Research Team

Neighbourhood Change Research Partnership, Since 2004

2004.  Since the start of the Neigbourhood Change and Building Inclusive Communities from Within research initiative in 2004 many university and community-based researchers have been engaged on various facets of this large topic. Funding for the 2005-2010 period was provided by a Community University Research Alliance (CURA) grant from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC).

2009.  In 2009 the team grew larger with the receipt of a Public Outreach Grant from SSHRC that included dissemination of our findings in the Montreal, Toronto, and Vancouver metropolitan areas. In 2011 the Metcalf Foundation partnered with the outreach grant by sponsoring an “art and education” event at Toronto’s Nuit Blanche focused on the Toronto research findings, and commissioning a “residents reference panel” which developed a set of recommendations focused on what to do about the city’s growing socio-spatial divide.

2012.  In 2012 the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada awarded a $2.5 million Partnership Grant for continuation of the research on inequality trends and socio-spatial exclusion in six Canadian metropolitan areas with comparative research elsewhere nationally and internationally. The 2012-2022 project is titled: Neighbourhood Inequality, Diversity, and Change in the Global Era: Trends, Processes, Consequences, and Policy Options for Canada’s Large Metropolitan Areas.

Seven Metropolitan Areas.  The new project adds neighbourhood change research teams in Halifax, Hamilton, Winnipeg, and Calgary, as well as continuing and expanding the research in Montreal, Toronto, and Vancouver.

Board of Directors

  • Dallas Alderson, Policy Analyst, Federation of Canadian Municipalities
  • Barb Besner, Research & Special Projects, United Way of Winnipeg
  • Jino Distasio, geography, Institute of Urban Studies, U of Winnipeg
  • Leslie Evans, Federation of Calgary Communities
  • Kathleen Gallagher, education, Centre for Urban Schooling, OISE, UofT  
  • Scott Graham, Associate Executive Director, Social Planning and Research Council of B.C., Vancouver
  • Richard Harris, geography, McMaster U
  • David Hulchanski, social work, UofT 
  • Michelynn Laflèche, Research & Public Policy, United Way Greater Toronto
  • David Ley, geography, U of British Columbia 
  • Kirstin Maxwell, Housing Services, City of Hamilton
  • Robert Murdie, geography, York U
  • Martha Radice, sociology and social anthropology, Dalhousie U
  • Damaris Rose, geography, Centre urbanisation, culture, société, U INRS, Montreal
  • Kasia Tota, Halifax Regional Municipality
  • Ivan J. Townshend, geography, U of Lethbridge 
  • Alan Walks, geography/planning, UofT 

Research Advisory Board

  • Caroline Andrew, political science, U of Ottawa
  • Larry Bourne, geography, planning, UofT
  • Tom Carter, geography, urban studies, U of Winnipeg
  • Duncan Maclennan, geography, St Andrews U, Scotland
  • Bill Michelson, sociology, UofT
  • Janet L. Smith, urban planning, U of Illinois at Chicago

Research Team, Community-based

  • Dallas Alderson, Policy Analyst, Federation of Canadian Municipalities
  • Maude Beausoleil, Centraide de Grand Montréal
  • Adriana Beemans, Metcalf Foundation, Toronto
  • Barb Besner, Research, United Way of Winnipeg
  • Matthew Blackett, Spacing Media, Toronto
  • Robert S. Brown, Toronto District School Board
  • Deb Bryant, Association of Neighbourhood Houses of BC
  • Isabel Cascante, Research & Public Policy, United Way Greater Toronto
  • Charlene Cook, Research and Public Policy, United Way Toronto
  • Mihaela Dinca-Panaitescu, Research & Public Policy, United Way Greater Toronto
  • Diane Dyson, Planning and Research, Woodgreen Community Services, Toronto
  • Rick Eagan, West Neighbourhood House, Toronto
  • Leslie Evans, Federation of Calgary Communities
  • Maureen Fair, West Neighbourhood House, Toronto
  • Scott Graham, Social Planning and Research Council of B.C., Vancouver
  • Rob Howarth, Canadian Association of Neighbourhood Services, and Toronto Neighbourhood Centres
  • Harvey Low, Social Research & Analysis, City of Toronto
  • Kirstin Maxwell, Housing Services, City of Hamilton
  • Laura McDonough, Research & Public Policy, United Way Toronto and York Region
  • Colette Murphy, Atkinson Foundation, Toronto
  • Stephanie Procyk, Research & Public Policy, United Way Greater Toronto
  • Trisha Scantlebury, Research & Public Policy, United Way Greater Toronto
  • Mary Ellen Schaafsma, Research, United Way of the Lower Mainland, Vancouver
  • Malcolm Shookner, Nova Scotia Government, Halifax
  • Anita Stellinga, United Way Peel
  • Kasia Tota, Regional Municipality of Halifax
  • Paul Shakotko, Executive Director, United Way Halifax
  • John Stapleton, Metcalf Innovation Fellow, Metcalf Foundation, Toronto
  • Lynne Woolcott, West Neighbourhood House, Toronto

Research Team, University-based, Canada

  • Caroline Andrew, political science, U of Ottawa 
  • Martine August, planning, U of Waterloo
  • Yale Belanger, political science, U of Lethbridge
  • Rupaleem Bhuyan, social work, UofT
  • Larry Bourne, geography/planning, UofT
  • Shauna Brail, Urban Studies, UofT
  • Tom Carter, geography, urban studies, U of Winnipeg
  • Deborah Cowen, geography/planning, UofT
  • Frank Cunningham, urban philosophy, UofT 
  • Jino Distasio, Institute of Urban Studies, U of Winnipeg
  • Caroline Fusco,  physical education & health, UofT
  • Kathleen Gallagher, education, Centre for Urban Schooling, OISE, UofT 
  • Rosemary Gartner, criminology, UofT  
  • Annick Germain, sociology, Centre urbanisation, culture, société, U INRS, Montreal  
  • Sutama Ghosh, geography, Ryerson
  • Jill Grant, planning, Dalhousie U
  • Penny Gurstein, planning, U of British Columbia
  • Richard Harris, geography, McMaster U
  • Paul Hess, geography, planning, UofT
  • Dan Hiebert, geography, U of British Columbia
  • David Hulchanski, social work, UofT
  • Tom Hutton, planning, U of British Columbia
  • Ayobami Laniyonu, criminology, UofT
  • Sean Lauer, sociology, U of British Columbia
  • Xavier Leloup, sociology, Centre urbanisation, culture, société, U INRS, Montreal
  • Christopher Leo, political science, U of Winnipeg   
  • Wayne Lewchuk, economics, McMaster U
  • David Ley, geography, U of British Columbia
  • Richard Maaranen, NCRP Data Analyst, UofT
  • Julie Mah, planning, U of Florida
  • Lance McCready, education, OISE, UofT
  • Bill Michelson, sociology, UofT
  • Byron Miller, geography, U of Calgary
  • Robert Murdie, geography, York U
  • John Myles, sociology, UofT
  • Sheila Neysmith, social work, UofT
  • Valerie Preston, geography, York U
  • Martha Radice, sociology and social anthropology, Dalhousie U
  • Howard Ramos, sociology and social anthropology, Dalhousie U
  • Katharine N. Rankin, geography/planning, UofT
  • Damaris Rose, geography, Centre urbanisation, culture, société, U INRS, Montreal   
  • Ted Rutland, geography, Concordia U
  • Shalini Sharma, economics, UofT
  • Ren Thomas, planning, Dalhousie U
  • Ivan J. Townshend, geography, U of Lethbridge
  • Alan Walks, geography, planning, UofT
  • Scot Wortley, criminology, UotT
  • Elvin Wyly, geography, U of British Columbia
  • Andy Yan, planning, Simon Fraser U
  • Daniyal Zuberi, social work, and public policy and government, UofT

Research Team, University-based, International

  • Duncan Maclennan, geography, St Andrews U, Scotland
  • Peter Marcuse, planning, Columbia U, New York City, USA
  • Elena Ostanel, University Iuav, Venice, Italy
  • Tom Slater, geography, U of Edinburgh, Scotland
  • Janet L. Smith, urban planning, U of Illinois at Chicago, USA
  • Tuna Tasan-Kok, geography, U of Amsterdam, NL
  • Maarten van Ham, geography, TU Delft, NL
  • Ronald van Kempen, geography, U of Utrecht, NL (1958-2016)