School of Cities

Grad students: Join Sabina Mirza (postdoc, Dalla Lana School of Public Health), elders & guest lecturers to explore the social issues that impact justice for youth related to climate health, housing, diversity, equity. Open to grad students from any faculty or department. https://ow.ly/X2mO50ZYNe1

Nov 10: Join Urbanist-in-Residence Kofi Hope et al for the launch of Memories of Black Toronto Project, featuring 2 short films that recreate the daily life of 19th C Black residents through generative AI, pairing archival research w/ emerging technology https://ow.ly/nQL950ZYN9K

Register now for the State of Canada’s Cities Summit, which this year invites urban leaders to explore scalable models that can help build stronger, more resilient communities & contribute to a stronger national economy at this critical inflection point for Canada https://ow.ly/bi8150ZYNci

It's voting day! But political participation is not evenly distributed across TO. We mapped the last 3 trips to the polls to the city's 585 census tracts and calculated turnout - it differs from election to election, but broad geographic patterns recur https://ow.ly/eUwL5100MH9

On Monday, Ontarians will elect mayors, councillors, school board trustees. Voter turnout is a common measure of civic engagement: we compared turnout data across the 3 most recent municipal election waves in Ontario and identified some trends. https://ow.ly/oyhM5100MH4

As Toronto prepares to go to the polls on Monday, we used voting & turnout patterns from TO's three most recent elections + a clustering algorithm to identify 5 broad political geographies – 5 different Torontos that participate and vote in distinct ways. https://ow.ly/QuVZ5100MGY

Are you a University of Toronto grad student + a fan of our maps & data viz? Learn from the best next semester! Our Maps & Data Viz Lead is teaching a seminar on collecting, analyzing, interpreting, communicating urban data - using hands-on learning & real urban data sets https://ow.ly/938V50ZYNhP

Applications open for LSJC – a 3-month prof dev program co-hosted w/ UWGT that invites individuals with a social impact challenge to tackle it with support from network-building, interactive dialogue, project coaching. For you? Join an online sample class! https://ow.ly/3FOU50ZYNk9

Grad students from any campus, faculty or department: you can now register for this Winter 2027 seminar, in which you'll explore the intersection of the built environment & artificial intelligence to shape sustainable, resilient, equitable cities globally https://ow.ly/rt8850ZYNhf

We look forward to today's conversation about how developers, municipalities, and transit agencies can make complete communities viable, even when market conditions turn. There's still time to register! https://toronto.uli.org/events/detail/7A40B037-A3EE-4911-BBE7-6366567C0079

University of Toronto grad students: You can register now for this small seminar class on how issues of climate justice and homelessness diversely and disproportionately impact Black, Indigenous and racialized youth, and including guest lectures, films and field trips. https://ow.ly/JRTE50ZYNcx

We look forward to welcoming you to tomorrow's Knowledge Café, featuring Prof. Ilmi on his research into how algorithms, digital platforms, and political narratives shape experiences of surveillance and exclusion among Say-Walahi youth & Somali communities https://ow.ly/eY7h50ZYN8m

Toronto: As the municipal election draws near, stop by U of T's Hart House to visit Voting Explained!, a poster exhibit that answers questions about municipal governance and elections, including who does what, why it matters, what to ask before voting, and how to act. https://ow.ly/WihQ50ZYN6o

Grad students from across University of Toronto: Join Hip Hop historian & researcher Francesca D'Amico-Cuthbert next semester to explore the place of women in Hip Hop and the gender-specific strategies they've used to carve out space, access, expression and representation https://ow.ly/NNfK50ZYNfk

Grad students from any dept. or discipline: Apply now for our Winter 2027 MUGS course on the interconnectedness & intersectionalities of climate justice, housing, homelessness & the diverse & disproportionate impact on Black, Indigenous & racialized youth https://ow.ly/6JUI50ZWGxb

The 4th annual State of Canada’s Cities Summit will spotlight what’s working in cities across Canada – the local innovations, frameworks, and policies that are already making a difference, and the opportunities to scale them up. Register now. https://ow.ly/IvbV50ZWGvT

Join us for a conversation about building complete communities around major transit investments and why some communities are proving more vulnerable than others: can access to shops, services, public spaces, employment, diverse housing help sustain appeal and value? https://ow.ly/ZkgV50ZWGtV

Since amalgamation, TO has held 9 mayoral elections. Our Place & Politics series has mapped where candidates found support. A new entry puts those results side by side with the city's social geography: housing, income, commuting, education, occupation, etc. https://ow.ly/UP4y50ZWGmU

Join us for the launch of the Memories of Black Toronto Project, an interdisciplinary experiment pairing archival research w/ emerging filmmaking technology to bring “hidden” chapters of the TO's Black history to life. https://ow.ly/tZng50ZWGvi

University of Toronto students and community members: Drop by Hart House to visit the Talking Walls exhibit that answers some of your questions about voting in TO’s municipal election: who does what, why it matters, what to ask, and how to act. https://harthouse.ca/talking-walls/voting-explained

Drawing on his research with Say-Walahi youth & transnational Somali communities, Prof. Ilmi examines how data systems reproduce racialized & Islamophobic logics and highlights youth-led digital resistance, community media, acts of refusal and belonging https://ow.ly/5Qs850ZWGsz

U of T grad students: Our own Dr. Allen (SofC Lead, Maps & Data Visualization) is teaching a grad seminar in Winter 2027, using real-world datasets to teach skills in analyzing, interpreting, communicating urban data through maps, visualizations, narratives https://ow.ly/hC9450ZWGA9

Join us tomorrow to hear from two of the co-authors of a new book that looks back on 40 years of Canadian urban politics – what has changed, where we are today, and where we may be headed. There’s still time to register. https://ow.ly/4hwK50ZWGrX

U of T grad students: register now for this seminar on the intersection of the built environment & AI. Students will use AI tools responsibly to examine AI's transformative potential and inherent risks, limitations, and ethical challenges https://schoolofcities.utoronto.ca/learning-sofc/mugs

Me at Ridgeway is a short documentary following two sisters as they explore how to create more representative community spaces, increase municipal & voter engagement & eat mouth-watering food at Ridgeway Plaza. Supported by SofC & the Leading Social Justice Collective https://ow.ly/sfHj50ZWGlu

University of Toronto grad students from all depts and disciplines: Registration is open for this seminar that will explore race, misogyny, queerness, resistance, power, industry and more in the context of Hip Hop's masculinist terrain and the rise of Hip Hop Feminism https://ow.ly/vOgF50ZWGyu

Registration is open for the 4th annual State of Canada’s Cities Summit. As Canada stands at a critical inflection point, the summit will spotlight local innovations, frameworks, policies that are scalable & can build stronger, more resilient communities & economies https://ow.ly/rgu450ZWGvH

As the condo downturn tests projects & communities, join us to explore community design & market resilience; the costs & responsibilities of delivering essential amenities; how developers, municipalities, transit agencies can make complete communities viable https://ow.ly/bhJf50ZWGtJ

Voting, Explained! is a poster exhibit about Toronto's municipal election, based on questions from students themselves. Drop by Hart House to learn what municipal governments, mayors, & councillors are responsible for; why & where to vote; how to choose a candidate etc. harthouse.ca/talking-wall...

Toronto has started voting. The issues are important, the stakes are big. Considering the broader context can help make sense of the choices we face. Join us to hear how Cdn. urban politics has changed over 40 yrs, where we are now, where we may be headed schoolofcities.utoronto.ca/event/city-p...

At the next Knowledge Café, Prof. Ilmi draws on research with Say-Walahi youth in TO to examine how algorithms, platforms, narratives shape experiences of surveillance & exclusion and highlights digital resistance, creativity, transnational connections. schoolofcities.utoronto.ca/event/knowle...

The Gordon Research Conference for Urban Evolution and Ecology, co-chaired by SofC faculty affiliate Prof. Marc Johnson, will take place from Jan 31-Feb 5 in Ventura, CA and is accepting applications now. Spaces are expected to fill up fast - apply now! https://ow.ly/shuO50ZTlcg

Tomorrow, 5-7 p.m. ET: We’ve collaborated with U of T’s Hart House, Student Debates and Dialogue Cttee & Climate Hub to create an informational exhibition about the upcoming city elections. City of Toronto Elections team members will attend the launch to answer questions https://ow.ly/6NsU50ZSUyk

Revisiting this report today, which concludes that ending Indigenous homelessness demands a transformation of how Indigenous-led housing interventions are understood & funded. Indigenous orgs. are leading the way, yet the report exposes systemic barriers https://ow.ly/UHXs50ZSUsJ

If you're a current or former U of T student who has participated in an SofC-run class, internship, or training – or considered doing so – fill in a short survey by 11.59 p.m. tonight (30th) and be entered to win one of 24 prizes in gift cards and SofC swag! https://ow.ly/Tkcw50ZSUn7

We'd like your input! Learn more about our future microcredentials - on urban planning for non-planners, spatial analytics & GIS, community engagement, sustainable cities - and answer a few questions to help us shape your professional learning opportunities https://ow.ly/q7mH50ZKq3u

Register by Sept 28 for early bird pricing on our Fall Urban Data Storytelling microcredential – an online, asynchronous program for early/mid-career professionals looking to build a strong foundation in data literacy, sources, quality, narratives https://ow.ly/MsoH50ZPqhi

Mobilizing Justice recently ran the first national survey on transport poverty, providing an unprecedented look at everyday transportation challenges, especially among equity-deserving groups. The key findings on gender & income are now available https://mobilizingjustice.ca/surveyfindings

As TO's waterfront undergoes a transformation rooted in regeneration & reconciliation, this symposium + exhibition will examine it as a global waterfront city & landscape architecture's role in shaping resilient, inclusive, climate-adaptive city-building https://ow.ly/GFKZ50ZKq1O

Current or past University of Toronto students who have engaged with an SofC program (class, internship, training etc.) – please fill in a short survey about the experience and be entered to win a gift card or SofC swag! We'd really value your input. https://ow.ly/trJ850ZPqeH

Register by Sept 28 for early bird pricing on our Fall Urban Data Analytics & Visualization microcredential – an online, asynchronous program for early/mid-career professionals looking to deepen their skills w/ urban data, GIS, Python, maps, visualizations https://ow.ly/WF1050ZPqgX

Last week, professors Mark Fox and Elspeth Brown were named as Fellows of the Royal Society of Canada, and assistant professors Alexander Ramiller and Samar Sabie were given Connaught New Researcher awards. Congratulations to our faculty affiliates, from all of us at SofC!

We've updated our maps that track the vulnerability of Cdn. neighbourhoods to U.S. tariffs to indicate which places will be most vulnerable to the most recent ones, and with additional layers to reflect the new tariffs on dairy, alcohol, and motor vehicles. https://mappingtariffs.org/section-338

The U of T Trash team, which SofC supports through our small grants program, is seeking new members, ambassadors, and waste literacy instructors. Apply by Sept 25th. https://uofttrashteam.ca/join/

The State of Local Democracy in Canada draws on annual surveys of thousands of mayors, councillors, and residents to answer the question: How well does local democracy work in Canada? Read it now https://utoronto.scholaris.ca/server/api/core/bitstreams/92b2eee2-a660-4d9a-b6ca-77517df40788/content

During his time at SofC, Taesoo Song (Asst Prof, Virginia Tech) published an article on anti-immigration & the politics of speculation taxes & housing affordability in ON and BC. We summarized his findings in a policy brief + a blog that delves into the data https://ow.ly/XhMQ50ZPqko

Our Urban Data Storytelling microcredential trains early/mid-career professionals in data interpreting & critique + how to convert it into persuasive narratives that resonate with stakeholders, community leaders, the public. Early bird pricing 'til Sept 28 https://ow.ly/h6Gf50ZPqgO

Are you a University of Toronto student or alum who has participated in one of our programs or considered one but didn't take it? Pls. tell us about your experience: what you learned, what worked, what we could do better. Complete by Sept 30 for the chance to win a prize! https://ow.ly/1tvJ50ZPqeg

Meet our 2026-27 Visiting Professor Jake Wegmann, who joins us from UT Austin’s School of Architecture to advance his research on the future of predominantly single-family neighbourhoods in the U.S. and Canada. https://schoolofcities.utoronto.ca/people/jake-wegmann/

Cities generate a wealth of data, but making it understandable & actionable can be a challenge. Our Urban Data Analytics & Visualization microcredential takes a deep dive into urban data sources, analytics, visualizations. Early bird pricing 'til Sept 28 https://ow.ly/FlAf50ZPqf5