
The School of Cities welcomes Meric Gertler as Distinguished Scholar-in-Residence, effective January 1, 2026. A former President of the University of Toronto, Professor Gertler brings deep expertise in cities, innovation, and sustainability to support the School’s mission and future direction.
Introducing Benjamin Owens, the 2025-26 Jonathan and Erin Gouveia Fellow
Benjamin Owens has been named the inaugural Jonathan and Erin Gouveia Fellow. A PhD student in Geography & Planning, his research explores the intersections of housing, work, and youth homelessness in urban contexts.
The Urban Policy Lab joins the School of Cities as an affiliated initiative
School of Cities welcomes the Urban Policy Lab as a new affiliated initiative. Gabriel Eidelman, founder and Director of UPL, will join the School’s leadership team and lead two School projects, coordinating a new policy brief series and serving as knowledge mobilization lead for the Canadian Municipal Barometer partnership.
The Jonathan and Erin Gouveia Fellowship supports graduate students with a passion for urban issues
The School of Cities is launching its first named fellowship thanks to a generous gift from Jonathan and Erin Gouveia. The annual award will support U of T graduate students driving bold, urban-focused research.
School of Cities in U of T News | Reimagined 90 Queen’s Park project to foster collaboration, city-building and civic engagement
Karen Chapple in The Straits Times | SMU and 4 overseas universities join forces to advance human-focused urban research
School of Cities & SHS Consulting awarded CMHC grant for Scaling Up Canada’s Community Housing Sector: Bundling assets and building capacity
School of Cities, along with SHS Consulting, has been awarded a grant from the CMHC under the National Housing Strategy Solutions Labs Program to support community housing sector efforts to increase housing supply
School of Cities in U of T News | A former esthetician, U of T grad looks forward to pursuing a new career as a lawyer
Nouman Ashraf joins School of Cities as Special Advisor
The School of Cities is pleased to announce the appointment of Nouman Ashraf as Special Advisor for Pedagogy.
Professor Karan Singh joins the School of Cities as Associate Director, School of Cities India
The Office of the Vice-President, International (OVPI) and the School of Cities are pleased to announce the appointment of the new Associate Director of the School of Cities India.
Latest media mentions See more
School of Cities in Toronto Star | The Campaign Pitch: How a new program could give us clean parks, clear winter sidewalks and youth jobs
Toronto Star staff reporter Beatriz Baleeiro on the School of Cities election issue brief that explores the possibility of a standing youth hiring program, which could deploy young people within their local neighbourhoods and support them with mentorship and professional development.
This article is one in the Toronto Star’s four-part series called The Campaign Pitch, wherein they wrote about SofC election briefs, written in collaboration with U of T faculty, and presented them to the two main mayoral candidates for comment.
School of Cities in Toronto Star | The Campaign Pitch: Dedicated, long-term funding for youth programs
Toronto Star crime reporter Jennifer Pagliaro on the School of Cities election issue brief that explores the possibility of replacing the patchwork of short-term grants for youth programming with one permanent, multi-year funding stream, coordinated centrally within the City.
This article is one in the Toronto Star’s four-part series called The Campaign Pitch, wherein they wrote about SofC election briefs, written in collaboration with U of T faculty, and presented them to the two main mayoral candidates for comment.
School of Cities in Toronto Star | The Campaign Pitch: How Toronto could build and protect more affordable housing
Toronto Star business reporter Manuela Vega on the School of Cities election issue brief that explores the possibility of better supporting community groups and non-profit housing providers to acquire existing buildings as part of the City’s housing strategy.
This article is one in the Toronto Star’s four-part series called The Campaign Pitch, wherein they wrote about SofC election briefs, written in collaboration with U of T faculty, and presented them to the two main mayoral candidates for comment.
School of Cities in Toronto Star | The Campaign Pitch: What if there was a $9 charge to drive downtown?
Toronto Star transportation reporter Andy Takagi on the School of Cities election issue brief that explores the possibility of creating a congestion pricing zone around Toronto’s downtown area.
This article is one in the Toronto Star’s four-part series called The Campaign Pitch, wherein they wrote about SofC election briefs, written in collaboration with U of T faculty, and presented them to the two main mayoral candidates for comment.
Tara Vinodrai and School of Cities in Waterloo Region Record | 34,000 jobs in Waterloo Region exposed to tariff risks
School of Cities in U of T News | Researchers examine how commercial change is reshaping Toronto’s Kensington Market
Mark Fox in U of T Engineering News | Professor Mark Fox elected to the Royal Society of Canada
School of Cities in A&S News | Keeping Kensington livable: new research collaboration helps preserve one of Toronto’s most treasured neighbourhoods
School of Cities in Toronto Star | Opinion | Doug Ford used to rage against government waste. Now he’s behind Ontario’s biggest spending scandal
Matti Siemiatycki in CBC | Parallel construction projects on Carlton, Wellesley streets frustrating Toronto community
Karen Chapple in Fortune | It’s not just Canadian tourists snubbing U.S. cities. Business leaders are cancelling more trips to America as geopolitical tensions continue
Aniket Kali in The Hamilton Spectator | Housing supply is steadily increasing — so why are rents in Ontario soaring?
Highlights from Affiliated Initiatives See more
Mark Fox in U of T Engineering News | Professor Mark Fox elected to the Royal Society of Canada
Matti Siemiatycki in CBC | Parallel construction projects on Carlton, Wellesley streets frustrating Toronto community
Matti Siemiatycki in CP24 | Why speed bumps won’t solve speeding on major Toronto roads, according to experts
Carolyn Whitzman, Enid Slack, and Shoshanna Saxe in CityNews | ‘It probably is an unworkable system’: The development charge problem
David Roberts in CBC | Toronto’s FIFA human rights action plan is out, but advocates say it falls short for unhoused people
Carolyn Whitzman and Enid Slack in National Post | CMHC warns of a ‘very significant barrier’ to fixing the housing crisis
Tyeshia Redden and Matti Siemiatycki in Toronto Star | New York mayor secured $50 World Cup tickets for residents. Why didn’t Toronto do the same?
Matti Siemiatycki for Toronto Star | Opinion: Why the proposed high-speed rail Alto project won’t work in Canada
Matti Siemiatycki in National Post | Toronto housing: “Reimagining what a neighbourhood can be”
Matti Siemiatycki in CP24 | These 10 Toronto intersections generated the most red-light camera fines last year
Steven Farber and Shoshanna Saxe in Toronto Star | Where have the TTC’s riders gone? Transit ridership never recovered from the pandemic. We asked why — and what could bring them back
Matti Siemiatycki in Montreal Gazette | Ottawa-Montreal first up for high-speed rail link, but money could be better spent, expert says
In the Media
The School of Cities is a source of expertise and analysis on all aspects of the complex global challenges facing urban centres. Our Director, affiliated faculty, and visiting experts often provide comments to the media on the most pressing issues facing cities.
School of Cities News
Read occasional announcements, stories and updates from the School of Cities.
Newsletter Archives
The School of Cities sends out two newsletters each month: an events e-blast and a general newsletter featuring announcements and research from us and our affiliated initiatives.