EMBERS Eastside Works (EW) is a new low barrier employment centre in the Downtown Eastside of Vancouver. EW helps people in the Downtown Eastside make connections to the world of work, earn income, and improve their livelihoods. The proposed research will work with EW to develop a database and information system that fits their needs, […]

Metro Vancouver is in the midst of an affordable housing crisis. While responses to the crisis have tended to focus on our most at-risk populations, the reality is that even with a stable income, the high cost of housing is one of the primary reasons people and families of all ages are leaving the region. […]

In order to design and operate more efficient urban transport infrastructure networks along the Cascadia Corridor, improved spatial and temporal data is required to understand travel activity patterns. The integration and comparative analysis of new data sources including: electronic transit ticketing (Vancouver Compass Card, Seattle Orca Card), geospatially tagged social media, smartphone travel diaries, and […]

This project will assess the value in measuring sustainability outcomes according to place-specific baselines rather than universal thresholds set by rating systems and frameworks. It seeks a stronger foundation for sustainable design that can acknowledge place-specific factors. Ultimately, this work will lead to the establishment of a decision-making protocol about sustainable design options and outcomes […]

This research project aims to explore how civil society organizations in Metro Vancouver might devise Community Land Trusts that allow their property interests to intersect with their social mission. Metro Vancouver Alliance, a broad-based community organizing alliance of faith, labour, community, and education sectors, previously conducted listening campaigns identifying reconciliation and affordable housing as common […]

Indigenous communities, especially those in remote locations, experience much higher rates of energy poverty than the rest of British Columbians. Energy poverty occurs when an individual allocates a disproportionately high percentage of their income towards household energy costs. The negative repercussions of energy poverty are not only economic, but also social, physical and environmental. Activities […]

Due to the lack of investment from the Federal and Provincial governments for affordable housing and the low number of housing cooperatives formed in the last 30 years the co-op housing model is outdated. In response to a need for affordable housing in Vancouver, BC the Community Land Trust (CLT) has recently opened two newly […]

CleanBC is British Columbia’s recent climate strategy outlining how the province plans to transition from fossil fuels to a clean and renewable energy system. The plan contains targets that are meant to set a pathway towards a more sustainable future; however, Pembina Institute recently recommended that the government develop a clean energy plan to back […]

Due to the lack of investment from the Federal and Provincial governments for affordable housing and the low number of housing cooperatives formed in the last 30 years the co-op housing model is outdated. In response to a need for affordable housing in Vancouver, BC the Community Land Trust (CLT) has recently opened two newly […]

The intent of this internship is to examine the barriers and opportunities policies set for the private sector to invest in affordable housing that is attractive to young adults in St. Catharines, Ontario. The rational behind this research stems from the gap in academic literature on young adults and their experiences with affordable housing. Although […]

Urban design and transportation investments may have a significant impact on the health and well-being of the people and environments; however, it is often difficult to measure these impacts or predict how long term growth may improve or disrupt a community. This project will begin with a literature review to identify built environment indicators that […]

The trees and plants – also called urban forest – in our cities help to absorb and evaporate rainwater. Since cities have a lot of surfaces that are impermeable, rainwater cannot infiltrate the soil and has to be moved away through pipe systems, carrying the pollution it collects on the surface. The urban forest is […]