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
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.
The future is urban: U of T’s School of Cities celebrates its fifth anniversary
Five years ago, the University of Toronto established the School of Cities, a multidisciplinary hub tasked with creating solutions for more efficient and equitable cities in an increasingly urbanized world.… Read more
Camera traps reveal the hidden world of urban predators and their prey
FAS features research by Postdoctoral Fellow Tiziana Gelmi Candusso on the use of camera traps in gathering data about coyote and fox predation in Toronto. The research is supported by a SofC Postdoctoral Matching grant, and supervised by Affiliated Faculty member Marie-Josee Fortin.
Latest media mentions See more
Matti Siemiatycki in CTV News | ‘You get what you pay for’: Toronto’s snow strategy vs. New York’s experiment
Carolyn Whitzman in CBC | Territory’s rent to be capped for final time this year, says Yukon Party
Karen Chapple in The Indian Express | ‘Large areas in South Mumbai could be pedestrianised’: City planning academic Karen Chapple cites examples of New York, Barcelona
Matti Siemiatycki in The Kingston Whig-Standard | High-speed rail business plan needs to be public, U of T prof says
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
Karen Chapple in National Post | ‘The worst is behind us’: Canada’s economy is defying some of the grim forecasts about Trump’s tariffs
School of Cities in Globe and Mail | Parks should be made for people. Why does such an obvious idea elude us?
Carolyn Whitzman in Globe and Mail | How presales helped Canada’s condo market boom, then collapse
Karen Chapple & Matti Siemiatycki in CTV News | How housing in Toronto has changed since the last time the Blue Jays were in the World Series
School of Cities in Waterloo Region Record | Trump tariffs put Preston and northwest Kitchener neighbourhoods at biggest risk
School of Cities in CTV News | Interactive tool from UofT researchers shows where tariffs could hit Ontario hardest
School of Cities in the Toronto Star | Trump tariffs’ potential damage highest in Canada’s smaller centres, U of T tool shows
Highlights from Affiliated Initiatives See more
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
Matti Siemiatycki in CTV News | Speed enforcement cameras officially banned across Ontario
Karen Chapple & Matti Siemiatycki in CTV News | How housing in Toronto has changed since the last time the Blue Jays were in the World Series
Enid Slack in CBC | Duties and division of powers: Which governments do what as Edmonton votes for new city council
Matti Siemiatycki on CTV News | Where were Toronto drivers most likely to get a parking ticket last year?
Matti Siemiatycki in CTV News | Experts push back on speed camera criticism
Matti Siemiatycki in Toronto Star | What is your commute going to look like when everyone heads back to the office?
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.